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De-icing (in The Morning) - Ways To Reduce The Hassle?


japthree
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1. In Halfords I've seen special "pre-night de-icer" - does it work? Basically you put the stuff before you go to bed (assuming your car is NOT already frozen) and in the morning it should be the odd one out in the street! Or does ice still form but just slides off easily without scraping?

2. Boiling water should NEVER be used (I always hear) to melt the ice as it can crack the glass; however after applying de-icer the ice melts to a slush like substance and wiping just smears the glass. I've found pouring luke-warm/hot water is fine and washes the glass clean?

3. If I buy a car cover and pop that on - will it help? Where do you put the frozen car cover in the morning - in the boot the ice will melt and the boot will then be wet! In a big black bin bag?

Of course to get zero hassle just park the car in the garage overnight - if you have one!

Any other tips?

Do people really use their credit cards to scrape ice if they have no scraper?

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I have always used hand hot water all round the car .. Not boiling :(

Between warm and hot :D

I've used this method for the last 20 years and never had a screen crack on me ..

I would however say, that if you already have cracks or major chips in your screen ? Not to use this method.. I don't know for sure it would worsen the crack or chip ? But logic says theres a good possibility it would ..

If you do use this method, do not use the water sparingly.. A whole kettle sized jug should be used for the front screen.. This is so the you do not just melt the ice, but also raise the temperature of the screen high enough so as the screen does not re-freeze.. Wipe of the excess with your wipers once all the water has been used .

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I'd just start the car, air con on hot to screen, and side blowers onto front side windows,

heated rear screen on, then go do a bit of scraping, by the time you have cleared the

front screen, the engine temperature will be nicely up, then sort out the sat nav for the

journey, pick some nice music, connect the Bluetooth etc......

After this has all been done, screens are clear, tunes are on, sat-nav set....time to go :)

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I just star the engine and leave it running for 10 mins, have heaters on full, with maximum heat. Rear screen heater on and my heated seat on so my bum is nice and warm when i get in!

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Or get a Remote Start Kit fitted like on my other car :D

You just have to make sure you leave the heater and vents controls in the right place, then just hit the button on the fob 10 mins before you go out :P All from the comfort and warmth of your own home .. B)

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I also use warm water on all the glass.

But NEVER use warm/hot water on your wing mirrors or they WILL crack.

If you leave your car running with you in the house and some scum-bag steals your car you will NOT be covered by your insurance.

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I have somthing called my partner and when my lex is iced over i send her out to talk the ice off the car, it doesnt stand a chance with all the hot air she puts out :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ^^^^^^^

Best thing to do is get a garage :whistling:

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The stuff you spray on the night before is rubbish, I've got 2 cans of it. It makes a mess and you have to clear it off the next morning, it goes everywhere

Halfords night before deicer is an awful product that is actualy very very dangerous in winter..

I used it a couple of times last winter and yes.. it does reduce the amount of ice on the screen..

But....

Its a silicone like substance that on your side windows and front gives a foggy/blury view into the world... and once its been on there its a nightmare to remove..

Tried over 4 different brands of cleaner before using an industrial panel wipe to remove it!

each time you put the window down it would smear and recoat the glass!

Luckily at the times this happend i was carrying my "emergency box" which is filled with everyhing from 1st aid stuff to gloves, foil blankets... and glass cleaner etc..

So was enough to get me home at night..

NOT RECOMENDED AT ALL....

Even complained to halfrauds

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or just spend 10mins with heaters on before you go to work :)

Same here then go over them with a rubber blade :winky:

I do the same, but when its really thick i bought a 5 litre container of Autosmart De-icer concentrate.. although i use it neat rather than diluting. I use it with a pump spray bottle rather than a freezing cold aerosol.

Clears even the thickest of ice in but a few mins

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When I worked in paint production I used to use Iso Propyl Alcohol in a mister type dispenser. As I was responsible for blending the various solvents, I used to fill a 5 ltr container which easily lasted all winter. Rapid action and no paint or rubber damage as it evaporated so quickly. Also good in washer bottles @1pt IPA to 4pts water.Stopped jets freezing too. Unfortunately it is not generally available in large containers.

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I got this tip off my Grandad and it seems to work quite well. It's also cheap too. Stop the wipers so they are at half mast then get two peaces of newspaper and place them on the windscreen. Secure them by placing the wipers over the top of the newspaper and leave. You will come out next morning to find that when you remove the newspaper, your windscreen in ice free. All you need to do is clean off your side windows and as the Americans say, "Your good to go". It is much cheaper than leaving your engine running for ten minutes or so and envrionmentally friendly too.

P.S. How hypacritical am I talking about being environmentally friendly and driving a 4.3 litre car.

P.P.S I never have to do this with the Lex as it sleeps in a garage.

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I had to laugh as I left the house this morning, my neighbour had got an extension lead from his house and an electric fan heater. He put the fan heater in the car, shut the door and left it running to de-ice has car.

:lol:

Surely it's more hassle getting the extension reel out than just scraping the windows! Mind you I've no idea how long it took for his windows to clear, but I can't see it being that quick.

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LEGALLY, correct me if I'm wrong, you are supposed to clear off any ice / frost / snow off the 1.headlights 2.windows 3.registration plates and 4.wing mirrors. Maybe legally is too strong a word....

Also if the car is going to be frozen overnight, it's a good idea to NOT fold the mirrors so you don't damage the motor in the morning.

Don't try to use the washer jets either and as the manual says it's a good idea to NOT apply the parking brake?

If the parking sensors are frozen you will get false bleeps when reversing so de-ice them by using de-icer or warm water, etc...

Anything else?

No-one has commented about using a car cover - or is that a bit naff or attract too much attention in the street?

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I had to laugh as I left the house this morning, my neighbour had got an extension lead from his house and an electric fan heater. He put the fan heater in the car, shut the door and left it running to de-ice has car.

:lol:

Surely it's more hassle getting the extension reel out than just scraping the windows! Mind you I've no idea how long it took for his windows to clear, but I can't see it being that quick.

I used to do this many years ago when i worked for a delivery firm and started at 5am, the heater would also warm the whole car so it was nice to get straight into on a wintery morning, just kept the extention cable end in a plastic bag tucked away so it was always there.

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Back when I didn't pay for my own fuel (or, indeed, own the car!) I used to go out 20 minutes before I needed the car with the spare key and fired up the motor. It was a Mondeo which has a heated windscreen - set everything to 'hot' and the car was nice and toasty, all the windows clear, and ready for action...

It's worth noting that this was also in a small village, where I didn't really have to worry about someone nicking it, either!

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