[Closed] Keeping cars frost free

IME they tend to stick to the car, though this was with a thin single-ply nylon one years ago.

My old man used to use an old curtain across the windscreen (and over the engine block as well of my ancient polo, which hated the cold) and that seemed to work. Doesn't prevent the inside misting up though.

I have sprayed antifreeze on the windscreen the night before and that's worked, a bit.

I suspect parking it in a garage is probably the best though...

Liberal sprinkling of cat food. Cat's then keep your car all toasty while they have a snack.

Side effects include cat pish, cat crap and cats.

Just use warm water. I've been doing this for many years - it works perfectly everytime and takes a very short time to defrost the car. Doesn't work so well when you're out for the evening obviously

[If in doubt make the water on the cold side]

I have my butler defrost the car before i use it.

I just turn the Eberspacher on when I get up using the remote. Toasty frost free van by the time I leave for work.

Since getting a Ford with a heated screen, I now get to freeze to death scraping HER windscreen instead!

Am never sure about the warm water thing - that's quite a temperature contrast and may cause the screen to crack.

I just start the engine, sets the front and rear screens and mirrors to defrost and then set about the windows with a scraper. Warms the inside of the car and warms me before I get in.

Judging by this morning's laboured start, I think I need a new battery.

I click the remote start when I get out of the shower, quick coffee and when I'm ready for off it's all toasty and warm, defrosted and up to running temp. 🙂

Just use warm water. I've been doing this for many years - it works perfectly everytime and takes a very short time to defrost the car. Doesn't work so well when you're out for the evening obviously

And leaves re-frozen water on the road...

ransos - Member

Just use warm water. I've been doing this for many years - it works perfectly everytime and takes a very short time to defrost the car. Doesn't work so well when you're out for the evening obviously

And leaves re-frozen water on the road...

And, judging by the young lady who lives at the end of our road, a kettle on the drive until she returns from work 😆

ourmaninthenorth - Member
Am never sure about the warm water thing - that's quite a temperature contrast and may cause the screen to crack.

Though this tends to bring out the naysayers who state it's urban myth, I have h'actually witnessed a mate of mine do this with a freshly-boiled kettle, resulting in a huge crack in his windscreen.

I would have loved to have been able to assist, but spent most of the time doubled up with laughter..

Ford have the answer. #ace
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Two keys, one in the ignition with the engine running, use the spare to lock the doors. Nip out and start her up, back in to get my stuff ready and let the dog do his wossname in the garden. By the time I'm ready so is the car.

And leaves re-frozen water on the road...

Webasto heater and remote.....

The water you pour on the windscreen doesn't have to be boiling, that would just be silly. Just water slightly above freezing will work. I use tepid water and have done for years. I do also sling an old towel over the windscreen and that also works.

Water straight out of the tap works well and means you don't have to buy a Ford.

Ford had the patent for heated windscreens, but not rear?

Leave for work late enough for the sun to melt it, and of course having the car parked where the sun will hit it. Works perfectly for me.

Two keys, one in the ignition with the engine running, use the spare to lock the doors. Nip out and start her up, back in to get my stuff ready and let the dog do his wossname in the garden. By the time I'm ready so is the car.

Someone smashes the window, gets in and drives away.

You are not insured as you left the keys in the car with the the nine running.

No payout, no car. (I'd rather use an ice scraper 😉 )

I use an old trick that my grand-parents used. Put a hot water bottle on the dash 15 mins before im ready to leave. Windscreen is both defrosted and demisted in one.

Am never sure about the warm water thing - that's quite a temperature contrast and may cause the screen to crack.

Doesn't even need to be warm - just a jug of water from the tap will do a perfectly good job unless its a good way below zero out.

Our courtyard is a frost hollow so our cars / vans tend to be properly frozen in the morning - it can be a good 5 deg colder than the surrounding ambient temp sometimes. At this time of year we empty out the washer bottles an put in decent screen wash concentrate - which is good for down to -20 so long as you don't dilute it with whats already in the tank (check label to see what temp the stuff is good for as some bottled stuff is pre-diluted). In the morning a sploosh of tap water clears everything and a squirt and wipe of the washers stops anything re-freezing. As well as clearing the ice on the outside the water brings the temp of the glass up a bit and helps the blowers clear mist on the inside too - which scraping the ice off alone doesn't do.

I use an old trick that my grand-parents used. Put a hot water bottle on the dash 15 mins before im ready to leave. Windscreen is both defrosted and demisted in one.

I like their thinking.

Ford had the patent for heated windscreens?

Yup.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quickclear

My Skoda has it-but as Ecky-thump, I now spend time cleaning the partner's Polo. She would have ordered one for that but they haven't trickled down the VAG food chain that far yet

I think the patent has expired, and it was for embedding the wires within a laminated windscreen iirc. The rear is not usually laminated.

Don't like cats so that's a no-no. Hmm ok so the big car covers might not really work then, unless I get one which is like a curtain?

Yeah we both had Fords but she's just got a different car which means I either feel bad or cold.

Will have to try some of the above over the week(s) and see what works.

Cheers.

Standard practice in Scandinavian countries is to have a small mains powered electic fan heater in the car & either run all night or on a timer. Only needs to run at low heat & fan speed, Jump into a nice toasty, frost free car even when at -30°C outside.

diz - Member
I use an old trick that my grand-parents used. Put a hot water bottle on the dash 15 mins before im ready to leave. Windscreen is both defrosted and demisted in one.

This works, except I just use a couple of 2 litre water bottles filled with hot water. Stick them in a bit before you leave. Sorted, and a nice lukewarm drink on your way to work. 😀

I've got a lovely Morsø Owl which clears the frost and mist in no time at all.

I bought it in black to match my Audi. Was easy enough to fit although it does restrict leg room in the back a little.

Recommended.

The standard method around here is to scrape off a letterbox size and hope for the best.

I usually scrape my wife's car after mine, so when that's done, I'm good to go.

Two keys, one in the ignition with the engine running, use the spare to lock the doors. Nip out and start her up, back in to get my stuff ready and let the dog do his wossname in the garden. By the time I'm ready so is the car.

And all the while your car is struggling to pump gloopy syrup around the engine and wearing itself out for the 15 minutes it takes to warm up at idle, when it would take less than 5 minutes to warm up if you cleared the ice and then drove it.

I just walk out as normal start car scrape windows and leave. I have no idea why people make such a drama out of it. Some of the posts on this thread would have taken longer than scraping the windows of a car.

[i]I just walk out as normal start car scrape windows and leave.[/i]

+1

never bothered me, takes all of 5 mins to do a thorough job

My stock was tepid (never boiling) water, followed by a wipe. If it is cold on the trip home, take a thermos. Needs very little water. The key is NOT TO USE THE WIPERS! Or the water will be dragged across the screen and refreeze when moving.

I cycle anyway, so what do I know! What fairing to keep me warm?

I have a Ford with a quick clear screen. But the screen is dead so only about two thin strips ever clear. This is arguably more annoying than just having to scrape.

What hammer for authentic 'stone chip' broken screen?

LOL, I've broken a scraper trying to crack the 5mm thick sheet of ice off the outside of the windscreen. Used to be a half hour job.

Thankfully got a car with a built in fuel fired heater and mobile app (Volvo on call thingy).
Takes 3 seconds to start the heater and 10-15 minutes to warm the whole car up, it's connected in series with the existing cooling system, so brings the whole circuit up to about 40 odd degrees, and the cabin up to whatever I have the AC set to. Which means even the ice and snow on the headlights, bodywork, tail lights and so on is pretty much gone........ and the window squirter is warmed up.

Got a blow heater on the back seat just plug it into the outside socket then pop back in the house for 5 mins, lovely.

Since getting a Ford with a heated screen, I now get to freeze to death scraping HER windscreen instead!

Had to scrape my windscreen this morning for the first time in 8 years. Mighty Mondeo has given way to a company car, of which I could choose anything I liked, as long as it was Vauxhall. 🙁 Heated seats and steering wheel are nice though, but the gear knob now feels oddly cold. 1st world problems...

I know we are strange but we actually use our garage to park our car in rather than fill it up with random junk.

Where on earth do you put your random junk then?

I dump it on our driveway so it gets covered in frost...

http://icescreen.co.uk/

Backed this on kickstarter. Got magnets that hold it in place, as well as the tags that lock inside the car. Does a great job.

If i know it will be freezing then put on an exterior silver screen.. quick spray of the other windows with some -30C screenwash, start the engine, turn on the electric rear heater and wing mirrors, quick fiddle plugging in phone and sorting out some music and then floor it.

The key is NOT TO USE THE WIPERS! Or the water will be dragged across the screen and refreeze when moving.

I usually pour the water on, and the instant the ice is gone the wipers go on full speed, and I'll leave them on for a minute.

Works a treat for me. The only chore is having to fill a jug of water and take it back in the house when you're finished.

Water seems to go some way in helping to prevent the inside misting up too. No idea why.

i just hit the heated screen in the old trusty land rover 😉

30 seconds later we are ready to go. One of the best things i ever did was break the windscreen refitting it - bearing in mind your typical 1980s landy has the heater power of an asthmatic fly....