Preventing ice on the car windscreen - what really works?

[Abitrary]

But boil a third of a kettle, top it up from the cold tap[/B] to give you something not far off blood temperature, then gently pour across the top of the screen and all the ice just melts away.

Alternatively just use the hot tap and save time.

 

[Abitrary]

Buy a Ford with a quickclear screen.

Get in the car on a cold n frosty morning, start car, hit the screen clear switch and the rear defrost switch and as if by magic the front screen, rear screen, and the outside rear view mirrors are defrosted within seconds. Superb invention.

Better than the tap and the saucepan?

 

[beanzontoast]

Better than the tap and the saucepan?

... and cheaper than doormats?

 

[Globalti]

Get up five minutes earlier and scrape the ice off?

 

[User482]

Using warm water is ok if you have a drive, but if you do it on the street the water will re-freeze on the road or pavement, creating a hazard for your cycling and walking neighbours.

 

[Maz]

A few sheets of newspaper under the wipers works for me.

 

[Alan Frame]

I start the car, go back into the house and refuse to come out again until the frost is gone :0)

Many people have said goodbye to their car this way.

 

[Chris James]

True. The handbook of any modern car will specifically advise against doing this.

Really? I don;'t recall our 06 Mondeo saying that.

Or my 51 Almera (don;t know if this counts as modern!)

Engine wear is worst in a cold engine so the advice was always to not race the engine until it is warmed up as heat was required to get the oil ciruclated throughout teh system and the cold miles were only partially lubricated. This is no longer necessary if you use oils like Magnatec which works from cold. However, other than saving a small amount of fuel by not leaving the car idling then I can't see that warming up the car would be a bad thing.

How would it actually damage the engine? In either scenario the engine is cold for a period. While the car is cold then lower revs means lower wear surely?

In any case, when it is very icy I always warm up the car a bit. I have learned my lesson from using de-icer and then blithely setting off on my way. About 400 yards later, with me on a dual carriageway, the windscreen refroze and I ended up driving along at about 20 miles an hour with the driver's window open and me leaning out to see where I was going. Not an experience I would care to repeat!

 

[Arch]

I avoid the problem by not having a car. Mind you, scraping the ice off my eyeballs really hurts...

 

[louise]

The nastest part for me about de icing the car is when I come out after night shift totally knackered and find my car white over and have to stand scraping the thing clear, it would be quicker to walk home on those mornings

I have tried ice prevention spray and it didn't work for me neither

 

[Globalti]

.....neither did what?

 

[Amanda P]

I can't believe no-one's suggested simply leaving the car at home and taking the bike.

Works every time for me.

(Once or twice my glasses have iced up, but that's not the question...)

 

[Trillian]

No - I've heard that too. Something about the most wear happening in the first few mins the car is standing still. Dunno if it's right though.

most wear happens in the first couple of mins of the car being run as oil has drained into the sump and needs to be pumped round

used to be a good idea to let the oil warm slightly before running the car, hence the warming up, not been needed since the 70's as stated in the hand book for my '79 fiesta saying to just turn the key and use.

if you want to start the car, put the heater on and then de-ice feel free,

 

[User482]

I can't believe no-one's suggested simply leaving the car at home and taking the bike.

Erm, I did!

http://www.cycle-cafe.net/forums/showpost.php?p=452904&postcount=18

 

[Over The Hill]

Many years ago while working late nights, I saw a guy stand on the bonnet of his car (Triumph 2000) and urinate on the windscreen (it was in the car park of a Workingmens' Club). He had (obviously) been drinking heavily and indeed was well oiled - but the ice didn't stand a chance. He was off down the road while I was still spraying and scraping.
..

1. Watch out you dont touch the frozen car with your todger. I did once hear of someone who got their mouth stuck on their frozen car trying to blow hot air into the door lock to unfreeze it but this could be a tricky one to explain in A & E.

2. Girls will have to stand on the car roof which might be slippery.