Defrosting windshield with water.

HanaleiJ5N

Quincy Huge Shingle wrote: »

I'm sure you can think of something without me listing reasons (I have heard of it happen someone and they said the keys were stolen from the house as an example).. It's ridiculous with the price we pay for insurance that they can't get out it paying it for something like this so easily.

Much and all as it pains me to support insurance companies after their carry on (and cartel) in recent years, I'd actually be fully behind them on this one; payout should be denied in cases of gross stupidity.

They take every excuse they can to bump everyone's premiums up, they don't need any help from idiots gifting their unattended running cars to opportunist scumbags to keep screwing the rest of us.

Deagol

Surprised no one has mentioned that starting your car and leaving it idling on a cold morning is bad for the engine.

Reason; the fuel system dumps extra fuel in to run the engine rich in the cold. This essentially acts as a solvent and washes the oil away from the cylinder rings etc.

All manufacturers that I'm aware of recommend you do not leave your car idling unnecessarily.

Oh, it's also not good from environmental standpoint either

From a personal stand point, luke warm water works fine. After 25 winters doing it I've not cracked a windscreen yet. The mrs was using very hot water (think just boiled kettle) for several years before I spotted her doing it also without a problem! Though I'd not recommend that

cnocbui

I have been using room-temperature water poured over the windscreen then wipers on till no more dribbles, for 20 years without a cracked screen.

Water straight out of the tap is too cold, I find. I keep a 5L plastic container of water near the front door so the water in it is at room temp. Does the job and never a problem - except in bitterly cold weather where the water then freezes on the driveway making a patch of death next the drivers door.

My biggest problem is condensation on the inside. I can wipe it clear but a thin film forms again instantly.

I have always wondered why car manufacturers don't build in an electric heater for the front windscreen so you get heat instantly the engine is running. It would be switched off automatically when the coolant had got hot enough to do asome good. I suspect it would only add €5 to the cost of car.

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This post has been deleted.

Toyotafanboi

cnocbui wrote: »

My biggest problem is condensation on the inside. I can wipe it clear but a thin film forms again instantly.

I have always wondered why car manufacturers don't build in an electric heater for the front windscreen so you get heat instantly the engine is running. It would be switched off automatically when the coolant had got hot enough to do asome good. I suspect it would only add €5 to the cost of car.

Have Ford not been at this for a decade? VW recently too.

Deagol

Deagol wrote: »

Surprised no one has mentioned that starting your car and leaving it idling on a cold morning is bad for the engine.

Reason; the fuel system dumps extra fuel in to run the engine rich in the cold. This essentially acts as a solvent and washes the oil away from the cylinder rings etc.

All manufacturers that I'm aware of recommend you do not leave your car idling unnecessarily.

Oh, it's also not good from environmental standpoint either

Many manufactures offer remote start or timer start on cars so they can warm up before you go out to them so I doubt they are overly worried about any potential damage from idling.

cnocbui

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Have Ford not been at this for a decade? VW recently too.

I don't know. Very good idea if they do. All manufacturers should do it.

GustavoFring

Think fords parent lapsed so a heated windscreen is available from a lot manufacturers these days. I was able to get one in my Skoda, it'd forgotten how handy it was to have one.

Terrontress

I thought that cold water would be fine. It is the physical shock of putting hot water, taking the temperature of the glass from -5 to 60 in a millisecond which causes the crack. -5 to 5 is fine.

bazz26

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Threatened me with a weapon as I was walking out of the house, took my car keys.

And then people whing about the cost of their premiums.

Quincy Huge Shingle wrote: »

I'm sure you can think of something without me listing reasons (I have heard of it happen someone and they said the keys were stolen from the house as an example).. It's ridiculous with the price we pay for insurance that they can get out it paying it for something like this so easily.

I have to laugh at the irony of saying that because of the ridiculous high price of insurance premiums we pay, it's ok to endorse a false story in order to ensure a claim is successful. What you are saying is a contradiction and just contributes to what you are complaining about. Maybe if more insurance companies refused to pay out on these type of claims then maybe driver's might have a bit more cop on and pay a bit more attention.

Del2005

cnocbui wrote: »

I don't know. Very good idea if they do. All manufacturers should do it.

I hope not. The wires in the Ford screen annoy me. Only takes a few minutes for the aircon to clear the screen.

somefeen

I had 2002 suzuki with an electric heater element by the demister blower.

No waiting for the engine to warm up. Just flick the switch and you had instant hot air. No idea why it wasn't more common as it was a very simple set up

demanufactured

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Have Ford not been at this for a decade? VW recently too.

Yep

marketty

It's the rotten miserable diesels that take ages to warm up, nice petrol engine with air con will demist/deice the car in no time.
Of course if you want to sock it to the insurance company just lash boiling water on and sure if it cracks claim it off the windscreen cover!

coylemj

Terrontress wrote: »

I thought that cold water would be fine. It is the physical shock of putting hot water, taking the temperature of the glass from -5 to 60 in a millisecond which causes the crack. -5 to 5 is fine.

If the windscreen is covered with ice, the ice is at 0 C and it and the glass can't get any colder, the layer of ice will literally 'heat' the glass to keep it at zero if the air temperature goes lower.

Lukewarm water is the solution, applied several times, the first to thaw the ice and a few more applications to warm up the windscreen to a few degrees above zero. Delay swiping the wipers until you have to, the layer of lukewarm water on the glass will help to raise the temperature of the windscreen, if you wipe it away you're simply exposing the glass to the cold air and it will freeze up again.

obi604

Day Lewin wrote: »

Mix vodka or gin half-and-half with water. (The cheapest, obviously!)

Store in a spray bottle at room temperature. Spray on frosty windscreen...works like magic. (because alcohol has a much lower freezing point than water)

Hi. In regard to this.
So when you spray the mixture on the windscreen, you just wait and ice melts away yeah?

Roughly, how long does this take. 2 mins, 10 mins etc ?

red ears

I use barely warm water and never have problems, half boiling a kettle if far too much.

Sitec

I start the car, scrape the ice off and drive off with heating up to the last, car warms up in about 5 mins. When its all melted a quick blast of the wipers and all is good. We don't live in Siberia or anything.

coylemj

obi604 wrote: »

Hi. In regard to this.
So when you spray the mixture on the windscreen, you just wait and ice melts away yeah?

Roughly, how long does this take. 2 mins, 10 mins etc ?

Depends on the thickness of the ice and how much fluid you spray on, there's no hard and fast answer to your question. Regular de-icer is probably just as effective and a lot cheaper (than gin or vodka), you're spraying on an alcoholic spirit to reduce the freezing point.

Oral Surgeon

I start the car, heaters to the max

Lock it and then have a cuppa inside.....

Why don't people lock their car when it's warming up??!!

Elemonator

Get one of those previously mentioned scraper tools from Halfords and then an aerosol can of de-icing fluid. That way you can avoid wasting time getting water plus avoid making the windscreen brittle.

Mycroft H

I used to have a windscreen cover that was very good for early starts during the winter. Only bother was remembering to put it on the night before. Pull it off and you'd have no ice. The moisture had condensed on the cover and froze and left the windscreen perfect.

cnocbui

Elemonator wrote: »

Get one of those previously mentioned scraper tools from Halfords and then an aerosol can of de-icing fluid. That way you can avoid wasting time getting water plus avoid making the windscreen brittle.

Is that what you do - go to the trouble of going to Halfords because it's easier than carrying a jug of water out to the car and use expensive chemicals instead of water?

Toyotafanboi

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

Why don't people lock their car when it's warming up??!!

Because they can't, in most situations.

johnnyryan89

biko wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9btrNC2DPI

That's actually really handy and will be doing that next year or buying one of them screen covers. Usually just boils a kettle and pours it on the roof and let's it run off onto the windscreen and it's grand.

Elemonator

cnocbui wrote: »

Is that what you do - go to the trouble of going to Halfords because it's easier than carrying a jug of water out to the car and use expensive chemicals instead of water?

I think everyone should have those scraper tools. I've often used it when I've had to park up in the Wicklow Mountains/Galway visiting relatives and the ice could be quite thick. The cost of the chemicals also pales in comparison to compromising my windscreen or even cracking it altogether.........

Oral Surgeon

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Because they can't, in most situations.

I'd argue that you can in most situations:

Comfort access, easy, take the key out and lock it...
If it won't lock while on, slip out the metal key out of the fob and lock manually...
If you need to leave the fob in the dash, again slip out the metal key and lock manually...
Old fashioned key, leave in the dash and use your second key to lock manually.....

_Brian

Water That's barely warm, never seen problems with it.

Lucky we live in the sticks so leave car running is no problem at all.

_Kaiser_

That YouTube clip looks like the best solution. Will try that one myself.

Usually go at it with an ice scraper and the heaters on full

easygoing39

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Have Ford not been at this for a decade? VW recently too.

My 1988 Escort had a heated front screen for F's sake,that's 29 years ago,not a new invention!!