on ways and means of de-icing a windscreen...

[threebikesmcginty]

My last car, a Puma had the heated windscreen, best thing since sliced bread.

Probably just as well they started using heated windscreens in the Puma, I'd imagine that one made of sliced bread would be quite difficult to see through. Rubbish in the wet too.

 

[fossyant]

I don't bother - just start and off I go................... Everyone else does............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
oh, car is left on the drive, frozen.

TBH I usually de-ice the wife's car - leave the car running for a few minutes and check all doors 'open' so the kids can get in.

Recently my car has been frozen on the inside as well !

 

[aberal]

I've decided that the de-icer stuff leaves a residue on the screen which gets a bit smeary. I've also heard that it can damage the paint or rubber bits, though I've never noticed that myself. Come to think of it, what the hell is de-icer made of anyway? I tend to go for the environmentally friendly option - aka scraper.

 

[Kestevan]

Surely this is something that only applies to "common" people.

Surely any self respecting person of quality will have a lovely garage, complete with heating, carpeted floor and for the summer months air conditioning?





Me - I just chuck a kettle full of warm water over the damned thing as I push the bike past....

 

[JamesAC]

Chuck a brick through it

+1

Works every time.

 

[Moodyman]

Warm tap water with the wipers on standby to stop it freezing again.

Though this is only ever on the weekend as I pedal during the week

 

[Brains]

Newspaper put over the screen the night before and held in place with the wipers.
Peel off
No ice

 

[Brains]

I want a heated screen too. Seems really daft that it wasn't commonly available decades ago given Land Rover had them as an option in the late 60's. The demister in my car is rubbish. It looks like it was designed for a motor bike screen as it only clears the square foot of glass under the mirror until the engine is hot.

I have used the warm water method sucessfully in the past.
Years ago I had a heated washer water adaptor on my Land Rover. It was great having hot water to wash the screen with but in really cold weather, because the antifreeze would boil off, it left pure water which then froze on the wipers while driving making them useless.

I have had Land Rovers (SIII/Defenders) for the last 15+ years.
The heated window wash/screen was optional.
The standard Land Rover comes with a heating system designed for the African Bush.
Which means that anything below +25c the heating system struggles to keep up

Driving back from Cornwall last Xmas the wife was sitting in a 5 season arctic sleeping bag complaining about the cold (for 7 hours ....)

Basically the best it can do is about 5c above outside temparature

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Chuck a brick through it

I ran my 2CV with no windscreen for a couple of months at the back end of summer, and it was cold enough then. Don't think I could cope with it at -10 celcius.

 

[mangaman]

Best (worst) I saw was someone throwing hot water over the windscreen and it immediately freezing even thicker than before, as well as making the driveway like glass.

Is ths really true Snapper? (I don't mean to be rude or anything )

I'm strictly a warm water chucked over all windows man. Straight in the car and crank up the heating. If you put the washers on, the water on the windscreens won't refreeze, it'll be washed off, surely?

In my experience the "scrapers" are very conscientious at scaping bits - even quite a bit - of their cars, but leave huge and unpredictable blind spots where they can't quite be assed to get to.

I've driven for 27 years and never had the luxury of a garage, so I've de-iced with warm water for some time now. I'ts never cracked my windows and I've never had a problem with refreezing.

I watch my neighbours "de-ice" a porthole in the front windscreen and cringe to myself. At least I clear all my windows.

 

[GrasB]

Defrost the car? Start engine, close door, arm the alarm, wait 15 min, come back & wipe remain ice off the windows get in nice warm car & drive away... ahh the money was well spend on the winter convenience pack

 

[TVC]

IIRC the rear windscreen on the Puma is about the size of six large postage stamps.

Next to useless, you have to rely on the mirrors.


BTW I too have a garage which was built with the house in the late '60s (not very rustic my place). In those days any car would fit in. Now If I put the Focus in I have to climb out of the rear hatch.

 

[snailracer]

Surely this is something that only applies to "common" people.

Surely any self respecting person of quality will have a lovely garage, complete with heating, carpeted floor and for the summer months air conditioning?
...

Surely, one's butler should be attending to such matters, what what?

 

[User269]

I used to have a 'quick clear' windscreen on my last Ford, but I didn't really like running the engine and waiting 5 minutes for it to clear. I favour a blanket or whatever over the screen, but in practice both me and Ms Wheels just pour hot water over the screen; it works a treat and in practice only freezes again if it's around -5c. What's all this nonsense I keep reading about this cracking your windscreen?? We've been doing if for years with no problems.
More importantly, I'd like to find a way of de-icing my feet when cycling in these conditions. Wearing my warm winter cycling boots my feet eventually get numb with cold, and yet my socks are soaked with sweat.

 

[Piemaster]

BTW I too have a garage which was built with the house in the late '60s (not very rustic my place). In those days any car would fit in. Now If I put the Focus in I have to climb out of the rear hatch.

Modern houses aren't any better, especially if, like mine, the garage is built into the house. Its only the same width as the up and over door + frame.

Besides, why would you put seceral thousand pounds worth of car in a garage? Judging by both mine and neighbours garages around me thats where the freezer, lawnmower and all the crap that you don't want to throw away but want to keep goes.

You can also get bicycles in it