[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....

Leave for work on my bicycle [s]late enough for the sun to melt it, and of course having the car parked where the sun will hit it.[/s] Works perfectly for me.

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.

And another most of you are clearly soft.

20 years ago I did have a civic that had a serious condensation issue and it used to freeze inside and out. We used to defrost it and dry the moisture out using a fan heater. Extension lead through the letterbox and five minutes blast. If you didn't it took about twice as long to mop the water out.

In all my years driving I have never encountered a car that collected that much wet in it overnight.

Some subarus have a bit of the screen that heats the windscreen wipers. Much better than the dreadful Ford screens, the wires do my eyes in.

scraping my windscreen is only half the battle......

its keeping it mist free that the heated screen comes into its own.

Much better than the dreadful Ford screens, the wires do my eyes in.

I have heard this said a few times. As a long time fan and owner I can't say I've ever found this an issue. the trick is not to look at/focus on the screen. If you focus your attention at normal reading the road ahead distance they're all but invisible.

Another vote for tap water then squeejee it off. Been doing it for years, easiest thing for me.

I have heard this said a few times. As a long time fan and owner I can't say I've ever found this an issue. the trick is not to look at/focus on the screen. If you focus your attention at normal reading the road ahead distance they're all but invisible.

Its not that - low sun / headlights etc illuminate the elements and you make things more glarey. To me its like having a windscreen thats never quite clean. If I needed to buy a ford the first thing I'd do is get rid of the windscreen, the handful of mornings a year where it makes any real difference would be outweighed by having elements there all year round.

Loving the fan heater plan - Amazon solution ordered. 🙂

Loving the fan heater plan

Also my method since the Mondeo went. Extension from shed to car and run fan heater while walking dog. Also has the marginal bonus that as the car is toasty I can leave the heater switch on cold for the first few miles which possibly helps the engine get to operating temp a touch faster.

We use a heater fan in the van, it's too low budget and poverty spec to have a remote heater.

Fettlin has the answer. The only time I had anyone poking round the car was when an old boy started scrapping for me as he felt it was a nice thing to do!
Covers work. Even the nylon ones do but best not applied to a wet screen, If it freezes start car with heater blowing flat out onto screen before you take it off. Bubble wrap works well but I use a bit of tent that has nice loops to hook in door handles.

I find the quickest method involves spraying the windows with the hosepipe, then quickly get in the car and use the wipers to clear off the excess water!

Came off nights to a fozen car yesterday morning, sprayed windscreen with water whilst wipers on, job done.

illuminate the elements and you make things more glarey

Never really noticed it. I do have anti glare on my glasses maybe that helps or possibly after a combined 10 years and 200000 miles of quickclear screen ownership it's become normal.

If he wires in a Ford window are really visible and distracting, it may be worth getting an eye test done. If you are short sighted, they could well be the 'in focus' bit of your vision.

I'm short sighted and if I look at the screen without my contacts in or glasses on, it's horribly distracting

Its not that - low sun / headlights etc illuminate the elements and you make things more glarey. To me its like having a windscreen thats never quite clean.

Same here. A few of the vans at work have these screens (Transit Connects) and most drivers say the same thing. Eyes tested regularly, makes no difference to how annoying the wires are with old or new glasses. My old fiesta had them too, the screen cracked so I had a standard screen put in instead. Far better, never missed them and it was never mentioned when I traded it in!

I just use anti-fog treatment on the inside of the screen on the current car, doesn't stop the fogging but it clears very quickly. Switch engine on, heated mirrors and blower on the screen while I scrape the windows and it's all done in a minute or so.

Evesie - Member

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.

More free education:
Not only there is a heater for cabin but there is an engine block heater too, either directly bolted to block, on the coolant hose or a radiation heater somewhere near engine. Last one being least effective.
Usually 2hr warm-up is enough even in the coldest weather, also some concern for heating costs too.
The wirings are routed to a small plug on the bumper, there will be extension cord from that to post which usually has some sort of timer.
Defa is one of the more known brands for this.

Lesson #2 on auxiliary heaters (Webasto, Eberspächer) on request 😀

Nailed it

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I'd recommend not leaving the door wide open overnight when it's raining. Like my wife did last night. Again.....

As above, walk outside, turn on ignition with heater and demister on full. Spray a bit of de-icer on the stubborn bits before getting in and driving away.

It really isn't that hard...

hooli - Member
turn on ignition with heater and demister on full

Blowing cold air on until it finally warms up after 15 minutes of burning petrol idling and barely warming the engine thus barely generating heat for the blower, while pissing off neighbours with a car engine running outside (pisses me off anyway when neighbours do it and I'm still snoozing waiting for the sun to come up to do the defrost job 😉 ).

Or, walk outside, a minute with a scraper, ignition, drive and let the heater do the rest. Car warm within a minute vs 15 idling on the driveway.

Nope you are all wrong....

Commute on your bike FFS

😆

Then all you have to do it wheel your bike out of the front door....

after you've pumped up the tires of course..... and put your lights back onto the bike after charging.... and put your bike shoes on, and bib tights and jacket twice (after wanting a wee once they were put on the first time).... don't forget your gloves and skid lid and remember not to put them on until your out the door and have tucked the front door key away safe... otherwise gloves off again and then back on.

Finally onto the bike and away you go... hold on did you actually flick the back light on... Stop.... check... yes you did ... And you're off.

S0d that .... I'm staying in bed.

I use my phone:
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[i]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. [/i]

Really, you park your car in a certain spot and wait for the sun to get warm enough to melt the frost, just to save you scraping the windows?

On the few days I do take the car, get in, start it, scrape windows, go. There really is no need for additional faff or starting the car remotely and leaving running for ages.

Gary_M - Member
Really, you park your car in a certain spot and wait for the sun to get warm enough to melt the frost, just to save you scraping the windows?

It just so happens my driveway is in that perfect spot so I don't need to do anything but wait for the sun 😀

It does mean I have to head out later in the morning by the time the sun hits it, but that's fine by me as I'm utterly not an early bird and late means I can avoid the worst of the peak traffic. While I'm waiting - bacon and coffee

Helps I have a flexible job 😉

Plus I work from home sometimes 😀

I find that Rain-ex sprayed on the windscreen helps a lot, it's almost like the frost/ice doesn't stick the same to the windscreen!

Has anyone mentioned moving to Southern Spain?

[i]I'm utterly not an early bird and late means I can avoid the worst of the peak traffic.[/i]

Ah right so you need to scrape the windows at night instead of the morning then.

People who say ride to work, if it's so cold that the car is totally frozen surely it's a bit of a gamble taking the bike?

How many pelvis / road interfaces?

Alternatively buy a cock wagon. I recall being on a trip with a mate who had a Range Rover sport and the security guard in the hotel came in to say his car was making a strange noise in the carpark. My mate looked at his watch and said.....ah yes its 6pm, so its warming itself up for my (normally) drive home from work! 😕

You can get that on bottom of the range compact hatchbacks over here!

I just walk out as normal start car scrape windows and leave.

Scrapers rip the hell out of windows - seen so many scratches from dirt/dust in the ice being dragged over the surfaces.

In many moons of driving, including in -17C winter in 2010 IIRC when my diesel gelled and wouldn't start, I've never been failed by body temperature water in a large jug. Start slow, spread over an area. That day I had to pour water over the whole fuel pump assembly, fuel filter and rail too 🙂

Another vote for the scaper, unless it's a really heavy frost when de icer comes into play.

What does annoy me is getting up at 06.30 to scrape the car for Mrs Z, when I don't have to leave the house until 08.50.

She woundn't do it for me if the times were reversed.

I generally just start the engine then scrape.

Once I broke my scraper though and I ended up using a store discount card that I found in my wallet.

It wasn't very good though, it only took 10% off.*

😀

My coat? I'm already wearing it thanks - it's cold out there...

*Thanks to Radio 2 for that gem

People who say ride to work, if it's so cold that the car is totally frozen surely it's a bit of a gamble taking the bike?
How many pelvis / road interfaces?