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I still do it, used to see it loads, never see anyone else doing it now.
I know this place if full of people in expensive cars with heated windscreens but most cars / vans still don't have that.
Fastest easiest way to have a icy windscreen but never see people doing it.
I don't know. Just wondering if I am the only one and why you wouldn't do it.
Yeah I should do. My van is a nightmare in the mornings at the moment.
I suppose it's dealing with a massive, frozen solid sheet of crumply, noisy plastic in the morning.
Should probably get a ready-made cover at least.
By the time I do it'll be July.
I don’t know. Just wondering if I am the only one and why you wouldn’t do it.
If it is wet at all in the night before freezing, it freezes to the screen. I use one regularly.
I have also adopted the 'sandwich bag and hot water' trick to clear my car these days.
and why you wouldn’t do it.
Because scraping doesn't take very long and I don't have to faff with a frozen or wet tarp.
What do you do with it when it's off? If you put it in the boot you end up with water in the boot. If you put in a shed then by the time you've done it's take just as long as scraping! 🙂
Next door does it - as I WFH, happy* to scrape if I have to go anywhere, a fan heater on an extension cable will clear it in less than five minutes if we have to go somewhere in a rush. Heated windscreen FTW, wish I still had the Focus right now...
* Not happy - prepared might beca better word...
Never had a sheet stuck.
Folding is much quicker than scrapping/ defrosting.
Now I leave the tarp on top of tailer, when I lived in Terrace I folded it and put it behind the bins, when I lived ina flat a quick shake and brush and most of the use was off then in the boot. Easy peasy. My way is best you all suck.
Used the tarp in years past until on particually damp frosty day where the corner of it froze to the paint on my bonnet with expected results when I pulled it off. I didn't like the laquer on that corner anyway.
Only discovered the sandwich bag full of hot water this year but I love it. Fill two up, one for each hand. Clear the screen super quick and get warm hands as a bonus! Previously I was a warm water from the tap kinda guy, which is also really quick but more scope for a soaking when you turn the wipers on with the door open (I know...)
I do it and loads of people on my street do too.
I doubt it's faster than running a scraper over the screen, down here at least.
My OH does. She's got a special sheet which is blue on one side and silver on the other. Which way is supposed to be 'up' I have no idea. It works though. Last time I had to take it off wet I threw it over the clothes maiden indoors.
I've never bothered. A kettleful of lukewarm water and I'm good to go, takes seconds. Scraping's for the birds.
Bottle or two of warmish water, heated screen (9yr old Transit, not a posh expensive car) and job done
I have also adopted the ‘sandwich bag and hot water’ trick to clear my car these days.
The what, now?
I have also adopted the ‘sandwich bag and hot water’ trick to clear my car these days.
Saw that the other day. Good idea if you are boiling the kettle for something.
Another one I don't see anymore is cardboard Infront of half the radiator. My dad did this all the time bitd.
I have always just left car with wipers raised so that blades don't freeze to the screen and damage them, then used the warm water in old milk carton over it, works fine.
I doubt it’s faster than running a scraper over the screen, down here at least.
You would be wrong. Pull a sheet off. Done.
I do it and loads of people on my street do too.
A haven of sensible people.
I have always just left car with wipers raised so that blades don’t freeze to the screen and damage them, then used the warm water in old milk carton over it, works fine.
Yeah I've had to piss on my screen to but never had a milk carton handy, just stood on the bonnet.
I picked up a cover from the aisle of dreams in Aldi. Nowt worse than finishing a 12hr night shift and having to scrape the windscreen.
It's gets a shake then rolled up and chucked either in the rear foot well or boot.
Yeah I’ve had to piss on my screen to
Also had to piss on my lock as well. Just sharing.
**STW Privilege**
Just press a button on the app, car heats up, windscreen de-ices. Get in car, drive off. Simple.
What do you do about your side windows?
I presume you're all good motorists and scrape those so you have clear all-round vision.
From a relatively slow start this thread has ramped up to being one of the funniest I've read for a while!
re cardboard on half the radiator. I am contemplating it for the van to warm it up a bit quicker. However, many modern (higher end?) cars have mechanical louvres that can open and close to allow more airflow or block it off if needed. Usually vacuum operated.
I use an old picnic blanket which is plastic on one side and fabric on the other. Fabric side down, tucked in to top of front doors as I shut them. Works a treat, gets put over the wheelie bins when not on the car.
I've been driving my daughter round her paper round this week (-9, most roads still not gritted so she's not cycling, insert comments about kids nowadays being soft etc. here). Its great when getting up at 6.30am to not have to clear a windscreen.
Got a silvery plasticy thing.
tucks into the doors.
Shake off the ice or moisture, put in boot.
As its reflective I use it in summer too when its hot out.
Engine on, heated seats on, rear window heater on, heater on full, cover off and in boot, scrape the side windows.
Heater is a bit slow to warm up (2013 diesel) so its a few minutes before its blowing hot air. When i forget the cover and have to manually scrape, the inside fogs up about 30 seconds after setting off.
What do you do about your side windows?
I presume you’re all good motorists and scrape those so you have clear all-round vision.
Tarp drapes over them so the frost is much reduced. Then scrape but as the frost is reduced and tapered towards the tarp it's super quick.
I saw one on a car this morning that was shaped to go round the side windows, and had little pockets for the wing mirrors to keep them clear too. I'll probably just keep using my old silver windscreen shade, and an old yoga mat on the tailgate, but it seemed a good idea.
re cardboard on half the radiator. I am contemplating it for the van to warm it up a bit quicker. However, many modern (higher end?) cars have mechanical louvres that can open and close to allow more airflow or block it off if needed. Usually vacuum operated.
Never seen that, I have seen in the state's and Canada let of the trucks have a external rad cover with poppers so you can open it half or just a corner depending on how cold it is. These are their big 5+l trucks though so a big lump to heat up.
Another one I don’t see anymore is cardboard Infront of half the radiator. My dad did this all the time bitd.
This is from a time when cars had a permanently on fan driven by a fan belt. In cold weather they may literally never warm up fully, so blocking off half the radiator was a way to combat that. Not needed with thermostatically controlled electric fans these days.
Which begs another question about what is actually broken when people say their fan belt is gone 😁
My vote for Post Juxtaposition Of The Day:
Yeah I’ve had to piss on my screen
...
It’s gets a shake then rolled up and chucked either in the rear foot well or boot
We have a silver thing but it really isn't that much faster than scraping* after you faff with it. Fro reference its been 5 days since the needle was above about -5 and has been as low as -13
*i mean it is obviously slower but 1minute compared to 45seconds** is hardly a big deall and the craper does all the windows and the lights
** i hape a great scraper
Usually vacuum operated.
All the ones i've played with are mechanically operated. No vacuum anywhere.
Also, most cars ICE don't even send coolant through the radiator until it's at ~50 degrees. They have a thermostatic bypass valve. Electric cars, it's all
Only time i've done the sheet over the screen it took me about 10 minutes to pick all the frozen bits off the screen once it fell apart.
i'd rather put the heater on, or stick the car in the garage (and deal with the puddles)
Bottle or two of warmish water, heated screen (9yr old Transit, not a posh expensive car) and job done
I've seen that on my ride to work a few times this week - a patch of ice where someone poured water over the car which became a hazard two minutes later. 🙁
**STW Privilege**
Just press a button on the app, car heats up, windscreen de-ices. Get in car, drive off. Simple.
”Hey Siri, sort the car out please”
My partner tried the sandwich bag trick.
Worked really well up to the point she punctured the bag on the wiper arm and somehow managed to break the wiper mechanism.
I prefer to keep the faith with an application of Rain X.
The ice doesn't seem to stick to the screen quite as much with a nice coating of rain X beneath it!
Bottle or two of warmish water, heated screen (9yr old Transit, not a posh expensive car) and job done
I’ve seen that on my ride to work a few times this week – a patch of ice where someone poured water over the car which became a hazard two minutes later. 🙁
I use a wine bottle, drivings a bit tricky after so I try and drink the wine in advance.
It's just enough hot water to do the side windows and the screen if I cba to wait for the heated screen, or it's my car which has no heated screen.
I park on the driveway, so it's only hazardous to any cats wanting to take a shit in the gravel.
I use a length of left over insulation foil (bubble wrap lined with foil either side) just tuck it in the doors and ensure it's flat across the windscreen. Haven't had to scrape the windows yet.
Funnily enough i happened upon a YT video last night showing the sandwich bag with warm water trick, seemed to work wonders for clearing fairly thick snow/ice.
Yep bit of old sheet on windscreen. Remove in morning and chuck in back of van and off I go.
Screen covers on both cars when it's icy.
Makes a big difference, only have to scrape the side windows and then ready to go.
It's a bit of a PITA when there's 10cm of snow on the bloody thing though.
The what, now?
Suitable water holding bag, hot (but not boiling) water. Just rest on screen and move it around.
In really cold weather, it refreezes I find (although clear ice), but moderate freezing and a quick wipe of windscreen wipers and you are good to go.
The ice doesn’t seem to stick to the screen quite as much with a nice coating of rain X beneath it!
I find that it doesn't always freeze when other cars around are white-over. The problem comes when you flick the wipers to clear the moisture, it freezes instantly 🙂
I use a silver/reverse black cover, but not on a wet screen. Hang it up at work to dry and occasionally forget it
Warm water and a 6 pint milk bottle, works, and the screen is warm enough not to mist up when you drive off.
Only discovered the sandwich bag full of hot water this year but I love it.
I used to do that but got sick of my lunch being soggy.
I was going to post about the thermostat but then I realised that in cold weather the engine airflow might also cool the block a bit so might still benefit from the cardboard a bit.
Karrimat.But cardboard, half a tent or even a poper cover works well. Funnily the side windows on my landy don't seem to freeze.
Scraping ftw, just scrape a letterbox sized hole, press your nose to the windscreen and Bob's your uncle!
As an added bonus it acts as ghetto privacy glass so you can swan about like the local drug dealer.
I've just discovered the electric heater on extension lead trick the last couple of days. Has worked very well but it's quite a faff. Milk bottle / plastic bags full of hot water sounds like a good solution.
I've been sure to not direct the electric heater at the windscreen because it's bloomin' hot - my worry with a hot bottle would be it's too hot / risk of cracking? I know some comments on those YouTube videos doing the rounds say "no chance"
Likewise 10 year old diesel, no chance of heat for like 20 minutes. When it's above freezing air con clears the mist fine, but not when it's this cold. I do miss my focus's heated windscreen, too!
if the grounds not cold enough to turn hot water into ice I just chuck a jug of water from the hot tap (55C) and the windscreen and be done. Also warms it up a bit which helps resit steaming up on the inside.
when its as cold as this, blanket if I can remember or just a tonne of deicer
If me and the mates coming back from pub in winter, spotted a car with newspaper covering the windscreen, we'd all wee on it.
Confession over 😳
the clothes maiden
A what?
I had a radiator muff on my series 3 landy for the winter
Likewise 10 year old diesel, no chance of heat for like 20 minutes.
Sure you haven't got an auxilliary electric heater? My 2006 Passat had one as standard afaik. Ok so it's not baking hot but it was clearly warm air. If you really have a problem you can fit a sump heater.
I've been scraping the inside of my screen aswell as the outside over the last few weeks, leaves a lovely festive seasonal coating on the dash for the drive to work. (The joys of a 15 year old slightly leaky van)
saucepan of just warm water from the kitchen, done it for years
A kettleful of lukewarm water and I’m good to go, takes seconds.
ditto. Job, jobbed.
Was hauling the silver sheet off the household taxi yesterday as over the road comes out with a kettle in hand … nnnooooooo thinks I … kettle spout is pointed at the screen up ended and yep CRACK as the ice cold screen meets recently boiled water !
Suitable water holding bag, hot (but not boiling) water. Just rest on screen and move it around.
In really cold weather, it refreezes I find (although clear ice), but moderate freezing and a quick wipe of windscreen wipers and you are good to go.
Aaa - thanks @matt_outandabout, will give it a go! 🙂
Just been out to cover ours up must be an old bloke thing saves time and de-icer plus heated screen has 50% missing it might meet with a big chip soon
Got a screen cover for my works van,supplied by work, been a godsend last week or so, whip it off no scrapping misery, not to mention , I cant reach the middle third due to been short arse🤦🏼♂️
"Smug mode on" I just open up the garage door and drive out, car dosent spend enough time outside for the windows to freeze up
Saw someone at work tonight scraping their windscreen with a paper coffee cup from the bin in the car park!
cant reach the middle third due to been short arse
I'm 6'1" and had to use the front tyre to stand on to scrape middle of my van until. Bought a long handled scrapper brilliant for when you miss putting sheet on. Got a brush on other end to sweep off the dust or any snow.
Got mine from Lidl but like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nigrin-6190-Snow-Brush-Scraper/dp/B002WC7N54/ref=asc_df_B002WC7N54/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310744208542&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4462656738927685022&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045705&hvtargid=pla-566103495278&psc=1&th=1&psc=1
Years ago, when I was about 17, my dad bought an Austin Princess (remember those horrible wedge shaped cars?). The sole redeeming feature was it's heater. It could warm the inside of the car and de-ice/de-mist the windscreen in about 2 mins.
Scroll forward a couple of years and when I was looking around for a car for myself, my list was very short i.e. it had to be a Ford of some sort with a heated windscreen 'cos Im too impatient to wait for the blowers to get warm enough to de-mist or de-ice a windscreen.
Why aren't heated screens more popular??? AFAIC, they should be compulsory in wet/cold climate countries...
Someone once told me that Ford took out a patent on heated screens which is why no one else has them. I think it ran out a year or so ago though so no idea why they aren’t standard now. Probably £££
Why aren't car side window heated???
What are motorbikes like for getting going in the cold? Obviously no windscreen but Do they have any specific challenges? I'd imagine just everything you touch being cold ? But then you'd have cold weather gear on.
Why aren’t heated screens more popular???
Cost. Some people can't help but focus on the elements too. They are great but when I had one I can only remember a handful of mornings it was needed, I would do without if it cost a grand. I cracked it loading wood planks, fortunately the windscreen cover paid for a replacement! I've also had heated seats / wing mirrors / washer jets but what I want (really really) is a heated steering wheel. I think they were a Volvo option not seen many cars with this.
What are motorbikes like for getting going in the cold
Flat battery is probably the biggest one for me. Bike lives outside and isn’t being used at minus temperatures, it’s a toy and I don’t have to ride it to get to work so any risk of ice and I sack it off Fortunately I’m mainly running a wee Honda c90 nowadays so that’ll probably kick start. The yam 250 is underground at work but even that was a bit reluctant when I started it yesterday. I have a cover over my bike so that keeps the worst of the ice off, occasionally need to give the seat a scrape and a wipe. Did have a fuel filter cap freeze up once which was a real nuisance.
Heated steering wheel is a god send. Not sure which one is better, that or remote heating. I think I'd take heated steering wheel because I use that every day in the winter.
Someone once told me that Ford took out a patent on heated screens which is why no one else has them. I think it ran out a year or so ago though so no idea why they aren’t standard now. Probably £££
It's longer than a year now but yes, you're absolutely right. It's called Quickclear.
Someone once told me that Ford took out a patent on heated screens which is why no one else has them. I think it ran out a year or so ago though so no idea why they aren’t standard now.
Viral marketing is incredibly persistent. My VW had a heated windscreen, yes with the wires in it and everything, in 2006. It definitely wasn't only Ford that made them.
Having a patent on something doesn't mean noone else can use it, it means they need your permission to use it. Ford must have licensed it to VW.
EDIT and apparently others, the list is quite long:
https://myurbanjungle.com/explore/blog/what-cars-have-heated-windscreens/
what I want (really really) is a heated steering wheel. I think they were a Volvo option not seen many cars with this.
Pretty common as an option now, my Hyundai has it, but I don't use it much. Maybe people aren't specccing it.
Why aren’t car side window heated???
Window go up and down, I can't imagine it would last very long before becoming unreliable
The Ford patent thing seems to be a bit of an urban myth, unless someone can point to the actual patent. Pilkerton produced a heated screen which Ford started to use in the 1970's. Which explains why it also appears on other makes, like VW. It's not been helped by some of the other makes that use them being owned, or used to be owned, by Ford. Obviously this doesn't apply to VW. Patents last up to 20 years, so would have expired a while ago.
Tsk, peasants. One simply parks one's Aston inside.
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I know this place if full of people in expensive cars with heated windscreens
My really expensive 🤣 ford focus had it 10 years ago, bought a VW without it, and when I replaced that I made sure my again really expensive 🤣 skoda yeti came with a heat windscreen. For me it like air con nowadays, no I don't need it but I'm not going to be without it, if I have the option. You may mock, but when you see the amount of idiots who still think a smeared clear bit of a frozen screen is acceptable to drive with, I'll pay the extra.
PS: I clear ALL my side windows while the front and back screen and my mirrors heat up 😉, doesn't take long.
Sure you haven’t got an auxilliary electric heater?
The 12V ones are notoriously bad at burning out/going pop after a few years, most people never notice as it's usually 2nd/3rd owner. They just complain about terrible demisting performance.
Can't remember all the details on the patent for the windscreen (I've read bits of it, and a load of related documentation) but Ford had exclusive rights to use it until some point around the turn of the century, then there was a licencing deal of some sort available for a few years because there was so much money to be made from it once the niggles had been ironed out (visible heater lines and bubbles in the screen). VW were definitely in on that, pretty sure it was related to the Volkswagen Sharan/Ford Galaxy/Seat Alhambra tie up/technology share. Not sure when the patent expired though
Interestingly, there's a move away from heated screens with the move to BEV/HEV cars, the batteries and power available means that you can use full electric AC. Seen some systems that'll provide over 5kW of heating power within 30 seconds of startup from a 400V battery.
Window go up and down, I can’t imagine it would last very long before becoming unreliable
Cant see it being overly problematic given the range of motion is known and can be relatively easily controlled especially if you only bothered when it was fully closed.
My, cheap, fiesta has a heated windscreen. The wires can be annoying under certain lighting conditions so possibly not worth it all round (leaving aside the additional cost).
As an aside has anyone noticed the correlation between people driving badly, especially close passing, and the likelihood of a thick layer of snow on top of the car which they decided doesnt need removing?
Always did lukewarm water from a jug with no problems (on a drive so no hazard to others if the runoff froze). In our previous new van I thought better of this and only scraped which quickly resulted in a scratched windscreen.
Now back to lukewarm water. Also for the side windows, with a wipe from a 50p squeegee if it is really cold.
One day I'll fit an outside socket and go the fan heater route.
I can put my car heaters on from the house or have it set up to come on at a set time, shame it doesn't put the heated seat and steering wheel on though. First world problems and all that.
Hold breath, jump in car, get it started, turn all the warming gear, vacate car.
Whilst it’s warming up, I have a camelback water bottle with warm tap water, it is really directional so I can normally do the whole car.
Done in a couple of minutes.
The water runs down to the old peoples home so I think it’s okay.
Lukewarm water method here, so I don't use a screen cover. Can of spray in car in case I'm caught out.
Scrapers equals scratches.
The Ford patent thing seems to be a bit of an urban myth, unless someone can point to the actual patent. Pilkerton produced a heated screen which Ford started to use in the 1970’s. Which explains why it also appears on other makes, like VW. It’s not been helped by some of the other makes that use them being owned, or used to be owned, by Ford. Obviously this doesn’t apply to VW. Patents last up to 20 years, so would have expired a while ago.
More license agreement that Ford had rather than patent, remember them being on Fords only to begin (early 90s) had a one on my K plate Sierra, and then to brands owned by Ford (Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo, Land Rover).
This ties up with that memory: Quick clear
Why aren’t heated screens more popular??? AFAIC, they should be compulsory in wet/cold climate countries…
Nissan Qashqai had/have a heated screen as an option, all Vauxhall Corsas except for the very base model had heated screens up until Vauxhall became part of Stellantis. They also lost rear parking sensors, but they did get LED headlights as compensation.
A heated screen is about £1000 or so, but closer to £1200 on a Disco or other RR. Still cheaper than one of those s****y full-length panoramic glass roofs, they start at around £1250 if they get cracked, say while loading stuff onto a roof-rack…
I specifically chose a Ford to replace my Skoda, after enjoying the heated screen on my Mk1 Puma. It takes as long to clear as scraping, but I’m sat inside and my fingers and gloves don’t end up wet and numb.