Defrosting cars in the morning

[DuFFmAn]

I'm sure most of you are more careful. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up to be careful when defrosting your cars in the morning.

A few cars in my areas have been stolen with the keys inside. Remember, the insurers won't cover it!...

 

[dinoy]

make sure u have a spare set of keys

 

[msmitas]

make sure u have a spare set of keys

I think it leaves no choise... well even if you lock it, it will only take a broken glass to take care of for thiefes and the car is theirs..

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I don't understand why people leave engines running unattended for the car to warm up. Even when driving it takes an age, so with no load and no air flow (except the fan) it will take even longer, especially a diesel!!

 

[The _Don]

Warm water ( defrost/ice windows) - job done in 10 seconds - been doing it for years before the cracked glass comments surface.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Me too. As long as the water is tepid (ie not cold), and you sweep the wipers immediately, then it de-ices perfectly.

I wouldn't risk warm or even hot water though. As long as it's warmer than the ice, which it will be (because it's still water ) then it will melt ice.

In fact I keep a mineral water bottle next to the front door for this very duty.

I doubled the MB WinterFit concentration this evening, given that the temperatures look set to drop further. I saw -6.5 deg C on the MLs outside temperature gauge earlier. Never seen temperatures fluctuate so much in such short distances as I have tonight.

 

[EDZ649]

Yep, the warm water does it best. Can't be doing with wasting money on de-icer.

 

[Gucci]

I sprayed a coating of de-icer the night before.... made life easier

 

[stevesey]

Never used de-icer in 30 years - worred about damage to the paintwork, some of our pool cars at work have really sufferred from paint damage below the windscreen.

Start car, HRW on and fan on full, whip around with scraper (often my AA membership card actually), hop in car and go. Have used tepid water in the past as well. Most nights these days I manage to throw and old blanket over the car anyway - so no ice (but somedays I forget, or it looks like rain).

 

[AANDYY]

I don't understand why people leave engines running unattended for the car to warm up. Even when driving it takes an age, so with no load and no air flow (except the fan) it will take even longer, especially a diesel!!

I've got warm-ish air coming out of the vents within 2 mins in mi old girl.

Also do the teppidish water defrost of the windscreen for 20 odd years, no problems.

 

[trainer]

Tepid water and a quick sweep of the wipers. No moisture so no instant refreeze.

 

[tpwuk]

Heated double garage does the trick for me!

 

[msmitas]

Just a thought lads..
the habit of leaving a car running in the morning might be also for the purpose of having engine fluids warmer too, not just defrosing windoes. by the way all modern mercs have air conditioning that switches on when you start windows defrosting function. 5-10 minutes should be fine. during that time you could scrape the ice of the windows so you are not leaving your precious unattended

 

[Frankie]

I've had Fords for a while and got use to the heated screen. When I got the E class I got some de-icer,popped it in the boot.Well a couple of weeks ago I go out to the car at 5am and it's all frozen,not a problem I thought,get the deicer out the boot. That was the idea anyway,the look was frozen solid lol No scraper or anything,ran in the house looking for something to scrape with. By the time I got out to the car again the screen,front side windows and rear window were defrosted. I had hot air coming out the vents,I was amazed.
I think I might need to retrofit some heated seats though as that's something I miss from the old Dagenham special.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Unfortunately the fluids will take ages to warm up on tick over.

We had a lengthy thread on the subject.

 

[msmitas]

for a full heatup yes, but if your oil temperature is -10, 10 minutes should help right? revving the engine at these temperatures to 2500rpm has to hurt mate

 

[kwakdonut]

A garage does the trick for me too! I love watching my neighbours scrape their cars in the morning, where I open the garage door, drive out, close door, drive off!

Simples!!

 

[tpwuk]

Can't remember the last time I had to scrape!

 

[grober]

Engine preheaters are good if fitted. Any energy used is offset by easier starting and less running a rich fuel mixture. Again quite a common fitment in mainland Europe a bit like snow tyres!

 

[flango]

Buy A Volvo heating system has an electrical hot air blower that kicks in immediately then when the water circuit is warm it switches over to that. Instant demisting from freezing, although never sure why Volvo never fitted heated front screens when they were part of the Ford group