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Thread: Useful car de-icing tip

  1. #21
    Commercial Operator StokeBloke's Avatar
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    Cool Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    You can do this legally if the car is on private property, e.g, your driveway. But not if it is on the public highway. It also reduces wear on the engine to put it under load (I.E. drive it) when the car is running at it's optimum operational temperature. Reducing engine wear helps to keep the car more ecologically sound, as it is more efficient, uses less fuel and makes less CO2. It also means the screen, windows and rear window are properly clear of ice making the car safer to drive. It is also a fact that when humans get cold their ability to concentrate is diminished. Therefore a warmed up car is safer to operate.

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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by StokeBloke View Post
    It also reduces wear on the engine to put it under load (I.E. drive it) when the car is running at it's optimum operational temperature.
    And what's the best way to get it to optimum operational temperature?
    Drive it.

    My handbook specifically makes the point about not warming the engine up by idling, stating the car should be driven...

    Greg

  3. #23
    Registered User SteveK's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by Sheepman View Post
    And what's the best way to get it to optimum operational temperature?
    Drive it.


    A bucket of warm tap water is equally effective at removing ice/condensation from windows (or two buckets if you live in the Scottish Highlands). Whilst using boiling water from a kettle may damage a windscreen, a large volume of water at a lower temperature clears car windscreens equally effectively, but reduces the thermal expansion stresses on the windscreen glass.

  4. #24
    Senior Member rubyred's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by StokeBloke View Post
    You can do this legally if the car is on private property, e.g, your driveway. But not if it is on the public highway. It also reduces wear on the engine to put it under load (I.E. drive it) when the car is running at it's optimum operational temperature. Reducing engine wear helps to keep the car more ecologically sound, as it is more efficient, uses less fuel and makes less CO2. It also means the screen, windows and rear window are properly clear of ice making the car safer to drive. It is also a fact that when humans get cold their ability to concentrate is diminished. Therefore a warmed up car is safer to operate.

    phew!thank goodness for that I have done this in the mornings . Chorley is only up the road me,dont the Lancashire police have more important crimes to police,?I know lots of people who have waited for ages to get through to their call centre to ask for assistance.
    if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done

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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by Sheepman View Post
    My handbook specifically makes the point about not warming the engine up by idling, stating the car should be driven...
    BLOODY HELL! ...




    Someone read the handbook.

  6. #26
    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    I'm curious as to exactly how cold the temperature was when this happened. He says:

    It's not possible to defrost your car and sit inside it because it's too cold and I think they don't take that into consideration.
    If it was Siberia, I might understand. But this is Britain we're talking about, even if Lancashire is a bit colder than London, we haven't exactly had a severe winter this year (apart from that cold snap just before Christmas). How long does it take for the engine and car to warm up? A minute or two? So he's clearly a big girl's blouse if it's "too cold" for him to actually sit in the car whilst it warms up.

  7. #27
    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    If the law doesn't take into account that he can lock the car with the engine running, and the keys not in it, then the nice policeman can't either.

    If the nice policeman has just booked his neighbour for doing the same thing with his not-so secure car, he can't ignore the Merc owner, no matter how secure it is.
    That was one of the 'selling features' of my car, the fact you don't use 'keys', I press the ignition button and can lock and walk away. Even if someone broke in, they wouldn't be able to drive it, as it will detect if the keys are in the car or not!

    Anyway, I'm too impatient for all that malarky, I use a large jug of tepid water!
    MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    How long does it take for the engine and car to warm up? A minute or two? So he's clearly a big girl's blouse if it's "too cold" for him to actually sit in the car whilst it warms up.
    Yeah, good thing he doesn't have to get public transport and have to stand outside at a bus/train stop...

  9. #29
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Anyway, I'm too impatient for all that malarky, I use a large jug of tepid water!
    I bought a car with a heated front windscreen (as well as one on the backscreen... )

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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by Sheepman View Post
    And what's the best way to get it to optimum operational temperature?
    Drive it.

    My handbook specifically makes the point about not warming the engine up by idling, stating the car should be driven...

    Greg
    This is true - when I had my TVR it was even more important than in a normal car to allow the engine to warm properly before opening it up. It had an oil temperature gauge as well as a water temperature one and it required at least 60 degrees of oil temp before you coul extend the rev range and use full throttle. It took a surprising amount of time to reach that on a cold morning. Anyway, there were plenty of arguements as to what was the best method of warming it up, but at least in that engine, leaving it idling was not the best way. Idling means low oil pressure so the oil isn't reaching the parts of the engine it needs to, which could cause more harm than good. I always drove away as soon as possible - slow moving traffic was perfect - all the fluids (gearbox, clutch oil etc) get warmed up whilst being used. A quick trickle through town was enough to see 50 degrees of oil temp, enough to start opening it up to get that last 10 degrees.

    Quote Originally Posted by HelenB View Post
    I bought a car with a heated front windscreen (as well as one on the backscreen... )
    I had a Focus with a quickclear front screen and it was an absolute boon in the cold weather. I assume Ford must have some sort of patent on it, as I haven't seen it on any other car and you would have thought someone else would do it given how useful it is.

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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    I've got a 'GAV' for all of my de-icing needs.

    I think you can buy one on Ebay for peanuts...or a curley wirley.

  12. #32
    Registered User TurboTomato's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Likewise I have a SeriouslyAddicted for all my de-icing needs, and she's very good

    Getting out of bed 20 mins later than her has its advantages

  13. #33
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post


    A bucket of warm tap water is equally effective at removing ice/condensation from windows (or two buckets if you live in the Scottish Highlands). Whilst using boiling water from a kettle may damage a windscreen, a large volume of water at a lower temperature clears car windscreens equally effectively, but reduces the thermal expansion stresses on the windscreen glass.
    When i was 5 i was told throwing warm to very warm water onto a frozen wind screen would crack it ?

    Does that hold true now with toughen glass

    ie chucking very warm water on it wont crack it

    so much easier if im in a rush

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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    I've got a 'GAV' for all of my de-icing needs.

    I think you can buy one on Ebay for peanuts...or a curley wirley.
    A Curly Wurly & a packet of Hob-nobs actually (inflation ).

  15. #35
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by stewart38 View Post
    When i was 5 i was told throwing warm to very warm water onto a frozen wind screen would crack it ?

    Does that hold true now with toughen glass

    ie chucking very warm water on it wont crack it

    so much easier if im in a rush
    It's a matter of thermal stress - if you put boiling water on a windscreen, they'll be a high termperature differential between the boiling water and the frozen windscreen, and the stresses induced risk you cracking the windscreen.

    However, if you use a large volume of not particularly warm water, the thermal stresses will be reduced, but the window will still be defrosted. Hence the suggested technique of using a bucket of water from the hot water tap. It's less effort than boiling a kettle, and equally effective at melting ice that has formed on the windscreen. It's the most environmentally friendly way of doing it - no nasty organic chemicals such as those used in nasty defrosting sprays.

  16. #36
    Registered User martingold's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveK View Post
    It's the most environmentally friendly way of doing it - no nasty organic chemicals such as those used in nasty defrosting sprays.
    only down side is the big slab of ice (from the frozen water out of the bucket) on the path next to the space that was your car

  17. #37
    Registered User SeriouslyAddicted's Avatar
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    Re: Useful car de-icing tip

    Quote Originally Posted by TurboTomato View Post
    Likewise I have a SeriouslyAddicted for all my de-icing needs, and she's very good

    Getting out of bed 20 mins later than her has its advantages
    Might have to put my prices up if I am that good at it!

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