What do you use to get the frost off your windscreen? I used a plastic scraper until I found that it was scratching the glass. I have a friend who uses a credit card but I dont want to stuff up my card cos I use it a lot.
How do you defrost your windscreen?
- Thread starter obi_waynne
- Start date
pgarner
TC ModFather
normally use a plastic scraper but here the thing i use the rubber strip
have you got a libary card or something similer ?
have you got a libary card or something similer ?
HDi fun
TC ModFather
Plastic lemonade bottle with tap water and a can of cheap 'n' nasty tesco de-icer spray. I hate Tesco groceries and the fresh meat is plain horrible but I'm happy to use de-icer from there.
blacklineninja
Track Warrior
- Points
- 162
When you get home at night after using your car for the last time, open the windows and let the car take in the cold air for 5 minutes.
When you return to the car in the morning your windows will only have a minimal amount of frosting. It will be bl**dy cold though!
When you return to the car in the morning your windows will only have a minimal amount of frosting. It will be bl**dy cold though!
I use lukewarm water - it stops it refreezing and you dont get the ice on the inside that you tend to get with de-icer sprays.
pgarner
TC ModFather
i used to use the hot water outo the tap , then again at ma mums its pretty much boiling a min after it comes outo the tap, but was told this would crack the window so have sinse stopped but i see alot of people use it
fingers
Torque Master
- Points
- 72
- Location
- North Essex
I leave my wipers at full sweep with some big bits of card underneath stopping the frost getting to the glass. Walk out in the morning, remove the card, job done. 8)
pgarner
TC ModFather
do that at work with a survial blanket but no at hame some c**t would nick it as parked on the street
HDi fun
TC ModFather
lukewarm tap water is good. Not out of the kettle and hot. I've got one of those heated front windscreen efforts - it works to a point but once you've noticed the wires they are an annoyance year in year out. Every bloody day
I had a monitor with 2 horizontal wires - when I noticed them they really started to annoy me. (It was a 22 inch CRT with aperture grill - it was good but TFT is soo much better.)
So I can sympathize with you HDi - try wearing dark glasses it might help.
So I can sympathize with you HDi - try wearing dark glasses it might help.
HDi fun
TC ModFather
I reckon the monitor was a Sony Trinitron model. Yes, I agree, those wires are bloody irritating once you've seen 'em.
Fine in a telly (Sony's been making 'em since the mid 1970's) as you sit further away from it.
Those wired windscreen things were originally introduced by Ford as far back as the late 1980's.
They do work very very well indeed but the array of vertical wires is irritating. It's so easy to focus on them mesmerically and then ignore the road completely.
Makes you wonder how safe they really are.
Hopefully someone will create some kind of glass surfacing technology where the whole screen is conductive, thereby removing the fine vertical lines from the screen.
Fine in a telly (Sony's been making 'em since the mid 1970's) as you sit further away from it.
Those wired windscreen things were originally introduced by Ford as far back as the late 1980's.
They do work very very well indeed but the array of vertical wires is irritating. It's so easy to focus on them mesmerically and then ignore the road completely.
Makes you wonder how safe they really are.
Hopefully someone will create some kind of glass surfacing technology where the whole screen is conductive, thereby removing the fine vertical lines from the screen.
MR.Lee
Newbie
- Points
- 56
- Location
- North West
I just run the car for about 10 minutes while I stand in the front room with a nice warm brew 8)
Obviously this requires a spare set of keys to lock the car up while its running.
Obviously this requires a spare set of keys to lock the car up while its running.
pgarner
TC ModFather
well it was minus 4.5 when i went to work this morning very hard frozen and id slept in a bit
so went back to using the warm water in a bottle 15 secs to to the whole car
the wife who left with me took 5 mins to clear her front window
so went back to using the warm water in a bottle 15 secs to to the whole car
the wife who left with me took 5 mins to clear her front window
HDi fun
TC ModFather
Warm water in a squeezy bottle is looking popular. Another thing to do is turn on all your lamps (mains, fogs, the lot). It adds to the electrical load which makes the engine working every so slightly harder. It also defrosts all the lights.
I also turn on rear window demister because it's linked to the door mirror heaters (most are) so they get cleared. Also adds more electric load.
I also turn on rear window demister because it's linked to the door mirror heaters (most are) so they get cleared. Also adds more electric load.
pgarner
TC ModFather
i wonder if thats how mines work it says that they are heated but couldnt get them to workHDi said:
theres nothing in the handbook about them and the civic had them but them were on al the time i think.
On My A3 if you lift the door handle before unlocking it the heated mirrors kick in. They also kick in if the temperature is below 5 degrees - probably the same on your car as well.
pgarner
TC ModFather
ill give it a try next time its frosty
the mirrrors are the things i always forget about when defrosting
the mirrrors are the things i always forget about when defrosting
Pixel
Road Burner
This shouldn't even be a discussion 
Boil the kettle for 30 seconds until the water is lukewarm and pour it over the glass, the ice melts in seconds leaving the windows clear as day. I usually stick the heaters on when the car has warmed up to sort out the inside. And lukewarm water will not crack the glass, boiling water probably wont either but it has happened before so don't take the risk.
Boil the kettle for 30 seconds until the water is lukewarm and pour it over the glass, the ice melts in seconds leaving the windows clear as day. I usually stick the heaters on when the car has warmed up to sort out the inside. And lukewarm water will not crack the glass, boiling water probably wont either but it has happened before so don't take the risk.
gendox
Track Warrior
the rumor is in older cars the window will crack with boiling water newer cars i dont think so but my rover windscreen cracked when i pored boiling water over it last year that was a 1997 haha gutted
I think the laws of physics say any thick peiece of glass, laminated or not will crack if you pour boiling water on it.
gendox
Track Warrior
mine did haha it was chipped in the first place though ???
Wcnwzrd
Track Warrior
i have to let the truck warm up in the mornings anyways so just turn on the heater to full and let it defrost while i finish getting ready, normally about 10 to 15 min. side mirrors get frosted every so often but hardly use them unless im backing so don't bother me.
Cold water does the job for me if my screen is really icy.
HDi fun
TC ModFather
Water at near to 100 degrees celcius will cause a problem. If the glass (laminated, toughened or whatever) is at close to zero then it will quite possibly cause it to fracture. This is because the glass surface suddenly heated by the water expands very slightly, but very fast. Glass is a very poor heat conductor (why are glass saucepans available?).
As such, the heated outer surface expands quickly - the inner surface remains at nearly the same low temperature hence the breakage.
As such, the heated outer surface expands quickly - the inner surface remains at nearly the same low temperature hence the breakage.
Loz
Torque King
Ditto :amuse:
**Edit extra bit**
When you jump in the car wind down the window to stop the windscreen from misting up.
Last edited:
Time to revisit this thread, there be frost in them thar hills!
pgarner
TC ModFather
had frost already
i boil the kettle and throw it on the windscreen. its the best way to clear it
really need to get some silicone lub to do the door rubbers with this year to stop them freezing onto the door
i boil the kettle and throw it on the windscreen. its the best way to clear it
really need to get some silicone lub to do the door rubbers with this year to stop them freezing onto the door
badger1980
Tuner
Normaly i start her up and leave her running while i finish my coffee but the mrs often volunteers to do it lol. My windscreen went last summer quite a warm day just got the hose out to give her a bath started on the roof as normal just washing her off and soon as i sprayed the front windscreen thats when i heard it go right across from corner to corner.I try to use the 100% silicone spray on the rubbers works great and stops the doors from sticking.
pgarner
TC ModFather
thats pretty bad with the windscreen - was there any cracks or chips in it?
im too scottish to go and buy some new rubber seals which would probably help - ended up with half the rubber on my door last year after the big freeze
im too scottish to go and buy some new rubber seals which would probably help - ended up with half the rubber on my door last year after the big freeze
HDi fun
TC ModFather
Cold water does the job for me if my screen is really icy.
Does your Focus not have the heated front screen feature which Ford introduced many years ago?
badger1980
Tuner
There was nothing what could be seen on the windscreen it shocked my mate who was with me at the time we both thought it was just a reflection of something untill we had a closer look.Me and the mrs had great fun driving to East Kilbride last year as the windscreen decided to start freezing on the inside ended pulling up at hamilton services just to let it defrost and while we were there the mrs slipped taking the dog and fractured her coxix .
Rstra
Wrench Pro
I just use an old debit card.. Does the trick, though it does freeze the end of your fingers off
me personally i use cold water and a squidgy if at home. but if no water is available i use 1 of my many scrapers! my heavy duty scraper cuts through ice no problem! (and leaves no scratches!)
similar to this
similar to this
Loz
Torque King
Of course if you wake up & find this,
Then the best option is to go back to bed & not come back out until Spring.
Then the best option is to go back to bed & not come back out until Spring.
Yugguy
Torque King
I chucked neat screenwash on yesterday morning. Worked a treat.
Just a plastic scraper and leave the engine running. If I know it's going to be a cold night I lift the wipers off the night before, stops them sticking to the screen and damaging the rubber. I used warm water on an older car once, it cracked!
badger1980
Tuner
Is that a paint scaper lol
me personally i use cold water and a squidgy if at home. but if no water is available i use 1 of my many scrapers! my heavy duty scraper cuts through ice no problem! (and leaves no scratches!)
similar to this
technically its a scrapper for stripping wall paper, but considering its part of a painters arsenal i'll let you off:amuse:
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