De-icer
 

In these times of electric everything, even the tailgate (like seriously, what next? Automatic petrol-flap?) - why do we carry a can of de-icer? Why isn't there a de-icing squirter in the bonnet, electronically operated?

Good question! Don't aircraft have automatic deicing? I guess that while technically possible, it would be cost prohibitive vs limited application?

Regards, John.

There are automatic dei-cers around: it is called a heated screen and very effective they are too. :) Electric petrol flaps have been around for many years - my Silver Cloud had one fitted in 1965 as standard along with an electric engine oil gauge. One presses a button on the dashboard and the fuel gauge then reads the engine oil level. There is also the standard dip stick so your man can check it whist servicing the car.

There is , Volvo washer fluid in the correct dilution ! Heated jets may help a bit but not necessary ..

I had my car parked at a ski resort once for a week.
After one week, the snow fall had frozen on the car, locking the doors closed under 1cm of solid ice.
I only got 1 from 5 doors open, to reach inside and get the de-icer (stupid me, should have been in my luggage in the hotel)
I then had to use the de-icer to free the other doors so I could open them.
And then managed to start the diesel (it was a Skoda Octavia) and get the engine heating and defoggers going.

No modern tech will stop external snow and ice freezing on the doors stopping you from opening them..... that's what the de-icer is for.

But you need the de-icer outside the car, not stored inside the car....

Heated front screens were a big deal Ford thing in the '90s[possibly earlier?]the early ones were-to me-like looking through a wire fence!Nowadays they're much improved in that respect.Be aware though that on modern Fords at least if the car is used mainly for short journeys and the battery begins to fall below certain parameters due to not recovering enough charge the car will begin to shut down "non-essential"systems like the heated screen or heated seats in order to give the car the best chance of starting.

Drove a 1985 Ford Granada MKIII Scorpio hire car in Ireland it had this and was a great car to drive .