Defrosting Car Windscreen/Windows - What do you do?

[Baxlin]

Originally Posted by T5R92011

If you have something like a Tesla, then you open the App on you smart phone and heat the cabin remotely.

Pah! Even my 2002 Rover 75 had ‘bathrobe mode’ - the fuel burning heater could be started on the remote from indoors.

[morwenna240]

I'd agree with all the self doing methods; the de-icers, screen wash etc are just more chemicals, bad for enviro. Never used screen wash in life, water jet aimed AT SCREEN, rather than over the top of the car, from washers, does job just fine. Nor does it freeze in lines from wash bottle. Oh all ye, stop buying screen wash!

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by morwenna240

I'd agree with all the self doing methods; the de-icers, screen wash etc are just more chemicals, bad for enviro. Never used screen wash in life, water jet aimed AT SCREEN, rather than over the top of the car, from washers, does job just fine. Nor does it freeze in lines from wash bottle. Oh all ye, stop buying screen wash!

Am I understanding you correctly, you don't use screen wash and instead put plain water in the washers, and it doesn't freeze ?

Can you explain how plain water does not freeze when the temperatures go below OC ?

[V8XCV]

De-icer sprays work by lowering the freezing temperature of the ice, so it melts the ice but cools the glass - so it steams up inside. Stopped using them years ago.

I used the warm water in 2L bottle method during the hard winter of 2010 on the V70 and never had an issue.

Now I pop them on and wait for engine to warm up, full heat, full fan, crack the side windows to let the moist air out (ours tend to freeze both sides of the windscreen as we oop north) and wait.

Screen wash needs to be rated to at least -12 here or it will freeze onto the screen in the morning, surface temperatures go very low on a clear night.

[morwenna240]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Am I understanding you correctly, you don't use screen wash and instead put plain water in the washers, and it doesn't freeze ?

Can you explain how plain water does not freeze when the temperatures go below OC ?

Well, i don't use screen wash/wipe straight after a below 0 start, maybe 5 mins later, when engine heat has warmed engine bay up. Thereafter there's no prob.This is 35 yrs experience in several car types, albeit mostly volvos an merc w123's.

[coreyreyes]

Anyone tried homemade de-icing sprays? That's 2/3 white vinegar to 1/3 part water. Does it work pretty well?

[V8XCV]

The freezing point of white vinegar is about -2C so in theory it would melt the water, but only very slightly, I've not tried it

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by morwenna240

Well, i don't use screen wash/wipe straight after a below 0 start, maybe 5 mins later, when engine heat has warmed engine bay up. Thereafter there's no prob.This is 35 yrs experience in several car types, albeit mostly volvos an merc w123's.

On my V60, with screenwash in the tank, when it's particularly cold, I can drive for an hour, and still not be getting anything out the washers. I'm not sure if you are suggesting water would outperform screenwash in sub zero temperatures ? I might give it a try.

I suspect though it's down to the model of the car and perhaps where the lines run/amount of engine heat given out. As far as I can tell the lines run from the tank in the front wing, along the wing somewhere and then along the back edge of the bonnet. None of which is particularly exposed to engine heat.

I might have to buy better screenwash.

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

I might have to buy better screenwash.

Prestone is the best. Job jobbed.

[volvocat]

I find VOC remote start from iphone works wonders (car stays locked and cannot be driven) - as long as I remember to set it soon enough before dashing out when I’m running late!
But I could just as easily forget to make time for the warm water / scraper method - great thing this forward planning...! 😳