de-icer

red line fun

Full Member
May 24, 2004
602
12
Scotland
i've never used it on my new car in case it damages paintwork, however sitting for a few mins in the morning waiting for the AC to do its stuff when the windscreen is heavily frosted can be a bit boring :( .

any of you use de-icer on your pride & joy, or too risky? remember i ain't one of these people who would be 'wiping the exces off the bodywork' as advised on most cans ... it would be a case of sprayyyyyyy then back in the car! can the leon's paintwork take it?
 

red line fun

Full Member
May 24, 2004
602
12
Scotland
edc said:
Use an ice scraper instead then ...
usually do, but sometimes the ice on the screen is more like sheet ice than frost i.e. not easy to scrape, so wondered if anyone was using de-icer without any probs.

i've been driving for 16 years so i am aware a scraper can be used in winter situations ;)
 

Timbo

notso Junior Member
Jan 2, 2003
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SE London
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I've used de-icer for the last 3 yrs with no probs on paintwork - I'd rather do it this way than scrape, as SEAT glass seems to be rather susceptible to scratching, which you will notice in the low winter sun !!!! ;)
 

RikH

Texas Cowboy
Oct 17, 2005
2,474
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Yorkshire
i usually give the front windscreen a spray, turn car on and rear heated screen, side windows scrape
 

Chris`I

Turbo Club Member
Apr 22, 2005
122
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Basingstoke, Hants
I just use a watering can of warm water and use the window wipers to get rid of the water befoer it can refreeze. Some have told me its stupid, but it works and does no damage to the car (and doesnt smell like de-icer!). Do that on the front and use the rear heaters to deal with the rear.
 

Donnyboy

The Candy Man
Mar 15, 2005
1,558
1
renfrewshire
Chris`I said:
I just use a watering can of warm water and use the window wipers to get rid of the water befoer it can refreeze. Some have told me its stupid, but it works and does no damage to the car (and doesnt smell like de-icer!). Do that on the front and use the rear heaters to deal with the rear.


Thats what I do. :)

Just slightly warm water....and it works a treat. Doesn't steam up the insides either.

I just fill a 2ltr bottle before I go out to the car and use it on all the windows. ;)
 

Kam

Prof. Myang Li - Yum!
Jun 6, 2002
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South East
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I use warm water as well, pouring in on the roof line and letting it run over the windscreen. Haven't had a problem and it also goes a long way in stopping steaming up on the inside :)

MUCH MORE effective than de-icer!
 

warren_cox

Back from the dead
Thank god for garages. So far whilst its been out at work as its under cover car park have got away with it. Haven't had to defrost once this year.

Wouldn't use de-icer, kettle of boiling water or half a potato (can't believe that works).

m0rk had some pre de-icer at his house the other day and said it worked for one frost only. Don't know what chemicals it contains.
 

Kam

Prof. Myang Li - Yum!
Jun 6, 2002
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South East
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coxw said:
m0rk had some pre de-icer at his house the other day and said it worked for one frost only. Don't know what chemicals it contains.

I bouught some of this stuff from Halfrauds last year. Sprayed it on the windscreen at night as frost was forcasted. Woke up in the morning to find it had frozen over! Well pissed off - not only did it not do as it says on the can but it made things worse [:@]
 

TheOtherSimon

Full Member
Jul 12, 2004
454
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There are several things to remember.

Windscreen de-icier is based on alcohol (not the glycol that engine antifreeze is based on) so won't damage your paintwork. But as it dries on the glass it actually cools the glass - causes the moisture in the atmosphere to condense onto the glass. Which is why it freezes up again until the windscreen warms up.

Pouring warm water on the glass will both melt the ice, and warm the glass - which is a good thing. However you need to remember that the water will get into all the door seals and might well freeze your car doors shut the next morning. Boiling water is a bad plan.

The de-icer that you spray on the night before is just a thick version of the normal stuff, so if it rains it will wash it off.

It's all even more fun at -30 (when I lived in Canada), because de-icer doesn't work down that cold...

Simon.
 
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