Quick de-icing advice?

[Shipwright]

Update:

Use of water = rubbish.

Perhaps my use of it was wrong, but it just re-froze again fairly quickly.

Attacking the windscreen/glass with a sturdy scraper, followed by a soft brush to brush away the fluff works better than water IME. Total process takes about 2 minutes, engine is left running during this time.

I do not believe any significant wear and tear will occure during this 1-2 minute period. It's only a daily hack anyway - I wouldn't mind trying something new anyway!!

Seems to work for me.

Regards,

S.

[Sru_1980]

I take one look and go back to bed until the temperature rises enough for it to thaw naturally.

I'm always back at work by early spring so I don't see where the problem lies.

Ahh, a man after my own heart....!

[Why_Aye]

My diesel engine hasn't been up to 'normal operating temperature' all winter. After a 45 minute journey including a brief burst of motorway, the temperature guage is just above quater rather than just above half as would be normal if the weather was above about ten degrees. This doesn't affect the cab temperature, as my heater matrix is currently in the garage (where it's been for just over a year). I see my breath frequently when I drive, hence the gloves and hat that live in the cubby box.

So far as deicing goes, I squirt a little deicer fluid on affected parts and scrape swiftly. The screen wipers operated as necessary to drive off unwanted loose ice/precipitation before refreezing occurs.

[jcochrane]

No problems here...I put the car in the garage

[jont]

My diesel engine hasn't been up to 'normal operating temperature' all winter. After a 45 minute journey including a brief burst of motorway, the temperature guage is just above quater rather than just above half as would be normal if the weather was above about ten degrees.

Could you have a dodgy thermostat? The cold ambient shouldn't make that much difference because the thermostat will shut off the flow to the radiator to keep the coolant at the right temp - unless it's failed open which would explain the over-cooling you are seeing.

[Renny]

My diesel engine hasn't been up to 'normal operating temperature' all winter. After a 45 minute journey including a brief burst of motorway, the temperature guage is just above quater rather than just above half as would be normal if the weather was above about ten degrees.

Could you have a dodgy thermostat? The cold ambient shouldn't make that much difference because the thermostat will shut off the flow to the radiator to keep the coolant at the right temp - unless it's failed open which would explain the over-cooling you are seeing.

IIRC< Why_Aye drives a Land Rover Series 3 which has a notoriously over-cooled engine. replacing the thermostat with a grade higher may help (81C?) or partially covering the rad may help. Some folks even remove the fan totally as there is ample cooling (may be worth fitting an electric fan)

[Why_Aye]

Good thoughts. I thought a while ago about replacing the fan with an electric one - partly to improve fuel consumption, though I'd imagine it might make an improvement of 27 mpg to 27.0001 mpg.

I have an early 90, so it was built at the same time as the very last series threes were being built. It has the same engine (five main bearing, 2.5 litre) as the very last series threes but is at least improved from the majority of series threes!

As the weather has warmed a little, I shall check the temp gauge tonight after a reasonable run. Another thought is that I changed the coolant recently. Perhaps that got rid of an airblock (or other piece of debris (rust?!)) that was causing the engine to run warmer than intended. Perhaps this new temperature is 'normal'...

[andyspiller]

I drive a Citroen C4 HDI. It has all-digital displays and in summer runs with the temp gauge showing 3 bars. In winter, or say under 50F it only shows 2 bars - climate control works fine though, heating the cabin to 19C quite quickly.

Had the car for 2 winters now - seems to the the norm.

BTW my previous car was a Peugeot 206 DTurbo, electric fan - only ever came on in the summer if the engine was up to temp and was then left to idle for approx 20 mins.

[vannut]

Very topical thread. An idiot in the village decided to drive off after squirting a bit of de-icer about last Tuesday. Result, he drove straight into the back of my Range Rover which had been parked there for 2 days!.



A traffic officer attended and has reported him, and during his investigation found that he only has a provisional Uk licence, and seeing as he was unaccompanied at the time, confiscated his car and reported him for that offence too! Bet he wished he'd defrosted his screen properly!




.

[Shipwright]

Holy crap! Hope you can get the LR sorted out promptly!!

Regards,

S.

[Red Herring]

Looking at the damage on the Peugeot I doubt there's more than a scratch on the Range Rover....

[Big Err]

A car stolen on a frosty night was quickly spotted by police as the driver attempted a rapid getaway with his head out of the drivers side window to see where he was going. Having just nicked the car he hadn't take time to clear the windcreen of frost.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Awww I wanna see the pic

[vannut]

Looking at the damage on the Peugeot I doubt there's more than a scratch on the Range Rover....

Pushed the back of the rear offside wing forward, pushing the front of the wing out of line, so I suspect it's bent the inner wing. Light and bumper damaged.

You'd have thought it should be fairly easy to see though wouldn't you.....