Frost & Thawing Out Car In Winter

[Supergirl]

I think we are all in the same situation these mornings...

Car frozen over, snow piled up on top and wondering if you leave it running to heat it up & defrost it will someone come along and drive it off on you!

I tried using the spare key to lock the doors while it was running but this does not work.

Does anyone know any way that this can be done??

[adamc260]

It's illegal to leave your car running unattended anyway isn't it, regardless of it being locked?

"Negligent use of a motor vehicle - Prosecutable

Unattended - engine running or brake not set

Driver not in proper control of vehicle "

See this article also

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-504888/Driver-fined-leaving-engine-running-car-defrosted-outside-home.html

"He was prosecuted under the Road Traffic Act offence of 'quitting' which is when a person leaves their vehicle's engine running while they are not in it."

In the article the mans car was also locked

[Supergirl]

Ooops! There are alot of prosecutions looming so....

Thanks for that piece of info...

Also not insured in that senario either...

Don't ya just LOVE winter!!B)

[Daveyonthemove]

The best thing to do is to start the engine, turn on the heaters and heated glass, and scrape the ice off by hand.

That way the car has a head start on heating up, and you are not leaving it unattended.

Or, you could get a cheap in car 12v heater and run that, but i don't think the Auris has a permanant live feed without the ignition on, so you have the same problem.

[Parts-King]

The frost had still not gone from my car after a 6 mile journey today!

The Verso takes an eternity to warm up

Kingo

[Jan&tone]

The frost had still not gone from my car after a 6 mile journey today!

The Verso takes an eternity to warm up

Kingo

You missed an opportuni there Kingo, your verso still had frost on it because its so well insulated

[Parts-King]

S0d insulation, I need heat I reckon its a good 7 or 8 miles before the heater is anything like warm

Kingo

[adamc260]

Heater warms up quick in my 1.33 Auris, as does the temperature of my car. My normal commute is like 2 miles and my car is warmed up within that time easily.

[jules8343]

S0d insulation, I need heat I reckon its a good 7 or 8 miles before the heater is anything like warm

Kingo

My well practiced technique for getting ice and snow off windows is warm water. I know...you could break the glass. The trick is the use of warm (tepid NOT hot) water and a squeegee to remove the melted ice/snow before it has a chance to re-freeze. Once the water scraped off the windows and they are dry, you have enough time for the car heating to get to work to prevent them icing again. I have been using this technique for at least 10 years and have not damaged a windscreen yet. My squeegee of choice is from Lakeland: their £2 Ice Scraper/ Squeegee.

Remember is has to be warm water and it can take quite a lot of water to melt the ice on particularly cold days. Just don't try to hurry things up by using hot water, and don't blame me if your window cracks!

[Parts-King]

Yes I have used that technique myself for years, my point is this diesel engine produces no heat at all from the heater for miles! So there is a danger of freezing over again as you drive, or as happened today, my breath was freezing on the inside of the glass! Petrol engines warm up quickly, this 2.0 diesel is very slow to warm

Kingo

[pajjy]

S0d insulation, I need heat I reckon its a good 7 or 8 miles before the heater is anything like warm

Kingo

My well practiced technique for getting ice and snow off windows is warm water. I know...you could break the glass. The trick is the use of warm (tepid NOT hot) water and a squeegee to remove the melted ice/snow before it has a chance to re-freeze. Once the water scraped off the windows and they are dry, you have enough time for the car heating to get to work to prevent them icing again. I have been using this technique for at least 10 years and have not damaged a windscreen yet. My squeegee of choice is from Lakeland: their £2 Ice Scraper/ Squeegee.

Remember is has to be warm water and it can take quite a lot of water to melt the ice on particularly cold days. Just don't try to hurry things up by using hot water, and don't blame me if your window cracks!

thats what i do,use tepid water.have done so for donkey years.pour onto paint work first and lettle trickle down before pouring direct on to glass.soon as ice is of screen put on wipers after checking the not frozen to bootom of screen.follow this method and no harm to windows or paint work.but water must be omly TEPID not hot.common sense.ive used this method on many different makes of vehicle for a least 50 years without a problem.

[Daveyonthemove]

Did you know that screen wash acts a de-icer!

Mix up a strong solution in a squirty bottle and apply to the screen and it should melt through the ice, although it has to be strong or you just add to the problem.

I used to squirt it neat onto the windscreen the night before and it usually prevents ice forming, but can be patchy.

[Sandy52]

for a better solution try a sump heater or a engine pre heater- HOT FRog.

These heat the engine or the oil so the car engine is WARM when you get in.

[Cyker]

Yeah, that is a downside with diesels; It's a bit odd seeing as they supposedly run at higher combustion temperatures!

The only way around it is to run at higher revs, but supposedly you shouldn't do that while the engine is cold so it's a bit of a catch-22...

Hey,maybe you can use your Kingo powers to import some Canadian Yaris mods for heating up the engine and fuel system up faster

[Rumbly]

Yup it is illegal to leave a car with engine running, but it is something I do anyway as the car is in my own driveway. To stop any scumbags from driving it off I use a steel wire and padlock round the seat adjuster and steering wheel, with a good bit of lock to one side set so it won't even go in a straight line, and if the car does for any reason move off it will hit a wall and stop before it gets anywhere near the road, something I made up myself many years ago as an anti theft device. You could also use a KrookLock, goes round the brake pedal and steering wheel, or a steering wheel lock. All those allow you to start the car but make it difficult to drive off.

I would not recommend ever leaving an unoccupied vehicle running on or pointing at a public highway!

Pouring tepid water on the screen etc is also a technique I have used for years without a problem. Interestingly hot water freezes faster than cold water!! so using hot water is kinda counter productive anyway as it will freeze again faster.

[daveybee]

Yes I have used that technique myself for years, my point is this diesel engine produces no heat at all from the heater for miles! So there is a danger of freezing over again as you drive, or as happened today, my breath was freezing on the inside of the glass! Petrol engines warm up quickly, this 2.0 diesel is very slow to warm

Kingo

Yup, spent six winters driving around in a bobble hat in my old Avensis 2.0 D-4D, and yes, it was just about warm as I got into work (a journey of about nine miles). Our new Auris HSD is brill - no more bobble hats (much to my wife's relief)!

[Cyker]

Wait, are some of you people seriously just starting the car then just going back into the house to wait for it warm up?!

That must take ages!

I find the best thing is to get going ASAP; The engine warms up a lot faster when it's actually doing some work!

I usually start the engine, clear off all the snow and scrape off the ice from all the windows, make sure the washer jets are as free as possible and then off I go!

Like Kingo tho', I do find my dervy Yaris takes longer to heat up and the average petrol car; I reckon if I left it idling it'd never warm up!

(I can actually feel the heater temp drop on a particularly cold day if I'm stuck idling in traffic for too long! )

[balli hi]

I take it this guys car was left idling on the public highway so in the eyes of the law he was committing the offence of quitting , but what if your car is left idling on your private driveway within a private road , can you still be charged with quitting ? .

[Sagitar]

I take it this guys car was left idling on the public highway so in the eyes of the law he was committing the offence of quitting , but what if your car is left idling on your private driveway within a private road , can you still be charged with quitting ? .

Failing to meet the requirements of the Highway Code is not of itself a legal offence. Wherever the Code says "MUST" or "MUST NOT" there is a reference to the law that you break if you do not comply with the "MUST" or "MUST NOT" instruction. To find out the detail of the law that applies, you need to look it up and most of it is now available on line.

There is a section of the Highway Code called "The Road User and the Law" that gives general comments and it suggests that:

"Most of the provisions apply on all roads throughout Great Britain, although there are some exceptions. The definition of a road in England and Wales is ‘any highway and any other road to which the public has access and includes bridges over which a road passes’ (RTA 1988 sect 192(1)). In Scotland, there is a similar definition which is extended to include any way over which the public have a right of passage (R(S)A 1984 sect 151(1)).

It is important to note that references to ‘road’ therefore generally include footpaths, bridleways and cycle tracks, and many roadways and driveways on private land (including many car parks). In most cases, the law will apply to them and there may be additional rules for particular paths or ways. Some serious driving offences, including drink-driving offences, also apply to all public places, for example public car parks".

So I wouldn't assume that you can ignore a "MUST" or "MUST NOT" instruction just because you are on your own drive.

[balli hi]

I take it this guys car was left idling on the public highway so in the eyes of the law he was committing the offence of quitting , but what if your car is left idling on your private driveway within a private road , can you still be charged with quitting ? .

Failing to meet the requirements of the Highway Code is not of itself a legal offence. Wherever the Code says "MUST" or "MUST NOT" there is a reference to the law that you break if you do not comply with the "MUST" or "MUST NOT" instruction. To find out the detail of the law that applies, you need to look it up and most of it is now available on line.

There is a section of the Highway Code called "The Road User and the Law" that gives general comments and it suggests that:

"Most of the provisions apply on all roads throughout Great Britain, although there are some exceptions. The definition of a road in England and Wales is ‘any highway and any other road to which the public has access and includes bridges over which a road passes’ (RTA 1988 sect 192(1)). In Scotland, there is a similar definition which is extended to include any way over which the public have a right of passage (R(S)A 1984 sect 151(1)).

It is important to note that references to ‘road’ therefore generally include footpaths, bridleways and cycle tracks, and many roadways and driveways on private land (including many car parks). In most cases, the law will apply to them and there may be additional rules for particular paths or ways. Some serious driving offences, including drink-driving offences, also apply to all public places, for example public car parks".

So I wouldn't assume that you can ignore a "MUST" or "MUST NOT" instruction just because you are on your own drive.

Thanks Sagitar for taking the time to post up a reply to my question , its much appreciated .

The road where i live is solely privately owned by myself and four neighbours , the general public have no right of access to the road or my and my neighbours driveways .

[Daveyonthemove]

Theives don't have access or permission to any car or house, yet everyday somebody somewhere has their possessions broken into or stolen.

[Sagitar]

Thanks Sagitar for taking the time to post up a reply to my question , its much appreciated .

The road where i live is solely privately owned by myself and four neighbours , the general public have no right of access to the road or my and my neighbours driveways .

I don't think it's a question of whether they have a RIGHT of access, but whether they have access. I too live on a private road that I own, but the road is not gated or securely fenced and we do have visitors such as the postie, the milkman etc and there is no way that I can easily stop trespassers. If anyone was killed or injured because I left my vehicle on the drive unattended, I have no doubt that I would be charged for it.

[Raistlin]

You could leave the wife in it, hang on though who would make your packed lunch... :shutit:

[Daveyonthemove]

At the weekend i bought a bottle of de-icer from a local Shell garage (it got me bonus points on my loyalty card) so i decided to give the windscreen a few squirts last night.

I've just walked past my car (and a dozen others) on my way back from the gym, and i noticed that my car was the only one without a white windscreen.

So for the sake of saving some fuel, or reducing the risk of having your car stolen, why not spray your windscreens the night before, and also save all that scraping in the morning.

Also, it comes in a squirty style bottle (like glass cleaner) so it should last a bit longer than the pressurised tins.

[acetip]

At the weekend i bought a bottle of de-icer from a local shell garage (it got me bonus points on my loyalty card) so i decided to give the windscreen a few squirts last night.

I've just walked past my car (and a dozen others) on my way back from the gym, and i noticed that my car was the only one without a white windscreen.

So for the sake of saving some fuel, or reducing the risk of having your car stolen, why not spray your windscreens the night before, and also save all that scraping in the morning.

Also, it comes in a squirty style bottle (like glass cleaner) so it should last a bit longer than the pressurised tins.

i stick a light weight half cover on the wifes car as it stands outside.this keeps the frost off.but it cant be fitted if the car is wet.we have an area big enough for about six cars in the front of the house and our road is a cul de sac and dont get ant problems.people who have to park on a road could suffer with yobs interfering with a cover.