De-icer spray... yes or no?

[DanD]

Anyone who drives an RX or similar size car will know that de-icing the windscreen can be a real pain, simply because it is difficult to reach the top and centre of the screen.

I recently  bought a scraper with a long handle... which broke very quickly, so I reverted to using de-icing spray.

Are there any cons in using the spray? - how do you all get your windscreen free of ice in the morning?

(Years ago, I used to have a car with a programmable auxiliary heater. The car would be defrosted and warm by the time I got behind the wheel. It's a shame that this feature is not more common, even as an option)

[rich1068]

This is very good. And cheap. Never been a fan of de-icer sprays because they always seem to err... freeze. But a few squirts of this seems to do the trick. 

Alternatively, unless it's seriously below zero water will clear a windscreen easily. Pour on, flick the wipers, done.

Both methods we use on the IS and our XC90.

[dutchie01]

i always use the spray, most efficient. strange side effect can be that the window mists up on the inside. 

beats scraping ice any time

[Farqui]

Re: an auxiliary  heater - don't most/all Toyota engines come with a block heater slot? 

You then buy a block heater, slot it into the block (no fiddlin' with coolant) and then wire it in to an external mains powered socket. On a timer if you're really slick.

The other option is to fit an inline coolant heater into the lower radiator hose which means draining most of the coolant, refilling and bleeding.

I'm not sure how effective a block heater is vs an coolant heater tho.

For the few really cold mornings we get in Blighty I'm not convinced it's worth the hassle, although I get very tempted each year...

[Jaystar77]

This winter I've used Quantam de-icer for the most part, seems to do the trick so long as you leave it for a few minutes to soak in.  I bought a blank number plate from work and cut it in two.  Makes an excellent, cheap scraper!

 

Also, anyone else wonder how they survived before heated seats?  

[rich1068]

32 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

i always use the spray, most efficient. strange side effect can be that the window mists up on the inside. 

I've noticed this too. Very annoying.

28 minutes ago, Farqui said:

Re: an auxiliary  heater - don't most/all Toyota engines come with a block heater slot? 

You then buy a block heater, slot it into the block (no fiddlin' with coolant) and then wire it in to an external mains powered socket. On a timer if you're really slick.

*Googles block heater*

We had a Touran with an auxiliary heater. Standard fit on the facelifted MKl and absolutely no mention of it in any of the sales information. Cue panic the first time it kicks in on a cold morning and there's plumes of foul smoke coming from under the car. Pretty staple Touran forum topic around this time of year apparently.

[malcolmw]

All the BMW X5s and Range Rovers I have driven for the last 15 years have had the fuel burning heater as an accessory. It is most annoying that you can't get this on the RX as it is the best accessory that I have ever had. Get up in the morning and click the remote control. Have a shower and by the time you go out the car is defrosted and ready to go. Makes seat heaters and steering wheel heaters uneccessary.

[Farqui]

@rich1068, crumbs I see there are some really smokey vid's of the VW aux heater in action. 

Classy.

[rayaans]

Both cars are garaged so don't have to. 

However sons golf is parked outside so freezes up. 

I've found that the Carplan de icer is crap as it refreezes 

However, the Prestone de icer which I got from ECP/CP4L is really good. Doesnt refreeze at all and works quickly. It's the one in the spray can but a quick search suggests the trigger spray is just as good

You could just make your own using 70% IPA which is damn effective. It's the main ingredient in de icers anyway 

I'm impressed with the 4RX heated seats though. Get warm in 1 minute and do get properly hot if not careful.

 

[doog442]

Warm water.

We have a big jug and ideally the hot tap in the downstairs loo feeds directly from the hot water tank. Sorts the wife and kids out.

 

I don't need it as rarely get out of my pit before the car has defrosted.

[flookyk]

17 hours ago, Farqui said:

Re: an auxiliary  heater - don't most/all Toyota engines come with a block heater slot? 

You then buy a block heater, slot it into the block (no fiddlin' with coolant) and then wire it in to an external mains powered socket. On a timer if you're really slick.

The other option is to fit an inline coolant heater into the lower radiator hose which means draining most of the coolant, refilling and bleeding.

I'm not sure how effective a block heater is vs an coolant heater tho.

For the few really cold mornings we get in Blighty I'm not convinced it's worth the hassle, although I get very tempted each year...

I thought the OP was asking about the windscreen not an engine heater, how would an engine block heater help deice a windscreen?

I would have thought that, with everything else on the RX that they would have had a front screen heating element in it.

I know my 2011 does not, does the new models?

I just use both a scraper and then if needed a spray of de icer .. don't like the old aerosol ones but don't know if you still get those anyway. 

[Farqui]

You'll see that the OP mentioned a VW aux heater and a Toyo block heater is a similar device.

Warming the block and coolant will help reduce even prevent any manual screen deicing.

I've used them in Sweden and found they're great.

[rayaans]

1 hour ago, flookyk said:

I thought the OP was asking about the windscreen not an engine heater, how would an engine block heater help deice a windscreen?

I would have thought that, with everything else on the RX that they would have had a front screen heating element in it.

I know my 2011 does not, does the new models?

I just use both a scraper and then if needed a spray of de icer .. don't like the old aerosol ones but don't know if you still get those anyway. 

No the new models don't come with heated windscreens.

There's a good reason for it. It's a fundamentally flawed setup with wiring running through the windscreen. Having experienced this on Volvo XC90, Jag F pace and Ford Fiesta, it causes serious glare at night and is visible during the day as well.

The only invisible one on the market is VWs which uses a thermal coating rather than wires. Damage the windscreen it's a heck of a bill on them!

[Ala Larj]

15 hours ago, rayaans said:

 

You could just make your own using 70% IPA which is damn effective.

 

That sounds like a waste of a good beer to me!

[DanD]

Thanks to all who have responded.

It looks like no one is fundamentally against using a spray, which is good. Some you have mentioned that it causes their windscreen to mist up inside. Mine does too, but I have to admit I had never thought of a correlation with using a de-icing spray.

Our car with the auxiliary heater was a SEAT Alhambra. SEAT being part of the VW group, I suspect it would have been the same heater Rich1068 is referring to. I loved it. It alarmed the neighbours to start with: one of them came knocking on the door worried that our car was about to take off! :-)

Did not know about the block heater slot in Toyotas and I wonder whether these exist in Lexus also. Might be worth investigating.

[Ala Larj]

3 minutes ago, DanD said:

Thanks to all who have responded.

It looks like no one is fundamentally against using a spray, which is good. Some you have mentioned that it causes their windscreen to mist up inside. Mine does too, but I have to admit I had never thought of a correlation with using a de-icing spray.

Our car with the auxiliary heater was a SEAT Alhambra. SEAT being part of the VW group, I suspect it would have been the same heater Rich1068 is referring to. I loved it. It alarmed the neighbours to start with: one of them came knocking on the door worried that our car was about to take off! :-)

Did not know about the block heater slot in Toyotas and I wonder whether these exist in Lexus also. Might be worth investigating.

Personally I don't like using the stiff as I think it's bad for the environment and I recall reading somewhere that it can be bad for the wiper rubbers. That in itself isn't a problem but I do wonder that if it's bad for the wiper rubbers what's it doing to the window seals?

[Farqui]

1 hour ago, DanD said:

Did not know about the block heater slot in Toyotas and I wonder whether these exist in Lexus also. Might be worth investigating.

They do 

[rayaans]

2 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

Personally I don't like using the stiff as I think it's bad for the environment and I recall reading somewhere that it can be bad for the wiper rubbers. That in itself isn't a problem but I do wonder that if it's bad for the wiper rubbers what's it doing to the window seals?

It's not bad for the environment if used properly. It's only if it's getting into open water etc.  It's certainly much better than warming the car up for 10 mins! 

It's not that bad for wiper rubber as you'd think. It doesn't seem to degrade them. Remember that IPA is frequently used to clean wiper rubbers

On a side note, the block heater slot is used in the US where they have the option of remote start. I'm sure you could do it if you wanted to and we're persistent.

[Ala Larj]

8 minutes ago, rayaans said:

It's not bad for the environment if used properly. It's only if it's getting into open water etc.  It's certainly much better than warming the car up for 10 mins! 

It's not that bad for wiper rubber as you'd think. It doesn't seem to degrade them. Remember that IPA is frequently used to clean wiper rubbers

That's interesting. However, I'd rather drink my IPA than clean my wipers with it!

[NemesisUK]

Even the Lexus branded de-icer warns against prolonged contact with the paintwork

[rayaans]

2 minutes ago, Ala Larj said:

That's interesting. However, I'd drink my IPA than clean my wipers with it!

Id strongly advise against that. Its not ethyl alcohol. 30ml is enough to be lethal

[sorcerer]

4 minutes ago, rayaans said:

Id strongly advise against that. Its not ethyl alcohol. 30ml is enough to be lethal

I think he probably means India Pale Ale rather than IsoPropyl Alcohol

[Ala Larj]

4 minutes ago, rayaans said:

Id strongly advise against that. Its not ethyl alcohol. 30ml is enough to be lethal

My meths days are well and truly over. Prefer a glass of port these days!

[rayaans]

8 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

Even the Lexus branded de-icer warns against prolonged contact with the paintwork

Well yes. 

Its got IPA amongst other things in it so it'll remove any protection on the paint. IPA basically is a panel wipe to remove wax and oils.

De icers do leave marks on the paint if leaving for more than a week or so but it does come off. I would presume it's due to other things rather than the alcohol inside them

My son doesn't wash his car for weeks after applying and it's caused no lasting effects

[GrahamG]

5 litres of IPA on amazon [inc delivery] on its way will make a lot of cheap de icer and is so useful for de greasing and cleaning in the workshop.

Thanks to Rayaans for the tip.