De-icing rear screen

[johno]

My S is my everyday transport and lives on the side of the road. Each morning I have to remove ice from all windows as with any other car.

I have a brand new roof with a new rear screen. Scraping the ice off the rear screen is causing it to scratch. Use of hot water is prohibited by the fact I'm living in a hotel, and I'm nervous about it anyway....

So the question is.....Do we trust chemical de-icer not to damage the rear plastic screen ????

Cheers

Mark

[M@H]

I wouldn't do it in case the overspray/spill bleaches the roof material around it... ethelyne glycol isn't the most harmless of stuff...

How much for a new roof these days then?

Cheers
M@

[Don]

johno.

You're in a HOTEL. They have ice-pails by the hundred. Get 'em to fill one with hot water of a morning for you.

I used to get the Belstead Brook in Ipswich to do that for me regularly...

Alternatively get yourself a two liter plastic bottle which one held milk or water and fill that in your room on the way down.....

Edited by Don on Thursday 3rd January 17:05

[nubbin]

What about a cheap car cover, with a towel over the actual window in case any moisture gets inside the cover?

[Dave_H]

quote:
What about a cheap car cover, with a towel over the actual window in case any moisture gets inside the cover?

Or just use one of the hotels towels

[John Bull]

Johno,

I might be wrong but I don't bother with scraping/de-icing the rear screen, the side mirrors are pretty good and are heated, so I use them untill the inside of the car is warm and then the rear screen ice melts.

Just a thought as it would be a pitty to damage the plastic.

John
Black S3

[johno]

All,

Thanks for the suggestions. I was considering the car cover option as this would stop all of the windows icng up and offer the roof some more protection.

I will probably go with this suggestion although the use of Hotel towels and hot water bottles all have a place in the short term.

I left the screen iced up this morning on my crawl from Greenwich to Bow and it still had de-iced by the time I'd got there, so that option is out.

Thanks

All

[johno]

M@H,

I've had a Blue Mohair roof put onto mine to replace the existing Black (knackered) mohair roof. Which itself was a replacement roof, as the car is blue and was originally released from the factory with a blue roof.

I had a number of bits retrimmed incl the drivers front seat squab plus new diaphram. ew diaphram for the passenger seat. New car mats, new gear stick gaiter plus removal and refitting of all this lot. Cost was £1100, and definitely worth it, you'd agree had you seen the state of the torn roof and ripped seats !!!

The roof I am very happy with and as a stand alone cost would be £700. Tower View quoted me £720. I had the work done by John Taylor who does all the retrimming work for WLA's. I checked out some of his work before I committed to anything and am dead chuffed...

Cheers

Marl

[kevinday]

Also beware of using water that is too hot as it may cause damage by too sudden a change in temperature .

[M@H]

quote:
M@H,

I've had a Blue Mohair roof put onto mine to replace the existing Black (knackered) mohair roof. Which itself was a replacement roof, as the car is blue and was originally released from the factory with a blue roof.

I had a number of bits retrimmed incl the drivers front seat squab plus new diaphram. ew diaphram for the passenger seat. New car mats, new gear stick gaiter plus removal and refitting of all this lot. Cost was £1100, and definitely worth it, you'd agree had you seen the state of the torn roof and ripped seats !!!

The roof I am very happy with and as a stand alone cost would be £700. Tower View quoted me £720. I had the work done by John Taylor who does all the retrimming work for WLA's. I checked out some of his work before I committed to anything and am dead chuffed...

Cheers

Marl

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.
Cheers
M@

[ianwayne]

To get the bl@@*y sticker off my rear window put on by the original dealer, I used thinners to shift the glue. I tested it on a small area first 'cos I thought it may damage the plastic - no apparent damage and all glue now gone. Not that I can recommend using ANY manner of solvent on the window but it seems pretty tough; I suppose it should be because the plastic used in the rear windows has to put up with all weather extremes.
To get the frost off mine, I use the rubber strip on one of those ice scrapers but if its very cold - try not to drive it?! I couldn't get up my street for 4 days (don't salt the sidestreets around here!) so had to live on local takeaways and Spar food??

[Dave_H]

It would be interesting if someone has experience of a "Magic" product that could answer Marks original question.

I'm currently using my S3 as my everyday car, and although it's garaged overnight at my house, I've had the same problem when leaving it out at Christmas/New years partys.

The rear window can get easily scratched using the traditional scaper, and at 100 squid a time it's not ideal.

The MG Owners club mag this month mention the problem but suggest using de-icer, but most MGB/A/C/Midget owners I'd guess would have the standard PVC hoods and not the double duck/cloth hoods like us TVR owners where the de-icer may well damage our hoods.

I'll mail them about this, they are extreamly good with stuff like this.

I'll keep you posted.

Cheers,

Dave.

[Dave_H]

I've had a couple of replys back, the bottom line is they say don't trust any chemicals to do this, even if they claim to be non staining to cloth type hoods, they could stain with frequent use.

Just use tepid water.

Cheers,

Dave.

[MikeyT]

quote:
so had to live on local takeaways and Spar food??

That's nasty!

TVR owner in 2002!!

[apache]

the easiest way to defrost the rear window (and least aggressive) is to pour cold tap water on it, works a treat