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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Nigel]
#1627151
22/11/2018 08:58
22/11/2018 08:58
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 869 Germany
neil_r
Enjoying the ride
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Enjoying the ride
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 869
Germany
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Warm the car from the inside with a fan heater over breakfast?
1997 20V 2000 V6 manual S-Type and 2011 5.0 XKR 2016 Tucson 1.6T AWD 2018 Mazda2 GT
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Nigel]
#1627152
22/11/2018 09:13
22/11/2018 09:13
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,385 Lightwater, Surrey
DaveG
Club Treasurer Member 311
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Club Treasurer Member 311
Je suis un Coupé
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,385
Lightwater, Surrey
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A butane blow torch seems a bit of overkill, in the past I would use a kettle filled with warm water and pour it over the windows, then squeegee the water off, try again if it freezes.
But with my Jag I just get in and start the engine, at -3°C the car turns on the front and rear screen demisters and by the time I've cleared the side windows, the front screen can be cleared with the wipers and off I go.
The Jag's a diesel but I've never thought that the heater was slow to warm up, why should that be the case in the Alfa?
1996 Portofino 20vt & 2000 Pearl White Plus 1985½ & 2016 2017 Fiat 124 Spider + XF Sportbrake
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: DaveG]
#1627153
22/11/2018 10:15
22/11/2018 10:15
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 975 Behind Enemy Lines
Master_Mariner
Club member 583
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Club member 583
Enjoying the ride
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 975
Behind Enemy Lines
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A, in the past I would use a kettle filled with warm water and pour it over the windows... Got to be careful DaveG...I have seen things go spectacularly wrong for someone (not me) when they used warm water on a badly frosted screen and it cracked. Scraping or just letting the car get warm is safest option. Slowest maybe-but safest. And its not even cold yet-UK can't seem to handle a trickle of snow-sadly. Regards MM
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: DaveG]
#1627154
22/11/2018 10:22
22/11/2018 10:22
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,366 Staffordshire
Nigel
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Forum veteran
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OP
Forum veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,366
Staffordshire
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A butane blow torch seems a bit of overkill, in the past I would use a kettle filled with warm water and pour it over the windows, then squeegee the water off, try again if it freezes. the problem wasn't the windows - I'm always prepared to scrape them clear. The problem was that the locks were frozen solid - couldn't even unlock with the key - the blowtorch (on a very low setting) was just to wave at the locks to get them to free off - worked on the Coupe but not on the Alfa I'm not sure what temperature it was at 7:00am, but after I had thawed the locks with the blowtorch, the water droplets had frozen again within five minutes, so pouring warm water down the windows probably wouldn't have had the desired effect...
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Master_Mariner]
#1627161
22/11/2018 11:19
22/11/2018 11:19
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,385 Lightwater, Surrey
DaveG
Club Treasurer Member 311
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Club Treasurer Member 311
Je suis un Coupé
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,385
Lightwater, Surrey
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A, in the past I would use a kettle filled with warm water and pour it over the windows... Got to be careful DaveG...I have seen things go spectacularly wrong for someone (not me) when they used warm water on a badly frosted screen and it cracked. Yes, that's why I use luke-warm water, just warn enough to melt the ice, and then only just
1996 Portofino 20vt & 2000 Pearl White Plus 1985½ & 2016 2017 Fiat 124 Spider + XF Sportbrake
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Nigel]
#1627162
22/11/2018 11:22
22/11/2018 11:22
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,385 Lightwater, Surrey
DaveG
Club Treasurer Member 311
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Club Treasurer Member 311
Je suis un Coupé
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,385
Lightwater, Surrey
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A butane blow torch seems a bit of overkill... the problem wasn't the windows - I'm always prepared to scrape them clear. The problem was that the locks were frozen solid - couldn't even unlock with the key - the blowtorch (on a very low setting) was just to wave at the locks to get them to free off - worked on the Coupe but not on the Alfa Ah yes I overlooked that, maybe a sign that there's some damp inside the door? In which case pouring luke-warm water over the windows is probably not a good idea
1996 Portofino 20vt & 2000 Pearl White Plus 1985½ & 2016 2017 Fiat 124 Spider + XF Sportbrake
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Nigel]
#1627165
22/11/2018 11:56
22/11/2018 11:56
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,783 In the coupe.
magooagain
Club Member 259
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Club Member 259
Forum is my life
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,783
In the coupe.
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Our remedy for frozen cars is to cover it up the night before.
I know it's a bit left field but it works for us.
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Nigel]
#1627172
22/11/2018 13:05
22/11/2018 13:05
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 869 Germany
neil_r
Enjoying the ride
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Enjoying the ride
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 869
Germany
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Once in, spary the locks with WD40 to get rid of the water and then squirt some lock deicer in.
I still prefer the fan heater on a timer approach as the inside condensation/ice is also dealt with.
1997 20V 2000 V6 manual S-Type and 2011 5.0 XKR 2016 Tucson 1.6T AWD 2018 Mazda2 GT
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: magooagain]
#1627173
22/11/2018 13:27
22/11/2018 13:27
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,366 Staffordshire
Nigel
OP
Forum veteran
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OP
Forum veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,366
Staffordshire
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Our remedy for frozen cars is to cover it up the night before.
I know it's a bit left field but it works for us. Ah yes, but that only works if you don't get a sudden onset of "can't be ar$ed to go out in the cold - it'll be alright" the night before.... Even that wouldn't have worked in this case though, as the locks were frozen inside the door - it would have frozen even if it was covered - time to empty half a can of WD40 in there...
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Nigel]
#1627183
22/11/2018 15:12
22/11/2018 15:12
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,783 In the coupe.
magooagain
Club Member 259
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Club Member 259
Forum is my life
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,783
In the coupe.
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[quote=magooagain]Our remedy for frozen cars is to cover it up the night before.
Even that wouldn't have worked in this case though, as the locks were frozen inside the door - it would have frozen even if it was covered - time to empty half a can of WD40 in there... I doubt that it would freeze when covered. I have covered wet mortar and concrete with just a plastic sheet hundreds of times and not had any freeze.
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Dan]
#1627205
22/11/2018 22:19
22/11/2018 22:19
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8,960 west bromwich
coupedummy
Je suis un Coupé
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Je suis un Coupé
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8,960
west bromwich
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The last time my GT door froze closed I pulled the handle clean off! the aluminium handle hinges are very fragile. Happened to both doors eventually. Agreed this is very common with 147 and GT’s...
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: coupedummy]
#1627306
26/11/2018 08:10
26/11/2018 08:10
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,831 Haslemere, Surrey
Mark_S
Forum is my job
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Forum is my job
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,831
Haslemere, Surrey
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Wife's hairdryer was always the best for frozen locks and even frozen handbrake Talking about diesel's, my Merc A Class is able to put real heat out of vents withing 30 secs of starting. Must prioritise cabin over engine.
Last edited by Mark_S; 26/11/2018 08:10.
997 C4S
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Mark_S]
#1627309
26/11/2018 08:43
26/11/2018 08:43
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 975 Behind Enemy Lines
Master_Mariner
Club member 583
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Club member 583
Enjoying the ride
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 975
Behind Enemy Lines
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my Merc A Class is able to put real heat out of vents withing 30 secs of starting. I owned a Saab Turbo once-and it did much the same. And fantastic in the snow. As you would expect. MM
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Re: Coupe comes to the rescue - just....
[Re: Mark_S]
#1627371
27/11/2018 20:41
27/11/2018 20:41
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,162 Glos
Brilly1uk
Club member 1034
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Club member 1034
Competition Level
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,162
Glos
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Wife's hairdryer was always the best for frozen locks and even frozen handbrake Talking about diesel's, my Merc A Class is able to put real heat out of vents withing 30 secs of starting. Must prioritise cabin over engine. My Alfa Spider seems to wait around 5 mins before the heater suddenly kicks in? It appears to prioritise the engine over the cabin!!!
Fiat Coupe 20VT Alfa Romeo Spider BMW X3
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