de-icer

[Anonymous No.308767]

Hello /diy/,

newfag from Germany here. As we all know, Winter is coming, especially a winter that puts a nice thick icecoating over the windshield of my car. Of course, I could put some stylish cover over it, but would I post that on /diy/? No.

I came up with something involving a timer, a fan and a heating wire. The timer would go off some 10 minutes before I rush to my car, starting the fan and the heating wire to warm up (at least parts of) the windshield of my car. Anyone done something similar or interested in the outcome of this experiment? I'd like to share the results and receive input, be it a working thingy or a burnt automobile, and I'd like /diy/ to comment or at least keep me off doing something that hasn't worked for you (and burnt down your car).

Problems I am facing atm include

- energy source: Should I wire this thingy to my cigarette lighter? In case of trouble (or stupidity or both) I might empty my battery, with the effect of having a superclean windshield, but not able to move the car.

- tube: I'd simply use a piece of plastic pipe, drill holes into it and duct tape it to the front of my wind shield and put the fan and heating wire to the center. In this assembly most of the heated air would escape the tube in the center. How about small airholes in the center, increasing in size with the distance?

- timer: There's a whole load of ICs and stuff - I only need to decide, which suits me best.

- heating wire: I guess I need some sort of casing, so to NOT set my car on fire by any chance.

Plus, the problems I haven't thought of yet. That's where you come in. /diy, speak to me please!

[Anonymous No.308789]

>>308767
>>308767
What you're planning on doing might crack the windshield.

[Anonymous No.308815]

http://www.ehow.com/how_7308396_use-vinegar-defrost-windshields.html

[Anonymous No.308857]

Have you considered building a garage?

[Anonymous No.308865]

That sounds quite involved and risky.
Have you looked into a remote starter?

[Anonymous No.308866]

>>308857

It's even DIY!

[None !!BUFjitBt2Cd No.308872]

I work at an (american) auto parts store and have been doing car shit for my entire life.

The short answer is that you are not taking either of the easy ways out. The easiest way out is to use a good, strong de-icing windshield washer fluid. There are also concentrated de-icing agents ("washer fluid booster") you can add to your wiper fluid to improve its de-icing abilities. Then just run the windshield washer when you get in the car and let the wipers scrub the slush away.

The second easiest way out for you is to simply install a remote-starter kit. When you park the car for the night, simply set the defrost on full-hot before locking up. In the morning push the starter button, any ice should melt off very fast - thick ice should take no more than 5 minutes after the engine gets up to normal operating temperature. A car that meets American emissions standards usually has to hit full operating temperature within 5 minutes or so of starting on a cold morning, but I know your auto emissions standards are a bit laxer so it might take longer for one of your cars. It would be easier to rig one of these remote starters on a timer than to rig a 12v electric heater on one, and you'd get the added benefit of a complete warm car.

If you wanted to proceed with the electric heater idea, you should be very sure of the condition of your battery first. A high wattage heater could very well drain your car's battery before melting the ice; most electric car heaters that are sold are only intended to be used with the engine running.

[None !!BUFjitBt2Cd No.308882]

But then again, you could do it your way. You should still use a remote-starter to avoid draining the battery. There's several Cadillac and Buick models sold in cold regions of the US that have heated windshields from the factory and the work very nicely.

I'd recommend using a fan to blow hot air on the windshield, rather than using convection and a heating coil. You can spread the heat out and distribute it better that way. If you can find an automotive space heater over there, buy one - they sell them here as little fan-blown heaters that plug into your cigarette lighter (image related), and use the guts from it.

Using a cigarette lighter for power, you'll be generally limited to 15 amps (which is what most of the pre-made heaters pull). You can wire straight to the battery or alternator to pull more than that, though, and trying to pull more than that without having the engine running is a recipe for a dead battery.

Whatever you rig together, it has to be able to tolerate voltage variances from 8v-15v.

[Anonymous No.309426]

Hello Germanfag, dutchfag here.

http://www.winparts.nl/783/accessoires/winter/ruit-ontdooien-elektrisch/0058382/auto-heater--

Buy this. Perhaps the great Conrad has it to..

[Anonymous No.309438]

>>308767
What's wrong with a cover? It doesn't need to be large. And not post it on /diy/, it is something you can make yourself.

[Anonymous No.309579]

>>309438
Who seriously does that? It's going to get blown away, stolen, or frozen to the windshield.

[Anonymous No.309759]

>>309579
You close the doors on it on both sides. I've known plenty of people who've used them regularly and not had them stolen or blown away. In the kind of temperatures I live in (-15C would be regarded as a very cold night) they don't get frozen to the car either, you can just peel them away in the morning. Better than spraying fucking antifreeze all over the place and having it washed into the soil and waterways.