[lightbody]

Tonight, -5C outside... car looked like a mini igloo...

1. Start engine
2. Rear screen on
3. Heater on screen, #3, recirculate.
4. play with electric window to free it up so that can close door safely!
5. wipers on intermittent (rear completely clear)
6. Once front clear enough to drive safely, switch to all face vents to clear rest of side windows.
7. switch of recirculate once warm enough

All of this only takes a few minutes, spent listening to the radio in the car instead of staggering about with a scraper like everyone else seems to do...

The de-icing abilities of this car, in standard trim, is impressive! Apart, that is, from the heated washer nozzles which are freezing more easily than non-heated ones in my previous cars!!

Does anyone have the remote-turn on thing featured in the accessories handbook? That would be very cool...

[oldnell]

The lazy way is to tip a jug of warm (not hot) water over your windscreen and immediately put the wiper on to clear the screen of water.

The worst way (unless you're in the middle of nowhere) is to use chemical de-icer.

[dietcokeplease]

Quote:

Originally posted by oldnell
The lazy way is to tip a jug of warm (not hot) water over your windscreen and immediately put the wiper on to clear the screen of water.

Works well on Company cars and hire cars.

Not recommended if your own dollars have purchased the MINI.

[hairyhen]

mine had 3 nights worth of ice on it today-no other choice but to use a scraper!
door mechanisms were frozen and the left window wouldnt open!

[ianB]

My way's even lazier.

1. At night, park car facing south
2. Stay in bed till 11am and hope that there has been some sun to melt the ice.

[miniblue]

A recorded conversation ...

" ... Sorry Boss, my car's all snowed in. Can't even open the darn doors. You know what it's like with these new MINI's ..."

Then spend the rest of the day watching the snow melt off your beautiful MINI!! How lazy can you get eh?!

MINIblue

[dinger]

My ways the best.

Send yer partner out to defrost the car while your nice and warm drinking a cup of tea.

[Tom F.]

1) Leave the Mini in the car overnight. Open garage doors, motor on.

Severe weather version:

2 Leave the Mini IN the garage overnight. Drive the four wheel drive Syncro Vanagon to work. Leave the Mini in the garage all day.

[Pebble]

Live in Florida, Complain when it gets to 50F.

[ezrally]

Have (ie WANT!) the euro heated windscreen & I'd park it outside for grins!

[Mini Cruiser]

I just use de-icer cause im lazy

[Clutch Cargo]

Quote:

Originally posted by dietcokeplease
Works well on Company cars and hire cars.

Not recommended if your own dollars have purchased the MINI.

DCP, do you mean warm water is bad too? I always thought that was the gentlest way to remove ice. And, I suppose the de-icing chemicals might be corrosive, but they can't be worse than the salt we drive thru all winter long.

[cheekygrin]

yeah, what's wrong with a bit of warm water

/me prepares himself for a slapping

[oldnell]

I was actually going to ask what was wrong with warm water, too. I suspect that most people use warm water to wash thier cars anyway. As long as it's not too hot, I can't see the problem.

[snoozzuk]

cold glass and warm water can crack the glass!

[oldnell]

Do wash your car with cold water then?

[snoozzuk]

as cold as i can do without it being to cold on your hands, cleaning with warm/hot water is also bad for the paint.

[oldnell]

As I see it, it's all a matter of moderation. I don't think a little warm water would risk cracking the windscreen, but then I haven't owned a MINI before and I'm not used to delicate windscreens.

If you use cold water for washing your car, the detergent is nowhere near as effective as it is at a higher temperature.

[MGB Boy]

Quote:

Originally posted by Pebble
Live in Florida, Complain when it gets to 50F.

An out-of-state friend sent this to me recently. I'll just apologize in advance for all the people in other places which it insults! Oh, and an FYI for our metric friends, all temps are in °F...

-Ricardo

Subject: Vermonters are insane

VERMONT TEMPERATURE CONVERSION CHART

@ +70 degrees
Texans turn on the heat and unpack the thermal underwear. People in Vermont go swimming in the rivers.

@ +60 degrees
Floridians try to turn on the heat. People in Vermont plant gardens.

@ +50 degrees
Southern Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in Vermont sunbathe.

@ +40 degrees
Italian & English (!) cars won't start. People in Vermont drive with the windows down.

@ +32 degrees
Distilled water freezes. Lake Champlain water gets thicker.

@ +20 degrees
North Carolinians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and woolly hats. People in Vermont throw on a flannel shirt.

@ +15 degrees
Philadelphia landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Vermont have the last cookout before it gets cold.

@ +10 degrees
People in Miami all die... Mt. Mansfield Union High students lick the flagpole.

@ -20 degrees
Californians fly away to Mexico. People in Vermont get out their winter coats.

@ -40 degrees
Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Vermont are selling cookies door to door.

@ -60 degrees
Polar bears begin to evacuate the Arctic. Vermont Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.

@ -80 degrees
Mt. St. Helens freezes. People in Vermont rent some videos.

@ -100 degrees
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. UVM students get frustrated because they can't thaw the keg.

@ -297 degrees
Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products. Cows in Vermont complain about farmers with cold hands.

@ -460 degrees
All atomic motion stops. People in Vermont start saying, "S'pose I should throw another log in the stove?"

[CHD]

All that stuff about potential damage is just BS.

If the screen was that fragile, it would never stand up to impacts and stress during driving.

Plus the whole car, screen and paintwork is temperature stress tested by BMW...so warm/hot water on the car during washing is no problem.

IMHO