Advice Required Before It Freezes

[Guest]

Oh great folks of wisdom, I have two questions for you that I require your advice on, these are asked to my fellow ravvers who inhabit the cold regions of the north, whether they are part of the British Isles or in even colder parts on the world.

1. Every year when the temperature drops my windows get frozen in the closed position, the Rav is the only car that I have owned that this has happened too, is there any way I can reduce the likelihood of this happening? Part of the problem being the diesel Rav takes forever to warm up when the weather is freezing.

2. I have a defender (no not the LR type of defender) that protects the garage door from being forced open, this has a big padlock that sits on the ground, this also freezes when it gets cold, what suggestions do you have from stopping this freezing (oil, WD40, silicone)?

Many thanks oh gurus of the frozen north.

Gus

[SQUEALEYHEALEY]

Hiya,

1. I'm not sure wot to suggest for frozen up windows, other than to say I've not had the problem wiv my 4.2 D4D, although mine woz off the road during last years very cold spell due to a defunct DMF so I hope I do not suffer from frozen up windows this year.

2. Fill the padliock wiv Petrolium jelly to keep out water and ice.

[CharlieFarlie]

Silicone spray to the felt window surrounds ... Works a treat ...

Wee Charlie.

[Guest]

I wondered about silicone, I may wipe it around the rubber and spray on to the felt at the bottom of the window and see how we go with that. I seem to remember it froze at the bottom (felt?) as well as on the rubber around the top of the glass.

As regards the petroleum jelly, not sure that will work as the lock is used several times a day and it will end up in my pocket instead, though I may well try the silicone in the lock just may have to wait and do it when the temperature drops.

with any luck it will be a mild winter.

Cheers

Gus

[Mistermena]

Use a car cover on the motor. Works for me

[CharlieFarlie]

I wondered about silicone, I may wipe it around the rubber and spray on to the felt at the bottom of the window and see how we go with that. I seem to remember it froze at the bottom (felt?) as well as on the rubber around the top of the glass.

As regards the petroleum jelly, not sure that will work as the lock is used several times a day and it will end up in my pocket instead, though I may well try the silicone in the lock just may have to wait and do it when the temperature drops.

with any luck it will be a mild winter.

Cheers

Gus

Anything that dispels moisture will help !! Why not wrap the lock in an old microfibre cloth ? Wouldn't take a second and might prevent the frost penetration ....

Unfortunately Gus the forecasts for this winter are not good !!

Wee Charlie.

[Ady-Rav4]

Hi Gust,

Every freezing winter time in the morning, I laugh at drivers scraping the ice off all their car windows, it takes them ages to do. Me, I just start the RAV then walk around it with a 6 ltr. milk container filled with luke warm water. I poor over the windows then straight away sqweegy the remainder of the water off. I'm away whilst they're still scraping.

What I'm saying is, on those freezing mornings, try the luke warm water treatment on you RAV windows and the lock. That should work.

[Mistermena]

Hi Gust,

Every freezing winter time in the morning, I laugh at drivers scraping the ice off all their car windows, it takes them ages to do. Me, I just start the RAV then walk around it with a 6 ltr. milk container filled with luke warm water. I poor over the windows then straight away sqweegy the remainder of the water off. I'm away whilst they're still scraping.

What I'm saying is, on those freezing mornings, try the luke warm water treatment on you RAV windows and the lock. That should work.

And then as you drive off (With maybe a cracked windsreen even if luke warm water) the windscreen starts to freeze! Not what I'd recommend as a driving instructor. But each to there own...

[mystic]

What i always done on my old cars for frozen windows was the night before, get a bit of cling film (or any thin plastic) and just poke in behind the window seal, all the way along the outside using a something like a credit card, or bit of cardboard, its just enough to stop the seal getting frozen to the glass and there is 0 chance it will damage the car in anyway.

Spray some WD40 in the lock, works a treat.

I used to use the clings film thing on the whole door seal seeing as my old car used to weld itself shut in the snow.

[bothwell_buyer]

In the past 2 years, our charity has been operating from an open yard which had 10 portacabins.., Each of these had at least 1 if not 2 padlocks... then the main gates had padlocks, and the vans and trucks also suffered from frozen locks.

Bit of a pain, but we used wd40 regularly to keep the locks working. However when it got to -20 then we had problems with the red diesel waxing !

The silicon on the windows is a good idea and we found it does work... but you maybe need to put a heater in the car first to help dry out the moisture.

[mnl]

What I do in the winter is pop outside before breakfast and run the extension lead out to the car, then plug a 2kw fan heater into it, which I leave on the passenger seat.

Come going to work time the car is defrosted, and warm inside.

The solution to frozen locks is to carry one of those chef's blowlamps in your pocket. I used to run a defender, and the lock froze solid every night. A few seconds with the blowlamp, then wait for the heat to get through.

[SQUEALEYHEALEY]

Yeah, a blowtorch is probably the best fing to take to a Defender :D

[Ady-Rav4]

Hi Gust,

Every freezing winter time in the morning, I laugh at drivers scraping the ice off all their car windows, it takes them ages to do. Me, I just start the RAV then walk around it with a 6 ltr. milk container filled with luke warm water. I poor over the windows then straight away sqweegy the remainder of the water off. I'm away whilst they're still scraping.

What I'm saying is, on those freezing mornings, try the luke warm water treatment on you RAV windows and the lock. That should work.

And then as you drive off (With maybe a cracked windsreen even if luke warm water) the windscreen starts to freeze! Not what I'd recommend as a driving instructor. But each to there own...

Actually, I've been using this method for years without any problem. Like I stated, you melt the ice on the side windows then use a good quality sqweegy to dry them off instantly. With the windscreen, if you put the wipers on straight away, the windscreen will stop clear. Even without the luxury of a heated winscreen, the RAV's heater is amazingly quick to warm up to sort it out if need be. Also don't forget the -65 screen wash. That's what I recommend as an Advanced Driver!

[Mistermena]

Hi Gust,

Every freezing winter time in the morning, I laugh at drivers scraping the ice off all their car windows, it takes them ages to do. Me, I just start the RAV then walk around it with a 6 ltr. milk container filled with luke warm water. I poor over the windows then straight away sqweegy the remainder of the water off. I'm away whilst they're still scraping.

What I'm saying is, on those freezing mornings, try the luke warm water treatment on you RAV windows and the lock. That should work.

And then as you drive off (With maybe a cracked windsreen even if luke warm water) the windscreen starts to freeze! Not what I'd recommend as a driving instructor. But each to there own...

Actually, I've been using this method for years without any problem. Like I stated, you melt the ice on the side windows then use a good quality sqweegy to dry them off instantly. With the windscreen, if you put the wipers on straight away, the windscreen will stop clear. Even without the luxury of a heated winscreen, the RAV's heater is amazingly quick to warm up to sort it out if need be. Also don't forget the -65 screen wash. That's what I recommend as an Advanced Driver!

Yep... Got my advanced as well as a lot more besides. But like I said, each to there own!

[Guest]

Actually, I've been using this method for years without any problem. Like I stated, you melt the ice on the side windows then use a good quality sqweegy to dry them off instantly. With the windscreen, if you put the wipers on straight away, the windscreen will stop clear. Even without the luxury of a heated winscreen, the RAV's heater is amazingly quick to warm up to sort it out if need be. Also don't forget the -65 screen wash. That's what I recommend as an Advanced Driver!

I dont need to look to see you drive a petrol Rav, one downside of the diesel in the cold - about 20 minutes to warm up.

Gus

[Molnboman]

Oh great folks of wisdom, I have two questions for you that I require your advice on, these are asked to my fellow ravvers who inhabit the cold regions of the north, whether they are part of the British Isles or in even colder parts on the world.

1. Every year when the temperature drops my windows get frozen in the closed position, the Rav is the only car that I have owned that this has happened too, is there any way I can reduce the likelihood of this happening? Part of the problem being the diesel Rav takes forever to warm up when the weather is freezing.

2. I have a defender (no not the LR type of defender) that protects the garage door from being forced open, this has a big padlock that sits on the ground, this also freezes when it gets cold, what suggestions do you have from stopping this freezing (oil, WD40, silicone)?

Many thanks oh gurus of the frozen north.

Gus

Have you tried this on yer windows?

http://www.biltema.se/sv/Bilvard/Exterior-rengoring/Rain-off/

I think it reduces the frost on your windows although I haven't tried it yet.....I think Rain X is the same kind of idea.

As for the padlock....can you tack a peice of carpet above it to cover it up...or put it in a wee thermal bag....may not win any style awards but who cares in Winter right?

Cheers and Good Luck

A

[Mistermena]

I did hear of a guy that was stuck out somewhere in the sticks in Scotland and couldn't get his key into the door lock. So he decided to :censor: on the locks and that was enough to un-freeze the them! But I wouldn't try it when the police were around or you'll get a nice £80 fine for the most expensive de-icer in the World! :!Removed!:

[mnl]

Don't touch the windows if it is freezing, open the door and get out.

I had a Nissan Terrano one year, touched the window button and there came a "bang" and the window dropped 3", and wouldn't go back up properly.

Dismantling the door in below freezing and dark conditions is no joke.

Anyway, due to great design the window winder mechanism was a piece of string threaded around PLASTIC corner guides.

Below freezing the plastic is brittle and with a frozen window the strain snapped one like a carrot.

Had to file one from a bit of aluminium to fix it.

However, I do think the RAV uses a proper geared quadrant.