Windshield Washer/De-icer

[ruauman2]

I see the orange windshield de-icer in all the stores. I've been thinking of trying it. Some can be put into the wiper fluid holding tank and some can be sprayed directly onto the windshield if your wipers are frozen over. Are these products worth buying? Do they leave any orange residue on the truck? The makers claim that they will prevent your windshield from icing again as you drive. Is this true?

[Titan4metoo]

I use the rain-x version. It won't de-ice your windshield completely, but won't freeze, and add's good old rain-x everytime you use it. No staining on my white tahoe, so shouldn't be a problem for the big white monster titan

[Bayou Titan]

I want to get a HotShot windshield washer fluid heater like bestatchess did. Unless I do, I'm in for a lot of windshield scraping this winter. The liquid deicers that you can buy don't work very well; the windshield will ice right back over when you drive down the road.
Microheat HotShot Wiper Fluid Heater

[4FV]

I installed the Safe-Vue windshield washer heater on mine and works very well. Easy install and very reasonable price. 89.00 and shipping.

[Bayou Titan]

Originally Posted by 4FV

I installed the Safe-Vue windshield washer heater on mine and works very well. Easy install and very reasonable price. 89.00 and shipping.

Where did you buy this?

[bestatchess]

I don't think the liquid de-icers work that well. I used to use the concentrated stuff in the spray cans and I would be leaning out the window spraying it directly onto the windshield in a blizzard coming over a mountain pass, with visibility reduced to a little peep hole and the wipers frozen into chunks of ice, the defroster roaring full blast and the wife yelling at me to close the window. Now I have an electric in-line wiper fluid heater and electrically heated wiper blades, which gives much better results.

I found the Safe Vu here:

http://www.myles-rec.com/Transportat...uid_heater.htm

The one I have is described here:

http://www.microheat.com/hotshot/why.asp#

I think there are also washer fluid tank heaters (both electric and using a heat exchanger with engine coolant), but they take awhile to warm up. I think some Mercedes come stock with windshield washer fluid tank heater. Also, Range Rover has electrically heated windshield as OEM, but I would think that would make windshield replacement a bit expensive.

[OnebadSE]

A good winter wiper fluid is all I've ever used and have had no problems with it. Use it full strength and it won't freeze. Using your defroster they way it's supposed to be used works. However, on the highway doing 70 MPH in 0 degrees, nothing you can spray on the windshield will stay a liquid!
Now if you mean just being about to melt off any ice that may form while parked outside overnight, I say just warm the truck up and use the defrosters. Some of that other crap may damage the paint over time.

[bestatchess]

Originally Posted by OnebadSE

Some of that other crap may damage the paint over time.

Yup, right after it strips the wax off your hood.

[Bayou Titan]

Originally Posted by bestatchess

I don't think the liquid de-icers work that well. I used to use the concentrated stuff in the spray cans and I would be leaning out the window spraying it directly onto the windshield in a blizzard coming over a mountain pass, with visibility reduced to a little peep hole and the wipers frozen into chunks of ice, the defroster roaring full blast and the wife yelling at me to close the window. Now I have an electric in-line wiper fluid heater and electrically heated wiper blades, which gives much better results.

I found the Safe Vu here:

http://www.myles-rec.com/Transportat...uid_heater.htm

The one I have is described here:

http://www.microheat.com/hotshot/why.asp#

I think there are also washer fluid tank heaters (both electric and using a heat exchanger with engine coolant), but they take awhile to warm up. I think some Mercedes come stock with windshield washer fluid tank heater. Also, Range Rover has electrically heated windshield as OEM, but I would think that would make windshield replacement a bit expensive.

Does the Myles unit have a switch that you mount on the dash? The wiring diagram and instructions are not conclusive. The Myles unit is less than half the price of the Hot Shot. Is it as good?

The first "northerner" of the season is blowing in tonight bringing temps down close to the 20's. I am not about to scrape ice almost every a.m. like I did last year.

[Blizzard]

If you have to scrape your windshield, make sure you keep a good coat of Rain-X on it. The ice will scrape off like you were using a hot knife to cut butter.