On a snowy day, the vehicle is frozen in snow and ice, what should I do?

Mondo Cars Updated on 2024-02-23

In the past few days, the temperature has plummeted across the country, and many areas have suffered heavy snowfall once in many years. After a night, many vehicles are buried in the snow, especially in some cold northern climates, where vehicles are easily frozen into sculptures. As a native of Northeast China, I also have a scooter that is not big or small, and at this time, I believe everyone is curious, what should I do? I think this is a question that many people may encounter when traveling in the snow in winter. Here, I would like to share with you some personal experiences and suggestions, which I hope can help you.

First of all, when the vehicle is frozen in ice and snow, never pour hot water! Don't break it with your hands! We first have to stay calm and not panic. Because panic will only make the situation worse. We can first check whether there are de-icing tools around the vehicle, such as de-icing scrapers, snow shovels, etc. If available, we can first use de-icing scrapers to clear the snow from the windows and mirrors, and use a snow shovel to clear the snow around the vehicle, which is the basis for the defrosting of the vehicle.

If we don't have a de-icing tool nearby, we can try some other methods. Some people say that splashing warm water on a car window can quickly de-icing, but this method is not really advisable. The problem is compounded by the fact that warm water can quickly freeze and form new ice. Instead, we can use cold water or an ice-cold, wet towel to stick to the car window to allow the snow and ice to melt more evenly, and then use a de-icing scraper to remove the snow and ice that has melted.

In addition, if the vehicle is trapped by a large amount of snow, we can start the vehicle first and turn on the heater. By warming up the car, let the temperature of the vehicle rise as quickly as possible, then use a duster or snow removal tool to pat it off, and finally use warm water to wash the frozen parts. At the same time, we also need to ensure that the ventilation and temperature in the vehicle are appropriate during the period when the vehicle is trapped to create a comfortable cabin environment in advance.

If the door is also frozen, it is recommended that you first use warm water to pour the frozen area, and at the same time use a rag to dry the water stains in time, otherwise the water stains attached to the surface will quickly condense into new ice. When the ice on the door handle melts, wipe it with warm water as soon as possible to prevent the door handle from freezing again, and it is easier to open the door.

In some places, the rearview mirror will also freeze. Mohe, where I live, often has similar problems in winter. In response to this situation, I thought of a simple and crude solution. First of all, my car has a mirror heating function, just turn it on, wait for the electric heating to melt the snow on the mirror, and then use a dry rag to wipe off the snow on the mirror. If your vehicle does not have this configuration, then you can only use warm water and rag wiping to thaw. However, if you can't find even warm water, you can only try to drive the car slowly to a warm and sunny place on the premise of confirming the safety of the surrounding environment, and then use a tough card to scrape the ice and snow from the rearview mirror.

Also, my wipers freeze a lot. In fact, this situation is the same as the front windshield thawing and defogging situation, after opening the door, start the vehicle, turn on the air conditioning heater, adjust the air outlet to the front windshield defogging mode, that is, the position of the air outlet towards the front windshield, and then use a soft towel dipped in some alcohol to wipe the wipers, it is recommended that you do not break the wipers, and the effect of alcohol can prevent the wipers from freezing on the glass.

Finally, there are some precautions we can take to avoid the recurrence of this situation where the vehicle is frozen. Before the cold weather arrives, we can do the maintenance work of the vehicle in advance to ensure that the coolant and antifreeze are sufficient to prevent the engine of the vehicle from freezing. In addition, we can also park the vehicle in a sheltered place before stopping to avoid high winds blowing snow from the windows into the car, causing a more serious situation.

In short, traveling in winter and snow requires us to be well prepared. When the vehicle is frozen in snow and ice, we need to stay calm, try some suitable ways to solve the problem, and ensure our own safety. I hope the above suggestions can be helpful to everyone, and I wish you all a smooth winter trip!

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