How would you defrost this SUV?

[Owen Lucas]

I'd run remote start as many times as possible to help release the ice and then carefully chip away the driver door area, so I can enter the car to turn it on and heat it up. Then chip away in sections. What would you do?

https://nypost.com/2023/03/21/ny-cars-encased-in-ice-after-lake-spray-freezes-vehicles-to-ground/

"This car probably had a beautiful view of Lake Erie on St. Patrick’s Day with temperatures above freezing. The temperature started dropping, and the wind picked up after that. On Saturday, winds gusted to 47 mph, which churned a healthy chop on the lake and a lot of sea spray. "

 

[KGMtech]

To start, there should be air access for the engine. I'd be hoping the sun would be out with + 10C temperatures with no wind chill.

Then maybe call a mobile truck wash guy who has hot water capability?

 

[skyactiv]

Let it sit there until it melts.

 

[wwillson]

Hire someone with a portable hot water pressure washer and next time, think ahead.

 

[Trav]

A generator and a couple of kerosene cigar heaters, one on each side 6-8 ft away.

 

[gman2304]

File an insurance claim….

 

[zrxkawboy]

Even if you got it defrosted, you wouldn't be driving it away! Look at the ice around those tires.

 

[tyman]

Rods from God

 

[vavavroom]

I'd borrow a deicing truck and spray that popsicle.

 

[oldhp]

Until the it thaws from the ground..........it ain't going no where.

 

[RDMgr]

To start, there should be air access for the engine. I'd be hoping the sun would be out with + 10C temperatures with no wind chill.

Then maybe call a mobile truck wash guy who has hot water capability?

Why no wind chill, for the sake of the car or of the person doing the work?

 

[AZjeff]

The bright side is it isn't salt water. It's open under the rear bumper so air isn't a problem. It's 45f in Hamburg NY right now and 51 tomorrow. Cars don't know wind chill.

I'd try the local fire station, something different from cats up trees!

 

[KGMtech]

Why no wind chill, for the sake of the car or of the person doing the work?

Both !

 

[paulo57509]

Reminds me of one of my neighbors when I lived in Butte, MT. The crown of our street sloped down low towards the houses across the street. We had one across-the-street neighbor that refused to shovel their curb and after a few days of parking there, it created an ice rink. Then they would start parking on our side of the street (old neighborhood with no driveways).

My next door neighbor finally had enough of having to park a block away, so at every commercial break during Monday Night Football, went outside and hosed down the across the street neighbor's car.

 

[AZjeff]

Both !

That SUV can sit there at 0 degree temperature with 50 mph winds all day and it will never go below 0 degrees or feel like it's -30 or whatever.

"The wind chill temperature is how cold people (and animals) feel while outside. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by the combination of wind and cold, according to the National Weather Service."

 

[DuckRyder]

Id just wait for it to melt while i was on Zillow looking for a place that it would never happen again...

 

[joekingcorvette]

OP has the right idea just run the remote start and de-ice the vehicle. The water is not very high and it should just back out or othewise hook a rope to it and head for the manual car wash or let nature thaw it out.

 

[eljefino]

That ice will fall off in chunks. Hope it doesn't take little trim bits with it.

Anything that's sheet metal you can punch the ice-- the sheet metal will bounce a little and the ice will crack. Sun will beat down through the semi-clear ice and its greenhouse effect will make a warm layer of water at the metal surface.

Remote start would work fine. It'll suck air from underneath the front bumper. The worst case scenario is the engine compartment will thaw out first, and shed its ice. Remote starts cut out after 15 minutes-- you won't be overheating in 15 minutes.

 

[B1974]

Hose it down with -45c wiper fluid then wait and let the sun do it's job.

 

[Skippy722]

Nature is self correcting. It did that, it can undo that.