Ice/snow buildup on fender/wheelwell liners causing damage

Rain-X (silicone wax) spray works. Aquapel (fluoropolymer) does not, solely for bonding to glass.

 

How long does it take to build up? If it's within one day I guess chemical intervention is need. I'm just thinking if it's multiple days accumulation maybe a heat gun or something? Bit of a chore though.

 

mine fall off in the garage. teflon spray? i use pam on my snow shovels.

 

same thing here/
never gave it a shot on the fender liners..../

 

Could this set have electric heat tape installed on the 'blind' side during installation? Or some loops of thin tubing you could plumb into the engine cooling system?

-Chap

 

radiant heat fender liners!

 

This sounds like creating an opportunity for ice damage to extend to the engine too, after ice takes out that warming loop.

 

You can get heated vests and gloves for motorcycle riding. Maybe repurpose one of those? I'd think that'd be too expensive though. Yeah, Pam.

 

How would you expect it to "take out that warming loop"? Same way it takes out the other coolant hoses in the car?

I'm not sure how much, really. The aim wouldn't be to melt the whole 40 lb blob of slush that attaches there, but only to keep that interface layer right at the liner surface above 32 F. A coolant loop or electric heat tape would both be ways of getting the heat there; the electric option would be a bit easier to instrument if curious about how much energy might be involved.

And yet one does see advertisements for intake hose swirl thingamajigs and grounding kits for the (isolated ground!) throttlebody. I'm not sure there's such a simple relationship between what's marketed and what's practical or useful.

After all, up until now, I hadn't heard of the problem either, not at anything like the severity you describe. I get winter slush blobs, yes, but never to the point that I've had to replace a fender liner even once. If I were dealing with it at that severity, I sure would be thinking of some way to combat it.

What I've been doing here, so far, is I have a small pump-up garden sprayer. I fill it with windshield washer antifreeze (not the glycol stuff, just the plain methanol variety), so it doesn't freeze in the sprayer while stored in the back of the car. When parking after a slushy drive, I can use it to spray and kick the slush blobs off the wheels and fender liners. (It also serves as my spare jug of windshield fluid when I need to refill the car's washers.)

That's simple. But a solution that just involved circulating warm antifreeze, instead of spraying a bunch of it out into the environment, could be even better.

-Chap

 

Maybe google "heat trace"? But that stuff is 120 AC I think.

 

Dupont (and others) makes a Teflon spray lube available at home stores. It's popular in the motorcycle world as a chain lube and thrives in that tough environment; however, I have no clue how beneficial it would be in a freezing environment. It doesn't harm paint so spraying it around the inner fender area shouldn't be an issue.

 

maybe try silicon, teflon or pam. she sticks, and shovels off the slush before it can freeze.

 

The other coolant hoses are well protected from the wheel well environment.

I'm expecting certain conditions where it simply can't put out enough heat to do the job. Especially in a Prius, where the engine shuts down on certain long grades coming down from the mountain passes. So when OP's liners get loaded with enough freezing slush to rip out the liners, the warming loop houses go with it, allowing engine coolant to be pumped onto the ground once the engine fires back up.

 

I wonder if fluid film would work? It is a paraffin based product that is designed to be sprayed under vehicles to prevent rust from forming and it stays attached pretty good here is what their website states

The Most Versatile Product for Winter Maintenance
Equipment utilized in the course of winter is vulnerable to the natural and fabricated elements that surround the season. Inclement weather and road salts are highly destructive to metals and electrical connections. Vehicles traveling through salted roads face a constant barrage of highly corrosive chemicals used for road stabilization. These chemicals kick up and cling to metals and underbodies, re-crystallizing as they dry.

FLUID FILM will not freeze, remaining active to migrate on metal surfaces. Penetrating metal pores, FLUID FILM creates an airtight seal that blocks road salts and moisture. Remaining slick in sub-zero temperatures, FLUID FILM is an excellent release agent for snow, helping to keep snow and ice from building up or sticking to metal. FLUID FILM is also the perfect product for winterizing equipment stored indoors and out.

Care should be taken around non oil resistant rubber goods. May cause swelling. Fluid Film may soften some vehicle undercoatings. Check with dealer/vehicle manufacturer as to compatibility.

 

Now that there sounds like it might do the trick. At least I'd be interested in hearing a post-Boston-winter report....

-Chap