Car Talk

Q. We had a big snowstorm this week. Not wanting to scrape the ice off my windshield, the night before the storm I looked around for something to put under my wipers to keep the ice off. Unable to come up with anything, I contemplated alternatives. Then it came to me: Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil! I smeared some Filippo Berio on the windshield and waited for the snow. The next morning, the snow slid off the windshield like a greasy zeppole. Great, I thought. When the snow stopped, I noticed a haze on the windshield. I figured it would wash off. Well, I was wrong — the stuff has adhered to the glass as if it were baked on. I’m still scraping off the hardened oil. Help!

RAY: It’s people like you who make great discoveries. You’re the kind of person who is unafraid to experiment. And once in a while, you’ll hit upon something that will benefit all mankind. This was not one of those times.

TOM: No. Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil has many excellent uses — my brother uses it as a hair tonic — but windshield cleaner is not one of them.

RAY: You’ve probably cooked with olive oil. When you’re done, you put the frying pan in the sink. And if you then let it sit and cool off for a while, you’ll find a hardened, whitish layer of congealed grease stuck to it. That’s what’s on your windshield.

TOM: If you had done this during one of those midsummer snowstorms, it might have worked. But the cold temperature is what congealed the oil and did you in.

RAY: So, how do you get it off? Well, with a frying pan, you can use steel wool — not a good option for your windshield. You also can use hot water and soap, and try to “un-congeal” it. This would be best done in a heated garage.

TOM: If he had a heated garage, he wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place!

RAY: Good point. How ’bout we suggest he just drive in reverse until late June?

TOM: Here’s what I’d do: Run the defroster with the heat on high for a good 20 minutes before attempting to remove the grease. The warmer you can get the congealed oil, the easier it will be to remove.

RAY: If soap and water are not up to the task, try a 50-50 mixture of water and methanol. It’s a mild solvent that’s safe for glass, and it’s pretty good at cutting grease.

TOM: And if all else fails, there’s always the glass-cleaning tool of last resort: the hammer. Good luck.

Q. My problem is my 1995 Chevy High-Top Conversion Van model G20. I am a fanatical sports fan. I never miss a football or baseball game. I also do a lot of RV-ing, so I spend a lot of time on the road. My RV van has a TV screen for the second and third row of passengers. In order to indulge both my sports and RV hobbies at the same time, I have set up a large mirror on the seat back of the second row so that it reflects the image on the TV. Then I adjust my rearview mirror so that I can see the TV image reflected on the large mirror behind me. This way, I never miss a touchdown play or game-winning home run while I am driving. My problem is that since the conversion from analog to digital TV, I can no longer enjoy the games. I have been unable to find a 12-volt digital converter for the TV. Can you help me?

RAY: I have a better idea. Why don’t you mount a TV right where the hood ornament belongs? Then you can watch the game and the road at the same time.

TOM: I wouldn’t go any wider than 60 inches, though. Any bigger, and you’ll really eat into your gas mileage.

RAY: We can’t help you with this. I mean, we can, but we won’t.

TOM: The reason we won’t is to keep you from killing yourself or some other innocent people on the road.

RAY: Unless that’s part of the plan. In which case, while you’re doing time for vehicular homicide, you can watch all the games you want in the prison common room.

TOM: Of course, you’ll have to fight off all those sex offenders who want to control the remote.

RAY: This is a bad idea. When you’re watching TV, you’re not watching the road. And at 70 mph, you’re traveling 100 feet per second! What happens when there’s a 95-yard touchdown interception? You could run over six or eight smart cars.

TOM: Get yourself a Sirius XM satellite radio receiver for the van instead. They’ve got packages that provide live radio feeds for every baseball and football game. Listening while you drive is a lot safer than watching — as long as you don’t spike your Mountain Dew Slurpee into the windshield when your team scores.

Got a question about cars? Write to Click and Clack in care of this newspaper, or e-mail them by visiting the Car Talk Web site at www.cartalk.com.