1 hour trying to get my car out of the ice. All 4 wheels were deep into the ice.
By writersedge
@writersedge (22563)
United States
March 9, 2011 7:01pm CST
It wouldn't even rock forward and back. I tried so many things. Wood ashes, tire tred mats, newspapers, hot water and scraping the ice down and away from the tires, I tried our ice chipper, but the ice was such a solid block all around the tires that not until I threw gallons of hot water on the ice in front of, behind, and next to every tire did the shovel and ice chpper tools start to work. I was too late to go to my Drs' appt. so I missed that. I was going to get water on the way there, so I missed doing that, too. But I did get some insurance paid and I did get to my job of transporting someone to her medical appt.
Not only was it frustrating, I was starving by the time we went out to eat after the appointment.
I talked to my friends, they shoveled snow for 2 hours to get their cars out. My husband shoveled plus a neighbor came and used their tractor. So I thought I was all set, but I forgot about the night before the two days of snow. The night before was rain, so my car's tires were stuck in about a 6 to 8 inch layer of ice. Usually one or two inches is the most my car is stuck in and the ashes or the chipper work just fine. I was so despirate, I used newspaper to try to give it traction, anything.
So what is the longest it ever took you to get your car out of the driveway? Why? How much ice have you had to deal with? Snow? My car isn't very good in ice or snow. But it's what I could afford. My husband's truck is great in snow, but he was gone and had his cell phone off.
3 people like this
6 responses
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
10 Mar 11
Well, I haven't had the opportunity to have my own car long enough to say, but whenever my husband gets stuck, he sometimes puts down salt, but that would only work if the temps were not bitterly cold..How cold is it there?
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
12 Mar 11
I had water on top of 6 to 8 inches of ice. Temps were 31/32 degrees. I poured about 10 gallons of water per wheel of hot water to try to get it to melt, the fast way. Only got about 1 to 2 inches melted. 10 gallon pails are amazing. The problem I explained to Gardengerty was that my tires were on ice in a depression in the ice so I couldn't go forward or back, couldn't get anything underneath. My brother told me hot water would make it worse, had it been colder, esp. sub-zero, he would have been right.
I'm now parked in another area. Probably best for me and my car.
2 people like this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
12 Mar 11
Oh good, you were able to finally move your car...I hate to tell you, except that this weather may be heading your way, we are having warm and sunny days here. I will push some sunshine your way..:)
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
13 Mar 11
We don't want warm and sunshine. 2 feet or more snow plus snow up to 4 feet in the mountains is creating flooding right and left. But now that it's here, we need it to stay for the Maple Tree Farmers because it's above zero days and below nights. The good thing about that is that people aren't being flooded out at night, you can at least sleep.
Two families had themselves an island, fire department had to evacuate them, no road any more. Every day a different river area or town is under flood watch. Our road has inches of water on it in spots.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Mar 11
I can recall learning to drive a manual transmission. Getting out of the driveway that particular day I am thinking about was probably about three hours. I kept trying, stubborn until I got it. I wouldn't look a neighbor in the eye for months afterwards. As far as weather caused(and not my stupidity) was when my ex got us stuck up in our favorite meadow where we used to camp out. We crossed the crook this time and went back in a area we hadn't been before. It was more a bog in the early Spring. I nearly begged him not to go back there- I just had a feeling. Sure enough we got stuck. He tried rocks and boards and all manner of things until it was dark and way too cold to continue. Next morning we got out. I was frozen stiff and not real happy.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
13 Mar 11
Glad to hear it. I feel very fortunate to live where I do. So far!
@GardenGerty (157553)
• United States
10 Mar 11
I do not remember being stuck in ice. I did get a school bus stuck in the snow once, and I also used to get my Datsun high centered all the time. I know it won't do much good to say this now, but someone pointed me to a link that said to break a car out of the ice either you let air out of the tires to pull them loose or you can add a little extra air and that breaks the tires loose from the ice. Of course to do this you need one of those personal sized compressors in your car or a compressor close by. I am sorry you missed your appointment.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
12 Mar 11
My driveway is low, snow melted to mini pond around my car. I got out after that froze the first time, then when I was gone, a little water came and froze in the depressions where the tires had been. So when I came back, don't ask me how I ended up in those depressions again, I don't even think they were exactly the same depressions, but next day when it started to thaw, I was on all water and ice.
We need to build up our driveway again. Ours is natural dirt. Everywhere else frost heaves, but my driveway sinks, go figure. Oh sometimes country living is a trial.
2 people like this
@finlander60 (1804)
• United States
10 Mar 11
The best advice I can give you is to make sure you have mud and snow tires on the vehicle and that they have a good aggressive tread design. Without good tires you are at the mercy of Mother Nature and she can be very unforgiving.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
12 Mar 11
I have all-seasons, high level for tires. That's all I can afford .
1 person likes this
@finlander60 (1804)
• United States
13 Mar 11
I dislike telling you this so please don't shoot the messenger. All season tires are a compromise. What you end up with are tires that can do a lot of things fairly good, but can't do anything really well. It's kind of like the old cliche; Jack of all trades and Master of none. I really hope you don't think I'm jumping down your throat, because I'm just trying to give you the information that I have learned, some of which has been through the school-of-hard-knocks.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
12 Mar 11
We got hit with a blizzard the end of last month I think it took nearly all day to dig out we got 17in of snow. We had nowhere to go thankfully. And thankfully we've never had ice like you've had though I have had my van tires stuck in mud because our gravel driveway is in need of more gravel 
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
12 Mar 11
Exactly! A little different story than mine (Hubbie had dug me out the day before), but same reason, we have a dirt driveway and we need small pebble gravel and/or slag. Slag works better and doesn't tear up the bottom of your car as badly.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
10 Mar 11
I too own a great truck with four wheel drive so I personally did not have an issue. We got about 21 inches of snow and my boyfriends small car was buried for almost two weeks.
Unlike you he did nothing so as long as my truck was willing and able. lol.. We shared my truck and waited until Mature nature decided to free it from the ice. It was so bad that you could not even see his small car because the salt trucks pushed all the snow and felt it best to pile it over his car.
I did not mind him using my truck because he pays for the auto
insurance. 
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
12 Mar 11
If my hubbie had been home, it would have worked out. But he was off doing a bank run plus he had his cell phone off. Oh well, I'll start an hour early to get out in the future!
1 person likes this
