Winter vehicle tips

[JAMdisco]

Sorry if this has been posted before, I got it in an email at work and thought I'd share:


Helpful Hints For Winter
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Keep your headlights clear with car wax!
Just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that will prevent that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts about 6 weeks.


Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol!
Wipe the wipers with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can make badly streaking & squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence & clarity.

Ice-proof your windows with vinegar!
Frost on it's way? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on all your windows at night. In the morning,they'll be clear of icy mess. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water---preventing water from freezing!

Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray!
Spray cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors & rub it in with a paper towel. The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber

Fog-proof your windscreen with shaving cream!
Spray some shaving cream on the inside of your windshield & wipe if off with paper towels. Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.

De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer!
Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key & the lock & the problems solved!

Depending on your levels of car care, some of you may well look after your rubbers (bushes, belts, alternator belts etc), please don't use WD40, this is basically a quick fix and evaporates in seconds, more importantly it also rots rubber over time. If you do tend to your rubbers etc, please use a silicon spray only which will help extend the life of the rubbers.

Got it passed to me and thought it may benefit us all in some way. Entirely up to you guys and gals if choose to use or not, but this could turn out to be a long, cold winter. Might as well be prepared eh.

[funkymook]

Good tips, thanks for sharing.

I made the mistake of using some window cleaner I found under the sink for inside my windscreen - did the job beautifully, but as it was vinegar based my car smelt like a chip shop for weeks!

[Mark Wild]

In very low temps my engine freezes and won't start until the temp rises a bit in the afternoon, is there any kind of solution to stop this? Not sure what it is, frozen oil in the sump? I'm not mechanically minded so I have no clue, maybe a special chemical I can put in?

Great tips btw :)

[JAMdisco]

In very low temps my engine freezes and won't start until the temp rises a bit in the afternoon, is there any kind of solution to stop this? Not sure what it is, frozen oil in the sump? I'm not mechanically minded so I have no clue, maybe a special chemical I can put in?

Great tips btw :)

Is it diesel? I know diesel can 'wax' at very low temperatures, but I think we're talking prolonged extreme cold so probably not the cause. Maybe need new glow-plugs (again if it's a diesel)...

My old escort diesel didn't like the cold, i used to have to turn on the ignition 3 or 4 times before starting it (to let the glow plugs heat up enough).

[funkymook]

Is it diesel? I know diesel can 'wax' at very low temperatures, but I think we're talking prolonged extreme cold so probably not the cause. Maybe need new glow-plugs (again if it's a diesel)...

My old escort diesel didn't like the cold, i used to have to turn on the ignition 3 or 4 times before starting it (to let the glow plugs heat up enough).

I don't think he was talking about his car! :D

[Mark Wild]

Is it diesel? I know diesel can 'wax' at very low temperatures, but I think we're talking prolonged extreme cold so probably not the cause. Maybe need new glow-plugs (again if it's a diesel)...

My old escort diesel didn't like the cold, i used to have to turn on the ignition 3 or 4 times before starting it (to let the glow plugs heat up enough).

Yeah diesel transit, I think I'll get me some of those there glow plugs :) Are they universal or would I need specific ones?


I don't think he was talking about his car! :D

No, my van :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

In very low temps my engine freezes and won't start until the temp rises a bit in the afternoon, is there any kind of solution to stop this?

A: New van
B: Move back to England


:D


:coat:

[Mark Wild]

A: New van
B: Move back to England


Oi ! I love my van and take good care of her, I call her "The Old Cow" :D

[JAMdisco]

Yeah diesel transit, I think I'll get me some of those there glow plugs :) Are they universal or would I need specific ones?

Not 100% sure, I think you'll need specific ones, just bear in mind - don't go for the cheap ones, spend a little more and get good quality ones (NGK or Champion are both good - around £30-£40 for a full set), Halfords or any good motorist shop should be able to tell you which ones you need.

Good luck :)

[edit] Be very careful removing the old ones as they can break up if they're old and worn. Maybe worth getting a mechanic to do it for you.

Can't edit it again so also:

don't just go on the fact that the glow plug light goes out, if you listen very carefully, you can sometimes hear a quiet 'click' when they've reached optimum temperature. Another also: if you start the engine before they've properly warmed up (even in summer) they will degrade quicker.

[Corabar Steve]

which raises the melting point of water---preventing water from freezing!
Surely you want something to lower the melting point, if it's raised doesn't that mean it will remain frozen at higher temperatures?

[Excalibur]

Yeah diesel transit, I think I'll get me some of those there glow plugs :) Are they universal or would I need specific ones?


Depends which engine you have in your transit. The older ones like mine don't have glow plugs, and they cannot be fitted. It's too long a story for now, I'll tell more later.

[JAMdisco]

Surely you want something to lower the melting point, if it's raised doesn't that mean it will remain frozen at higher temperatures?

Well spotted Steve, but firstly it's not my work, just copied and pasted it but I think the tip will still work - although have never tested it yet.


Depends which engine you have in your transit. The older ones like mine don't have glow plugs, and they cannot be fitted. It's too long a story for now, I'll tell more later.

Yes, I think some models have some kind of heater element rather than glow plugs... or did you mean that you have to 'crank' your van to start it :p :D :D :D