Pre Winter Checks

[bazz54]

1 hour ago, G6-20 said:

is there anything that can be done about the electric windows ? ... cos 20+ year old motors on most toyota's are gutless

I can think of one car that's even more gutless and that's my Rover Saloon, but only of the driver's door. Every so often I apply some silicone spray to the rubber guides (don't get it on the main area of the glass or the upholstery). It helps a bit.

 

Going one step further would involve taking off the door cards and removing and fettling the regulator.

[Cleario]

On 07/10/2018 at 23:57, Crazy Cat Lady said:

 

Michelin Cross Climate - They grip really well in cold and wet, less sporty but more comfy with the higher profile on 16s.

I only use them in the winter months, on a cheap set of wheels - helps to preserve my 12 spoke fondmetals 

 

 

I just put continental contact 5’s back on my original wheels, I went for 205/55/16 at £38 a tyre it worked out over £150 cheaper than 205/50. I’m surprised at the comfort that’s come with them. 

[G.Lewarne]

Is that... a touch of "blueing" I see there on Deb's rear disc?

 

She must drive it hard

 

[bazz54]

In the film "Dr Strangelove" (made back in the sixties), when the crew of the B52 bomber realise the plane is too badly damaged to make it back home, each one checks out his personal survival kit. This consists of;

 

- One forty-five caliber automatic
- Two boxes of ammunition
- Four days' concentrated emergency rations
- One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine,
  vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills
- One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible
- One hundred dollars in rubles
- One hundred dollars in gold
- Nine packs of chewing gum
- One issue of prophylactics
- Three lipsticks
- Three pair of nylon stockings.

 

I think we need something similar ?

[Crazy Cat Lady]

8 hours ago, G.Lewarne said:

Is that... a touch of "blueing" I see there on Deb's rear disc?

 

She must drive it hard

 

 

That's probably slight surface rust - i simply don't drive it often enough 

10 hours ago, Cleario said:

 

I just put continental contact 5’s back on my original wheels, I went for 205/55/16 at £38 a tyre it worked out over £150 cheaper than 205/50. I’m surprised at the comfort that’s come with them. 

 

It's a good tyre/wheel size choice for winter, more protection from pot holes, more comfort, more ground clearance 

[Celia_Alan]

10 hours ago, bazz54 said:

In the film "Dr Strangelove" (made back in the sixties), when the crew of the B52 bomber realise the plane is too badly damaged to make it back home, each one checks out his personal survival kit. This consists of;

 

- One forty-five caliber automatic
- Two boxes of ammunition
- Four days' concentrated emergency rations
- One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine,
  vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills
- One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible
- One hundred dollars in rubles
- One hundred dollars in gold
- Nine packs of chewing gum
- One issue of prophylactics
- Three lipsticks
- Three pair of nylon stockings.

 

I think we need something similar ?

 

This sounds like a shopping list for one of 'those' parties you never get invited to lol

[G6-20]

23 hours ago, bazz54 said:

I can think of one car that's even more gutless and that's my Rover Saloon, but only of the driver's door. Every so often I apply some silicone spray to the rubber guides (don't get it on the main area of the glass or the upholstery). It helps a bit.

 

Going one step further would involve taking off the door cards and removing and fettling the regulator.

 

Just thinking of those days where frost/ice welds the window to it's surround.

 

I suppose with the Celica, being a frameless window, once you rip the door open, it'll break all the ice at the top side of it away,

 

Hopefully no one smashes a window

[The Blue Meenie]

Blu

Wax oil double dip, fill with V power,  disconnect battery and connect terminal guards. Fill with winter washer fluid. Cover and kiss him good night till April.

 

Bug

Swap tyres to winter, wax oil double dip, service and check levels. Load boot with extra bulbs, winter washer fluid, de-icer, scraper and starter power pack (last one.. to jump start others with poor batteries ).. When the white stuff arrives.. load the snow shoval, hiking boots and thermal gloves 

 

 

 

[slybunda]

Whats with greasing the fuel flap? Iv never done that and not had issues. But again prevention is better than cure.

 

Does it sieze up?

[Kev 16v]

It's not uncommon on the Gen 7 for the hinges to break. I've seen quite a few advertised with the flap no longer flush.

 

Another thing worth doing before the short days and long nights, is cleaning all interior glass.

[Cleario]

My wife sent me this yesterday as it happens. I pulled the release in the footwell one night and it fell off in the petrol station. She found it hilarious.

[Wolfie]

Well I know I’m sad and when I do it the neighbors laugh and say it’s not a Lamborghini.............but this time of year I put the car cover on 

[bazz54]

I’ve just run out of windscreen wash additive, so have been looking at what’s on offer in various places. There’s lots of “ready-mixed” stuff that says it’s good to -10’C . I think I’d prefer something better, allowing for the wind-chill on a moving car. You can see a comparison of various water/alcohol mixtures here https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ispropanol-water-d_988.html

For -20’, you need ~50% alcohol and for -30’, ~70% alcohol. This all assumes that the mixtures just contain isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Many may have some methanol or some glycol in them, so this is all approximate.

In terms of local “off the shelf” products, the only stuff I’ve seen going to -30’ is at Halfords and in fact that’s the stuff I’ve been using. Usually, I mix it with an equal quantity of water, so that will be good down to -16 or 17' and that’s been fine over the last few years, but with the advantage that if hell really does freeze over, you’ve got the neat stuff already stashed in the garage. Alternatively, you could buy pure IPA off ebay and make your own, remembering that it's pretty flammable.

 

[Kev 16v]

I bought 4l of Prestone -10C for £2.50 from Tesco recently, but they also offer 2l bottles of "Extreme Performance", supposedly good for down to -23C for £3.50.

 

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/287525988

[bazz54]

Forgot Tesco, the nearest one is some distance from me. -23 is not bad and it's a fair price. The one thing I hate about the Halfords -30' is that its scented with cherries...awful!

[Kev 16v]

According to some on HUKD, the Prestone smells of fish!

[bazz54]

Could be that they put a small amount of ammonia or something similar in it; it will help with cleaning the screen. Halfords -20'C is scented with pines; that sounds reasonable.

[G.Lewarne]

Best screenwash ive ever used was some German stuff from lidl.  It didnt freeze when mixed 50% in all the snow and ice and dreadfullness we had last winter.  Even the jets didnt freeze.

[Kev 16v]

If I see any Ultimate Speed screen-wash in LIDL, I'll post on this thread.

 

Meanwhile..this test may be of interest to some..

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/65265/best-car-screen-wash-to-buy

 

 

[Kev 16v]

Just a quick "heads-up"..Lidl's brilliant little smart battery charger will be in store as of today..

 

https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/p/car-essentials/ultimate-speed-car-battery-charger/p25475