Winter Is Coming....
And here are a few tips for getting the most out of it and protecting it during these cold winter months. This is aimed more at new owners as I'm sure you veterans already know these, but here we go in no particular order!
1 - Tyres. I live in Poland, where we can expect frequent and sever snow fall and so I swap my tyres for specialised winter tyres. This may not be necessary in the UK, however it is a sensible precaution to check your tyre pressures. A cheap gauge costs a couple of quid, and whilst it might not be the most accurate it will give an indication if the tyres are losing pressure and if they are equal. If you open the drivers door there will be a small sticker halfway down to the sill which will indicate the correct tyre pressures for your car.
2 - That Roof! In all likelihood, you aren't going to be driving around with the roof down for a while. Give it a few cycles up and down now while you have the chance. Whilst doing this, get some rubber seal treatment (from halfords or your local garage..DON'T use vaseline) and give the roof seals a good going over. The best way to do this is cycle the roof into the fully down position, then open the boot. The roof seals are presented nicely to you to give them some TLC! Cycle the roof up and then repeat the procedure.
3 - Lights. Check all your bulbs and if they are out or dim, replace. Simple. There is a guide on this forum to replacing bulbs, so save yourself a few quid and do it yourself. Don't forget your fog lamps as well, front and rear.
4 - Washer fluid. If you've still got a resevoir full of summer wash, think about the temperatures you are likely to expect and replace it if needed. Most summer washes WILL freeze in sub zero conditions, and there's nothing worse than having a windscreen covered in salty road crap and not being able to use screen wash (ask me how i know this!!)
5 - Wipers. In conjunction with the above, if they need replacing, replace them. Use a good reliable brand such as Bosch. The savings made by using cheap no-name replacements aren't worth the superior vision and cleaning you'll get with the named brands.
6 - Fuel Filler Cap. Yes, our alloy fuel cap looks the dogs' danglies, but the design makes it easy for the inside of it (as well as the car body under it) to collect grime and dirt. If it gets below freezing, that crap can freeze solid making it impossible to re-fuel (again, ask me how i know this happens!). Give it a quick clean out and apply a suitable lubricant to the moving parts.
7 - Door/Window seals. Same as the roof seals but easier to do. Give them a going over with some good rubber treatment to prevent your doors freezing to the seals and then getting damaged when you yank the door open.
I realise that a lot of this is common sense, but a few of them (such as the fuel filler) are unique to our particular car. I also realise that my winters may be a bit more severe and so some of these may be over the top for you in the UK, however if you live in a more northern location these may still help you out. Sorry for the long post and I hope someone finds it useful!
All the best and happy CC'ing!
Your CC and winter
- Rubyoptics
- Posts: 164
- Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:29 pm
- Location: Warsaw - Poland
Your CC and winter
2003 2.0. Dyno'd @ 134BHP. 2.5" full stainless exhaust system, lexus style rear lights, LED sidelights and interiors. Latest mod - Full stainless steel Group N gear linkages.
Re: Your CC and winter
Good job
Re: Your CC and winter
Hi,
nice one!
I use silicone grease on the rubbers.
I will be removing and cleaning filler cap as it does not look good sitting in the car with a cigarette lighter heating the key up at a petrol station!
Cheers,
Iain.
nice one!
I use silicone grease on the rubbers.
I will be removing and cleaning filler cap as it does not look good sitting in the car with a cigarette lighter heating the key up at a petrol station!
Cheers,
Iain.
Peugeot 206 CC 2L 16V 4cyl 2002. QX 3 5W40 Oil. Lamps 80% LED. 5% HID.
Triumph GT6 CC 2L5 12V 6Cyl 1972. QX 3 5W40 Oil. Lamps 98% LED.
G6SBH.
Siemens Controls & SW Engineer.
Triumph GT6 CC 2L5 12V 6Cyl 1972. QX 3 5W40 Oil. Lamps 98% LED.
G6SBH.
Siemens Controls & SW Engineer.
Re: Your CC and winter
Can't argue with any of that, but would add- make sure your battery and antifreeze are good. I have seen cars like these strip the teeth from the cambelt when the waterpump has frozen
Cheers Col.
206cc 1.6ltr (Wifes toy)
Mercedes ML (workhorse)
Corvette C3 (my toy)
When requesting help of a technical nature, please give as much detail of the fault as possible along with details of exact model, engine size & type, gearbox, year, mileage, and any relevant work carried out to try to solve the problem to help us help you.
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206cc 1.6ltr (Wifes toy)
Mercedes ML (workhorse)
Corvette C3 (my toy)
When requesting help of a technical nature, please give as much detail of the fault as possible along with details of exact model, engine size & type, gearbox, year, mileage, and any relevant work carried out to try to solve the problem to help us help you.
Better still, put the details in your signature.