Discussion
With the damp I have I think a sock of kitty litter isn't really thinking big enough. Maybe a pillow case would be better. Ok I've still not bought any....
YouTube seems to recommend applying toothpaste to the glass as a form of preventative measure. Might be worth investing 5 minutes of my life to try that at midday when its thawed out a bit.
YouTube seems to recommend applying toothpaste to the glass as a form of preventative measure. Might be worth investing 5 minutes of my life to try that at midday when its thawed out a bit.
Ah yes, that's a good cal, I did this on my Boxster, its a worthwhile job to do.
Take the battery out. Take out the two other plastic trims either side (one covers the washer tank filler and alarm, the other the wiper motor.
Remember to put your key in the ignition before disconnecting the battery or the alarm will go off.
Remove the battery tray which is bolted down.
Under the battery tray, and then (IIRC) one each side also, are some drain holes with rubber valves/one-way flaps.
They will be disgusting. Clean all the s
t out, pull the rubber valves out and clean them through. Rotting leaves, mud etc. When it is properly cleaned out, it drains freely out over the fuel tank and front subfrme.
Good opportunity to change the cabin pollen filter too if not done previously (less than £10 from Euros).
Take the battery out. Take out the two other plastic trims either side (one covers the washer tank filler and alarm, the other the wiper motor.
Remember to put your key in the ignition before disconnecting the battery or the alarm will go off.
Remove the battery tray which is bolted down.
Under the battery tray, and then (IIRC) one each side also, are some drain holes with rubber valves/one-way flaps.
They will be disgusting. Clean all the s
t out, pull the rubber valves out and clean them through. Rotting leaves, mud etc. When it is properly cleaned out, it drains freely out over the fuel tank and front subfrme. Good opportunity to change the cabin pollen filter too if not done previously (less than £10 from Euros).
After I abandoned the car for about 10 weeks the battery was flat. So I just drove it round a bit. It was lazy starting on occasion which I thought might be a dodgy power lead to the starter as I'd read someone else changed theirs recently with the same problem. Anyway as an extra precaution I decided to buy a big battery for my BMW and I have not yet fitted this to the BMW. It is in the frunk with some big jump leads. I dont have any tools at home or enough access to get power to the car as its just on street parking nearish to where I live. I'm surprised the battery is holding up so well considering it has not had a charge other than topping up from the alternator since I started using it again. When the windows were damp I think the rear window was worst. Where can the damp be comin from in the back - surely the engine bay has good drainage?
Exactly
There is the area with brackets for the roof bars but surely this wouldn't require a drain would it?
I'll have a rummage around under the rear seats. I checked the carpeted pads under the rear window a few days ago and they felt dry bar any drips that had landed from the rear window. Also under the front seats. Someone suggested getting under the front carpet but I couldn't figure out how to do it without ripping the car to bits.
I'm still hopeful because the drivers door trim was soaked at the bottom but since I've been using the car and checking it regularly it has been bone dry.
There is the area with brackets for the roof bars but surely this wouldn't require a drain would it?
I'll have a rummage around under the rear seats. I checked the carpeted pads under the rear window a few days ago and they felt dry bar any drips that had landed from the rear window. Also under the front seats. Someone suggested getting under the front carpet but I couldn't figure out how to do it without ripping the car to bits.
I'm still hopeful because the drivers door trim was soaked at the bottom but since I've been using the car and checking it regularly it has been bone dry.
I just posted this long - very long - question about winter tyres for this car over on the winter tyres thread. I'll copy and paste it here too.....
Just put the Winter boots on my big bus. Pic below.
My dilemma now is the 911 - may as well post a pic too. I try to drive it regularly but obviously if there is bad weather I can drive the big car which has winter tyres now. I have some winter tyres already which could fit on the back but aren't ideal. The boxster or 986 (sorry I'm a Porsche nerd) shares the same width tyres of 205 50 front and 255 40 rear. Porsche approved winter tyres back in the day - my car is a 1998. The Porsche pdf I found says the below - extract of the relevant bits -
Approved 986 winter rear is on 8.5 inch rim
225 45 17 load rating 94
Or
255 40 17 load rating 98
Approved 996 winter rear is on 9 inch rim
255 40 17 load rating 98
I already have some dunlop winter sport 225 45 17 tyres from a different car but I think they are 91 load rating - although I cant find any more for sale at 91 so 2nd guessing myself this could be wrong.
I was sure the 986 used a 9 inch rim and could accept a slightly stretched 225 45 tyre. Now the Porsche pdf I've found contradicts this as it says the 986 is approved for 225 45 on an 8.5 inch rim.
So I have a few options here
Just use the 225 45 winter tyres I have and source some matching fronts.
Buy a full set of correctly sized 205 / 255 winters.
Buy a full set of incorrectly sized 4 seasons - I can't find a 4 season in 255 40 17 so this would force my hand to go 225 45 anyway.
A bit about me. I've been using winter tyres now since around 2011. Once I realised winter tyres existed I started using them and thought they were great. Yes they move around a bit more but feel fine once you get used to them. I had them on all my cars without fail every year. Last year I didn't fit winters to my Boxster (different car to the one discussed above) even though I already had them from the year before. I'd read all the discussion about a good summer being as good or better than a winter at things like braking and stopping distance and was therefore 2nd guessing myself and thinking maybe I'd been wrong going for full winters in this climate etc. It was this time last year almost to the day that I aquaplained in that car on the motorway. I was fine but the car wasn't. Dont want to go on too much about this again because I've done that to death last year but do want to say that I firmly believe from just looking at the tread of a winter tyre that they must be better at dealing with standing water than a summer tyre. That belief gets people arguing so maybe another pic of my car crashed will distract from this.
I mention this because it tells you that I prefer the idea of a thinner tyre overall as this will minimise aquaplaining - I dont want to be doing that again. Also I dont intend to use the 4 season tyres all year round as I would fit summers anyway unless they are that much better at dealing with wet weather and dont detract much from the dry grip too much in which case I might be converted. My 911 has so much grip in the dry on summers that I can't imagine noticing if I lose a bit from tyre choice. This is why I changed from 18 wheels and tyres to the 17 inch setup, the wider 18 tyres are just overkill if you ask me and the thinner 17 have more than enough grip and make me feel better about driving through standing water. Although recently the car has become a bit skittish in this colder damp weather. But remember there is no correct sized rear 4 season tyre that I can find.
I can accept that full winters are perhaps overkill in our climate and perhaps a 4 season makes more sense in our mild winter. I've never tried a 4 season myself. I told myself last year after the aquaplaining which could have ended much worse for me that I would not skimp on tyres and would always use winters. Obviously this can flex a little for a 4 season maybe.
Finally I do a lot less driving this year as I've simplified my work drive balance. Commute is just 5 miles all 30mph so I'm much less likely to be stuck far far away from home if snow surprises us.
So how much of a compromise is a 4 season or do they make sense here - bearing in mind this would force me to go for the thinner rear tyre stretched a bit?
Which would what be better at dealing with aquaplaining?
Or should I just go full winters and if so do I go for the thinner rear tyres I have but stretched a bit and balls to the load rating concern - the car is quite light by modern standards anyway?
Wow that ended up being a lot longer than I thought.
Just put the Winter boots on my big bus. Pic below.
My dilemma now is the 911 - may as well post a pic too. I try to drive it regularly but obviously if there is bad weather I can drive the big car which has winter tyres now. I have some winter tyres already which could fit on the back but aren't ideal. The boxster or 986 (sorry I'm a Porsche nerd) shares the same width tyres of 205 50 front and 255 40 rear. Porsche approved winter tyres back in the day - my car is a 1998. The Porsche pdf I found says the below - extract of the relevant bits -
Approved 986 winter rear is on 8.5 inch rim
225 45 17 load rating 94
Or
255 40 17 load rating 98
Approved 996 winter rear is on 9 inch rim
255 40 17 load rating 98
I already have some dunlop winter sport 225 45 17 tyres from a different car but I think they are 91 load rating - although I cant find any more for sale at 91 so 2nd guessing myself this could be wrong.
I was sure the 986 used a 9 inch rim and could accept a slightly stretched 225 45 tyre. Now the Porsche pdf I've found contradicts this as it says the 986 is approved for 225 45 on an 8.5 inch rim.
So I have a few options here
Just use the 225 45 winter tyres I have and source some matching fronts.
Buy a full set of correctly sized 205 / 255 winters.
Buy a full set of incorrectly sized 4 seasons - I can't find a 4 season in 255 40 17 so this would force my hand to go 225 45 anyway.
A bit about me. I've been using winter tyres now since around 2011. Once I realised winter tyres existed I started using them and thought they were great. Yes they move around a bit more but feel fine once you get used to them. I had them on all my cars without fail every year. Last year I didn't fit winters to my Boxster (different car to the one discussed above) even though I already had them from the year before. I'd read all the discussion about a good summer being as good or better than a winter at things like braking and stopping distance and was therefore 2nd guessing myself and thinking maybe I'd been wrong going for full winters in this climate etc. It was this time last year almost to the day that I aquaplained in that car on the motorway. I was fine but the car wasn't. Dont want to go on too much about this again because I've done that to death last year but do want to say that I firmly believe from just looking at the tread of a winter tyre that they must be better at dealing with standing water than a summer tyre. That belief gets people arguing so maybe another pic of my car crashed will distract from this.
I mention this because it tells you that I prefer the idea of a thinner tyre overall as this will minimise aquaplaining - I dont want to be doing that again. Also I dont intend to use the 4 season tyres all year round as I would fit summers anyway unless they are that much better at dealing with wet weather and dont detract much from the dry grip too much in which case I might be converted. My 911 has so much grip in the dry on summers that I can't imagine noticing if I lose a bit from tyre choice. This is why I changed from 18 wheels and tyres to the 17 inch setup, the wider 18 tyres are just overkill if you ask me and the thinner 17 have more than enough grip and make me feel better about driving through standing water. Although recently the car has become a bit skittish in this colder damp weather. But remember there is no correct sized rear 4 season tyre that I can find.
I can accept that full winters are perhaps overkill in our climate and perhaps a 4 season makes more sense in our mild winter. I've never tried a 4 season myself. I told myself last year after the aquaplaining which could have ended much worse for me that I would not skimp on tyres and would always use winters. Obviously this can flex a little for a 4 season maybe.
Finally I do a lot less driving this year as I've simplified my work drive balance. Commute is just 5 miles all 30mph so I'm much less likely to be stuck far far away from home if snow surprises us.
So how much of a compromise is a 4 season or do they make sense here - bearing in mind this would force me to go for the thinner rear tyre stretched a bit?
Which would what be better at dealing with aquaplaining?
Or should I just go full winters and if so do I go for the thinner rear tyres I have but stretched a bit and balls to the load rating concern - the car is quite light by modern standards anyway?
Wow that ended up being a lot longer than I thought.
Take a look at this video when you get a chance. He gives a good comparison of when the advantages of different tyre types kick-in. Might help with your decision.
https://youtu.be/bKtnczk8Mxk
https://youtu.be/bKtnczk8Mxk
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