Winter Words

[WildfireS3]

Strikes me that recently we have a few new owners to the S fold. As I was last year I was not that prepared for winter, so I have written some words on winter driving, unless you are Mr Sheen and are tucking the car away. Please feel free to add things. Once the thread has run it's course maybe Pies could put it on his site?

Wildfire's Winter Words said:

Winter S Guide A brief guide to preparing you S for winter. If you plan to use you S over the winter you there are a few things that you should do before the weather gets really bad as well as things that you should be doing throught the cold weather. Chassis: Make sure that you get the chassis treated with Waxoyl or Tectyl. This will help stop corrosion that can occur, especially when they start salting the roads. If you have time the best thing to do is get the car up on the axel stands or ramps, and give the chassis a good brush down and a coat of hammerite before you start waxoyling. This should be done all year round but is especially important in winter. If you have the facilities you should regularly hose off the salt on the chassis. Make sure you have cut out the corners of the rubber plates at the end of the outriggers, a build up of salty water here is not good. Bodywork: If the car is going to be used sparingly you can probably get away with a good coat of wax such as Meguiar's Gold Class, PS21 or Zymol and wash with a non detergent cleaner that won't strip the wax finish. If the car is to be used daily, then I would recommend washing the car at least every 3 weeks and reapplying the wax, more often if the car is to be kept outside. If the car has snow on, refrain from swiping it off with your hand as you will scratch the paint. Pour luke warm water over it to wash the snow away. Wheels: The later OZ type wheels are especially vulnerable to corrosion, I would suggest regularly coating them in a wheel wax of some kind. I found Turtle Wax Extreme Wheel Wax very good and easy to apply. You can also use body work wax. If you want to go to the extreme you can coat the wheels in waxoyl and pressure wash when the winter is over. Windscreen: For the exterior, regular applications of RainX will help shift the salt/scum build up when you wash and wipe. Try and install a spray bar or reposition the washer jet to squirt more over the area of the screen that you use the most. It is also adviseable to carry a newspaper and some glass cleaner to clean off the bits the wipers don't clear (the majorit of the screen). Interior, get hold of some anti mist from Halfords, to apply in the mornings and evenings. It is also worth getting hold of a small plugin ceramic heater to warm the interor up before the heater kicks in.This can also be helpful to de-mist, but don't put it too close to the windscreen or you may crack it. Engine: Check the coolant, make sure you have the appropriate level of anti freeze for your area of the country. Also check your oil level, it is good to have the leve somewhere between maximum and minimun, if you have a lot of oil in the car then it takes longer for it to heat up to temperature. If you plan to use the car constantly, check all the holes the cables/pipes come out of and if need be go around it with silicone sealant. Make sure that you have a rubber seal on the pressure cap of the car, where ever you have it. These are basic check and should be carried out all year round. Roof: Make sure that you apply some sort of waterproofer to the roof. For this I would recommend Thompson's Waterseal for bricks, concrete and canvass. It is cheap £6 or so for half a gallon and this will last you at least a year if not a lot more. When doing this it is advisable to get the roof panels off and do all the mohair surface. Make sure you don't let it drip on the bodywork or glass. If it does, wipe off immediately or use some sort of solvent on the glass. Fabsil is also a good product, make sure you get the brush applicable one and not the spray. If you plan to do a lot of winter top down motoring, it is advisable to try and warm up the interior of the car before removing the roof panels and folding back the hood. This is to soften the rear screen slightly. Make sure you carry a towel or blanket to roll up and tuck in it to help avoid kinks and scratches. IKEA do some soft balnkets for around £3 which are good for this and cutting up for polishing cloths. IF the car is kept outside, invest in a Leven shower cap. Not only will this prevent the car's roof from getting wet/snowed on it also stops the screens from misting andfrosting over. This is especially bad for the rear screen. It also dulls the chill inside the car somewhat. I have applied it to the car with a wet roof and if you have waterproofed correctly the majority of the water beads off. But beware in the colder areas the cover can freeze to the roof and also be very difficult to fold up. If it freezes to the roof, make sure you reapply some waterproofer ASAP (ie when it is dry). Lights:These are naturally very important, a good set of bulbs, such as Phillips Vison Plus, go far to improving the visibility for you and other road users. Regularly clean the lights, you can lose a lot of power just by having scum on the headlights. A coat of RainX helps keep them clean and helps prevent deposits on the lenses. Make sure that your rear fog works as well as the front fogs (if you have them fitted). Again a good set of bulbs in the driving lights will be beneficial, although these are sightly more difficult to replace than the headlights. Things to carry in the boot: Water + antifreeze Oil Hazard warning sign Glass cleaner + paper/cloth Screen washer RainX Blanket for roof/keeping warm in the event of a break down. S's are not the warmest of cars. Tyre weld/spare wheel Spare tank of petrol, important as you may get stuck in non moving traffic. Bag of sand. This adds weight to the rear end, but more importantly you can use as grit it when you lack traction on the rear wheels. Jump leads Jack Wheel brace. Driving in the Winter Driving the S in the winter, if you plan to drive it in the extreme weather, such as snow and ice, be extra careful. The V6 Ss are not really high powered car, but lack of weight and wide tyres can make them a handful in those weather conditions. Be careful on the bends, especially on the ones that go down hill or are off camber. Also be aware that there are numpties on the road and that if they hit you it can be potentially a write off for you and your car. When driving with the Top off, I would recommend gloves and a Granny blanket. This is also good if you are going long distances. I usually wrap up warm rather than over stress the already poor heater in the S. A hat is also adviseable as well Lipsyl or some sort of lip protection, after a drive last year in 0 ? 1 degree weather I could hardly speak.

Hope this is helpful

>>> Edited by WildfireS3 on Friday 5th November 11:57

[ukbob]

Well done Chris

[page3]

Wildfire's Winter Words said:

When driving with the Top off...,

Is there any other way? (except when Wife in transit )

Seriously though, very good words of wisdom.

My S is an everyday car, lives outside and has caused me nothing but enjoyment over the Winter months.

[Mr Sheen]

WildfireS3 said:

...unless you are Mr Sheen....

[KentishS2]

Excellent stuff Chris.

Just one thing missing from the Wildfire Winter survival kit .....a map!

[Hoover33]

Wildfire...... is Santa bringing a GPS Nav thingy for Xmas

[Tripps]

Wildfire's Winter Words said:

Things to carry in the boot: Water + antifreeze Oil Hazard warning sign Glass cleaner + paper/cloth Screen washer RainX Blanket for roof/keeping warm in the event of a break down. S's are not the warmest of cars. Tyre weld/spare wheel Spare tank of petrol, important as you may get stuck in non moving traffic. Bag of sand. This adds weight to the rear end, but more importantly you can use as grit it when you lack traction on the rear wheels. Jump leads Jack Wheel brace.

I always found one of these an essential item for colder months:



Once went out with in the S with the roof-off when the sensible car said it was -3 degrees - I'd suggest some gloves in that case too

[KentishS2]

Tripps said:

I always found one of these an essential item for colder months:

You take the invisible man out with you?

[Roy C]

KentishS2 said:

Tripps said: I always found one of these an essential item for colder months: You take the invisible man out with you?

I think the cold has turned him completely white.

[KentishS2]

Let's hope he doesn't warm up then as he doesn't have any trousers on

[Tripps]

I cut the picture below the waist and some bits of me aren't as invisible as others...

[KentishS2]

Tripps said:

I cut the picture below the waist and some bits of me aren't as invisible as others...

Don't go there!

[WildfireS3]

KentishS2 said:

Excellent stuff Chris. Just one thing missing from the Wildfire Winter survival kit .....a map!

Hoover33 said:

Wildfire...... is Santa bringing a GPS Nav thingy for Xmas

Map!! GPS!! Pah!! Who needs them, just a credit card for more fuel!

I don't think so, I was considering a PDA with GPS kit at one point, but I think a laptop or rear shocks may be in order.

[WildfireS3]

Tripps said:

I cut the picture below the waist and some bits of me aren't as invisible as others...

You mean you've got big feet??


Just added a bit about lights.

[page3]

WildfireS3 said:

Things to carry in the boot: ...

Spare set of hoses

[WildfireS3]

I deliberately didn't inculde and parts/tools as I know that not all of us S owners are mechanically minded. Personally I carry the folowing:

Full Socket set
Assorted Spanners
Assorted Screwdrivers
Wire cutter/crimpers
Assorted electrical connectors
Hex Keys
Adjustable spanners
Throttle cable
Spray Hammerite
Spray Silicone Lube
Spray WD 40
Spray Underseal.
Silicone Sealant
Exhaust Silicone Sealant
Spare Exhaust Clamps.
Spare Fan belt.

Well I did, it needs reorganising at the moment. When I did minis I did actually carry spare hoses and radiator brackets.

>> Edited by WildfireS3 on Friday 5th November 13:07

[page3]

...of course I wish that I had been carrying a new radiator

>> Edited by page3 on Friday 5th November 13:08

[F908 Tim]

There is a heater you say...that must be the thing that rumbles a lot when activated but does not show any evidence of actually producing any heat inside the cabin.
The de-mister setting has the extra benefit of not only producing the same annoying rumble but actually producing very small areas on the screen where vision is possible subject to being able to slide down the seat far enough! This results in not being able to drive at all because the pedals are now at your knees!!

For 'heater' I would substitute 'annoying rumbling box in totally inaccessible place behind dash' but otherwise...top advise.

[KentishS2]

WildfireS3 said:

I deliberately didn't inculde and parts/tools as I know that not all of us S owners are mechanically minded. Personally I carry the folowing: Full Socket set Assorted Spanners Assorted Screwdrivers Wire cutter/crimpers Assorted electrical connectors Hex Keys Adjustable spanners Throttle cable Spray Hammerite Spray Silicone Lube Spray WD 40 Spray Underseal. Silicone Sealant Exhaust Silicone Sealant Spare Exhaust Clamps. Spare Fan belt. Well I did, it needs reorganising at the moment. When I did minis I did actually carry spare hoses and radiator brackets. >> Edited by WildfireS3 on Friday 5th November 13:07

Where do you keep the pitt crew?

[Yorky]

Thanks for the reminder! I have just spent a delightful morning cleaning off the chassis and applying a liberal coat of Hammerite to both me and the S2. Could it start a new trend to paint yourself the same colour as the underside of your car? The job was relatively easy with the car up on a four point lift (the engine is currently out for a re-build at Specialised Engines), but I wouldn't fancy trying in with only ramps or axel stands!