Winter VS Your Car

[The Cobra]

Cobra.....
here`s a few inexpensive preventative measures I go thru every year with my cars---hope it helps someone.

Winter VS Your Car


Those of us that live in the highly seasonal areas of the country are bracing ourselves for the "imminent" appearance of yet another dreaded winter. I thought it may be helpful to some that I give some tips on how to help your car (and you) survive thru the months of snow, salt & cold. It`s always worked for me as my cars are all in showroom condition for years thru easy, cheap and sensible maintenance with a few tips along the way.

In the last few days of decent weather I always give my car a good wash---apply a cleaner to the body, then seal & glaze compound and then a good waxing. I use a product called "Mothers, phase1,2 &3." It`l take a whole day and a lot of elbow grease but it will pay off in the spring.
A simple tube of wheelbearing grease on the door hinges and trunk & hood latches ensures they will work fine all year. Plus it has a lot of other uses around the house, right cougar?? LOL
Door locks should be sprayed out with compressed air (NOT WD-40 or the like) it freezes too. After locks are aired out get a tube of powdered graphite & spray it into the lock----it will lube it and will never freeze !!
Make sure tires are at their proper pressure.
Pick up a couple strips of house shingles & put them in your trunk in case you get stuck in the snow. If you`re stuck simply put them under your tires & away you`ll go---guaranteed !! Most roofing co etc will give you a few strips for nothing-----and DON`T stop to pick them up after you have freed yourself!!! Dummy !! My ex did, and got stuck again.

At the hardware store et al they sell a product called "electronic cleaner" made as a dry clean product for computers, circuit boards etc---I always spray the electrical connections under the hood with it every year--it`s easy, fast & cheap and a great way to eliminate the costly (diagnostics) of an electrical problem due to dirt or corrosion.
Take off your battery cables and clean them well with a small wire brush or sandpaper to ensure a good connection.
Take a few minutes to read----learn the proper way to jump start or be jump started in your car. If you are being jumped----the jumper should have cables attached to BOTH pos. & neg. posts of his car and you should have your pos. post connected to his, your neg line of the cable should be attached to a clean connection on your chassis (engine block is best). Reverse this procedure if you are the jumper. Some of the newer cars that are run by computers can "transfer" bad info during a jump thusly frying a sensor in the jumper`s car----I learned this the hard way!!! I helped a buddy & it cost me $800 for a fried sensor.
Now I know I`m not going to make too many fans with this last hint-----AVOID underground parking a la apt. buildings etc !!! Most underground parking areas are not well ventilated and are very humid in the snowy weather-----this is death for your car !! I`d rather have a foot of snow on my car and a winter wind blasting under the hood than park in these lots if not well ventilated. These places are breeding grounds for rust & corrosion that will destroy your car in no time and end up costing you a fortune in repairs.
On a little side note----never, NEVER switch in mid-stream to using a "detergent" oil in your car !! Detergent oils are great products, don`t get me wrong and they work great if used from the get go. If you have used reg oil or just bought a used car it will "clean" and free up all the sludge, metal filings, etc that are entrenched at the bottom of every engine in every car---right into your engine!! In the early 70`s when detergent oils hit the scene big time with a lot of commercials it was the leading cause of major engine work in cars other than poor maintenance. Just thought I`d include that little tid-bit.


I`m sure there is a lot more that our members can add to my little hints----hopefully some of these hints will make winter go by "event" free for you & your car. Good Luck

[JCO]

Cobra.....
here`s a few inexpensive preventative measures I go thru every year with my cars---hope it helps someone.

Winter VS Your Car


Those of us that live in the highly seasonal areas of the country are bracing ourselves for the "imminent" appearance of yet another dreaded winter. I thought it may be helpful to some that I give some tips on how to help your car (and you) survive thru the months of snow, salt & cold. It`s always worked for me as my cars are all in showroom condition for years thru easy, cheap and sensible maintenance with a few tips along the way.

In the last few days of decent weather I always give my car a good wash---apply a cleaner to the body, then seal & glaze compound and then a good waxing. I use a product called "Mothers, phase1,2 &3." It`l take a whole day and a lot of elbow grease but it will pay off in the spring.
A simple tube of wheelbearing grease on the door hinges and trunk & hood latches ensures they will work fine all year. Plus it has a lot of other uses around the house, right cougar?? LOL
Door locks should be sprayed out with compressed air (NOT WD-40 or the like) it freezes too. After locks are aired out get a tube of powdered graphite & spray it into the lock----it will lube it and will never freeze !!
Make sure tires are at their proper pressure.
Pick up a couple strips of house shingles & put them in your trunk in case you get stuck in the snow. If you`re stuck simply put them under your tires & away you`ll go---guaranteed !! Most roofing co etc will give you a few strips for nothing-----and DON`T stop to pick them up after you have freed yourself!!! Dummy !! My ex did, and got stuck again.

At the hardware store et al they sell a product called "electronic cleaner" made as a dry clean product for computers, circuit boards etc---I always spray the electrical connections under the hood with it every year--it`s easy, fast & cheap and a great way to eliminate the costly (diagnostics) of an electrical problem due to dirt or corrosion.
Take off your battery cables and clean them well with a small wire brush or sandpaper to ensure a good connection.
Take a few minutes to read----learn the proper way to jump start or be jump started in your car. If you are being jumped----the jumper should have cables attached to BOTH pos. & neg. posts of his car and you should have your pos. post connected to his, your neg line of the cable should be attached to a clean connection on your chassis (engine block is best). Reverse this procedure if you are the jumper. Some of the newer cars that are run by computers can "transfer" bad info during a jump thusly frying a sensor in the jumper`s car----I learned this the hard way!!! I helped a buddy & it cost me $800 for a fried sensor.
Now I know I`m not going to make too many fans with this last hint-----AVOID underground parking a la apt. buildings etc !!! Most underground parking areas are not well ventilated and are very humid in the snowy weather-----this is death for your car !! I`d rather have a foot of snow on my car and a winter wind blasting under the hood than park in these lots if not well ventilated. These places are breeding grounds for rust & corrosion that will destroy your car in no time and end up costing you a fortune in repairs.
On a little side note----never, NEVER switch in mid-stream to using a "detergent" oil in your car !! Detergent oils are great products, don`t get me wrong and they work great if used from the get go. If you have used reg oil or just bought a used car it will "clean" and free up all the sludge, metal filings, etc that are entrenched at the bottom of every engine in every car---right into your engine!! In the early 70`s when detergent oils hit the scene big time with a lot of commercials it was the leading cause of major engine work in cars other than poor maintenance. Just thought I`d include that little tid-bit.


I`m sure there is a lot more that our members can add to my little hints----hopefully some of these hints will make winter go by "event" free for you & your car. Good Luck

Great suggestions Cobra, I have been using those tricks and products for over 30 years and lets just say they really work.. My 91 VW is still out and about with over 500,000 Km and my 2001 looks like new..
If you have sludge in the motor remove the oil pan, clean it out , get a good quality oil and filter and do more frequent oil changes when the motor is still very hot, It will clean it out..
No sludge in any of my motors they get an oil change after 5000 miles and there mostly highway.. I also use Castrol full synthetic..

[The Cobra]

Yup---a little maintenance is all it really takes. I had a `90 Olds Touring Sedan that was mint with 265 K on her------that is till my daughter got rear ended in `06 and brought it home the size of a Kleenex box. Needless to say the insurance co had me for dinner at the appraisal to write it off. I also had a `78 Silver Anniversary Vette---which I bought new, drove it for 6 yrs thru ice & snow etc and sold it for $1000 more than what I paid for it.

[satchick]

Don't forget about getting the car undercoated if you live in an area that salts the roads... On that note, stay away from places that use asphalt or rubber-based undercoatings *cough*Ziebart*cough*. Those products actually trap moisture and accelerate corrosion. The oil/wax based products don't hold moisture, and they will also penetrate farther into cracks and small areas that asphalt undercoating can't reach. Most good shops that use an oil based coating will also spray inside the doors which will lubricate the moving parts.

Using a block heater is also a good idea if you see temperatures below freezing. It doesn't need to be left on all night either, get a timer and set it to turn on the heater four hours before you leave in the morning. Using the heater reduces engine wear and you'll notice that the heater starts to produce heat much faster. In very cold climates, a battery warmer and oil pan heater are also good ideas. Many new cars (especially cars sold in Canada) have this equipment as a standard feature, or can be ordered as a part of a winter package. All of this is also available at auto parts stores for retrofit applications as well.

Keeping some tools in your car is also a good idea, a quality set of jumper cables**, a couple of screwdrivers (or a bit driver and bits), sockets that are commonly used on your make/model, and a jack/lug wrench/spare tire. Just make sure that you check the air pressure in your spare regularly, and applying some grease to the moving parts of the jack will keep it from seizing up or rusting. One of those 12v air compressors would be nice too, they do go on sale every now and then and are really handy to keep in the trunk.

**A note about the jumper cables... Some new cars can not be jump started safely. BMW and Lexus for sure, but always check your owner's manual before attempting to jump start, or attempt to jump start another vehicle. Many vehicles that can be jumped will have a connector under the hood, always use the jump start connector if one is provided instead of connecting to the battery.

An inspection under the hood should also be done routinely, including a check of all fluids, belts, hoses, and electrical connectors. The best way to prevent breakdowns is to spot problems before they happen and correct them. Hoses, clamps, and belts do usually show signs of wear before they fail, so it's better to replace them before they fail on the side of the road somewhere. One thing to remember when checking or filling fluids: Always wipe off any dirt from around the filler cap or dipstick to prevent contamination. Also, don't open the brake master cylinder cap unless adding fluid, and don't use old brake fluid that's been sitting around open. Brake fluid does absorb moisture from the air, and it's very important to avoid contamination. Really you should never have to add any, cars don't just consume brake fluid. If you have some missing, there's a leak and it should be fixed right away.

Another thing: When the weather's above freezing, take your car to the car wash to have all of the salt and dirt sprayed off the underbody and from inside the bumpers and such. On that same note, most cars have drain holes in the rocker panels, make sure these are kept clear to prevent buildup, which will accelerate corrosion.

[no-one]

[QUOTE=satchick;164337]Don't forget about getting the car undercoated if you live in an area that salts the roads... On that note, stay away from places that use asphalt or rubber-based undercoatings *cough*Ziebart*cough*. Those products actually trap moisture and accelerate corrosion. The oil/wax based products don't hold moisture, and they will also penetrate farther into cracks and small areas that asphalt undercoating can't reach. Most good shops that use an oil based coating will also spray inside the doors which will lubricate the moving parts.

hmmm lets see satchick you are a very smart lady but undercoat is designed for new vehicles only and if prepped correctly will keep your vehicle rust free on the bottom . please note this requires regular maintanence each year. ziebart is the inventor of rust protection and has the best system available for new cars ... hands down.(yes i worked for the company and they DONT use products that dont work . undercoating is only 1 part of the program thou . rust proofing also requires a product(chemical ) to be sprayed into all the upper panels like doors fenders and such. if you really want to make your car last have it professionally protected . in my humble opinion ZIEBART is the BEST ....no disrespect SATCHICK i think u r awesome .

[Terryl]

When I lived in North Dakota every winter I use to send my car to Florida with my Wife (my X)(took care of 2 problems at one time) never had to worry about my truck.

[JCO]

When I lived in North Dakota I use to send my car to Florida with my Wife (my X)(took care of 2 problems at one time) never had to worry about my truck.

Ummm the salt air didnt do it in?? I wont comment on the driver though...:tape:

[The Cobra]

When I lived in North Dakota every winter I use to send my car to Florida with my Wife (my X)(took care of 2 problems at one time) never had to worry about my truck.

We`ll assume you don`t have to worry about the truck cause she kept it LMAO

[Terryl]

We`ll assume you don`t have to worry about the truck cause she kept it LMAO

Naaah every couple of years I would walk into the Chevy dealership toss the keys to my old one to my Cousin, he would toss me a set for a new one and I would go home. (We are talking about my truck):innocent::tehe:

[The Cobra]

Naaah every couple of years I would walk into the Chevy dealership toss the keys to my old one to my Cousin, he would toss me a set for a new one and I would go home. (We are talking about my truck):innocent::tehe:

LMAO---good one bud. but too bad we can`t do that with-------naaa, nevermind we wouldn`t get anything on the trade in. Cousin or not LOL