(T) Preparing for winter

Hey guys,
Winter time is around the corner and this year I plan to be fully prepared to it.
What do you think should be done to the car in order to cope with the huge amount of rain and cold it'll be getting?
Maybe putting the rear wiper motor in a plastic bag, what do you think?
Tell me what else can we do engine, electrical and body-wise.
Thankyou

its good to see someone's thinking about the coming winter. salt is a cars worst enemy and the government thinks its reasonable to spread salt all over the road every day all winter. and the salt is only a few weeks away so its time to act now.

on moving parts you need grease oil or lubricant. on the rear wiper motor you should apply grease to the shaft. all hinges, locks, check straps and similar moving parts will need lubricaiton as the friction of moving parts removes paint and can leave bare metal exposed.

coolant should be tested before the freezing temperatures arrive, and replaced if in any doubt. a frozen radiator is a sure way to serious problems like water pump failure, overheating and head gasket failure.

you should clean the wheel arches and anywhere else that has developed a coating of crap. some people say leaving a protective layer of dirt will prevent rust. the truth is that a layer of dirt will hold moisture all winter long and never allow the area to dry, causing rust much more quickly. you need to get things cleaned up and then keep them clean.

paintwork preparation is important. any stonechips must be painted before the salt causes them to rust. once a chip starts rusting it'll only get worse. you should give the car a good pre-winter once over to make sure all damaged paint is sorted. once the paintwork is done you should give the whole car a good wax, use something with carnauba wax. once waxed you can apply a quick layer of paint sealant, autoglym finishing fluid is good for this. if you do it well it will last all winter and not need another polish till march next year.

the time to buy tyres is now. low tread is fine in the summer, even bald tyres can grip fine on dry roads, but wet salty roads are far more dangerous, if you've got any tyres that arent in good condition replace them now. its better than hitting curbs all winter.

as winter is a dark time of year you should replace any suspect or dim bulbs, keep some spares in the car. make sure you have spare fuses too.

winter is the time of year that exhausts die, the salt and extreme temperatures make them rusty and brittle. the most common months for snapped exhausts are january & february. unless you want to be under the car with freezing cold hands early next year you should double check the whole exhaust and make sure it looks as though the full lot will last till the spring comes.

in the winter oil is thicker and takes longer to warm up. if you do a lot of short journeys thats not good for the engine as oil will have a hard time getting circulated, especially around the head. i make sure i let my car warm up well before setting off, especially the first start of the day. using synthetic oil is advisable at all times but especially in winter. if you do only short journeys in winter and cant be bothered to get your car warmed up you can use 5W/30 oil desinged for ford zetec engines. but only use it during winter's coldest months and only if you do short journeys. using it on long journeys wiht a hot engine can cause the oil pressure to drop as the pump is using thinner oil that it is designed for. low oil pressure can cause premature wear and hot spots, especially in the head.

gearbox fluid changes are always worth doing if it hasnt been done recently. in winter i'm sure everyone has experienced a notchy or stiff gearchange. using a fully synthetic gear oil, like castrol, makes a noticable difference.

i'm sure i'll think of more but thats what i think about in preparation for winter.

WOW!!
Thanks JUG...
Where I live we have very little snow and they don't bother to put salt on the roads so this I don't worry about, thank God!!!
how about electrics, is it recommended to bag the rear wiper motor?
Anything else guys?

the rear wiper motor 'should' last forever if its kept well greased.

you shouldnt really expect water leaking problems, apart from the sunroof leak. if your car hasn't had the leak sorted yet now is the time to do it. i finally fixed mine 2 weeks ago. i lowered the roof lining and then used black putty along the edges of the sunroof surround. since then it hasnt leaked. HOORAY!!!! its also worth replacing the sunroof seal of yours isnt in good conditon and chekc the 4 pipes are clear to allow water to drain away.

if you havent got an engine undertray on your model (usually only hlx & hgt models have it) you could go to a scrapyard and try to find one. i had to destroy mine recently because i couldnt get it off but i plan to replace it asap. it stops water splashing inot the engine bay and keeps all the electrics dry. definately a worthwhile addition if you havent got one.

Can I fit engine undertray on my Brava 1.2.; taken out from hlx/hgt.
Thanks for the Winter check list.

As a rule i have always ( for the last 17 years driving ) had a service and full check of my car about the end of October , inc New plugs , anti-freeze etc.
I spray the HT leads and anything electrical with WD 40 or similar the keep the damp out
Theres nothing worse than on a snowy morning at 5am leaving for work and the piggin' car wont start .

So I do all i can before the weather gets too cold to avoid having to climb under the bonnet at -5 degrees to try and find a problem !

Also get up 10 mins earlier and even if your car does start take the long way to work and warm the car up .

An important tip is before starting the car turn off lights , radio , demister , fan so that the starter motor is getting as much power as possible .

I still laugh to see people trying to start thier car with lights and radio on !

I had a friend that told me that in the winter he never put his car into top gear so that the engine would rev higher in 3rd and keep the battery charged , although i've never done it myself .I do however avoid the demister and anything else electrical switched on unless really needed to help the battery stay fully charged.

Hope you have a successful winters driving

Exactly where on the HT leeds do I spray WD40? And do I spray the electrical connections for sensors and other components under the bonnet from the outside without disconnecting them?
Please as much details as possible would be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou all for taking the time to reply

The HT leads ( each with a spark plug on the end , lol ) ?

First use a nice dry cloth and wip any oil , muck and stuff of them , then from end to end spray the WD40 along the wire to the distributor and allow to dry normally .
Also do the same with the coil and anything else you can find under the bonnet , with the exception of anything computerised , i'm not sure what WD40 would do to the ECU ??

WD40 is a moisture repellant and should help stop any shorts or arcing between leads and body work. Its a tried and tested procedure and its one of the best things you can do if , like me you have to park the car outside in the winter ( not rich enough for a heated garage )

If you live in very snowy areas like northern Scotland it may well be a good idea to invest in a set of mud and snow tyres and fitting them to a set of steel rims.

Infact having a set of steel rims for use during winter will protect your alloys (if you have them) from all the salty water that is bound to get sprayed up.

yes the undertray should fit, you may find the bolt that secures the try to the sump cant be used, but all other attachments use common parts so should be no prob.

oh winter, wat a pr..k.
iced my door handles shut and the door locks, couldnt get in had to get a lighter and heat them up. weird but worked.

locks and handles can only stick if they are wet. they only stay wet if they are dirty. use contact cleaner to remove the dirt, then use WD40 to dispel future water (although this attracts dirt). that should keep them moving freely.

I do the following:
winter tyres, 4 pieces
check the coolant freezing temperature
change the mats, cloth - out, rubber - in
check wiper blades

p.s. If you are diesel, probably you should check the preheating plugs

Winter tyres.
Has anyone any experience of "knobblies" for winter. What size where to buy, how much and how effective ?