General Winter testing?

[silverbarchetta]

Had a moments panic tonight outside the gym when I couldn't get into the b. The door handles had frozen. Eventually got it open. What with that and the handbrake issue it made me wonder did Fiat ever do any winter testing on the barchetta

Prototypes of most new cars are sent to the frozen north before launch so these kind of things don't happen.

 

[LittleRedB]

Had a moments panic tonight outside the gym when I couldn't get into the b. The door handles had frozen. Eventually got it open. What with that and the handbrake issue it made me wonder did Fiat ever do any winter testing on the barchetta

Prototypes of most new cars are sent to the frozen north before launch so these kind of things don't happen.

I have a workaround for you............don't go to the gym, go to the pub - that way you cannot drive so getting back into the b after a couple of swifties is no longer a problem.......!

And, given that the car was built for the Med I doubt that they did much in the way of winter testing (come to that I doubt that they did much in the way of any testing!!)...........

 

[Rustbucket]

Buy a car cover..I bought one for an MX5 on fleabay and butchered it to fit..Stops the windows, rear screen and door handles freezing.

Handbrake workaround is to leave in gear with the brake off and chock the wheels.

 

[Zem]

Handbrake workaround is to leave in gear with the brake off and chock the wheels.

:yeahthat:

Without wishing to tempt fate, I've had my cable\boot for the handbrake replaced and so far it's not frozen.

 

[Rustbucket]

Fiat/Alfa & handbrakes...what is so difficult to make it work in the winter?

Business colleague has just bought a Brera 3.2 €65k of car...guess what..the handbrake freezes on...

 

[Zem]

Business colleague has just bought a Brera 3.2 €65k of car...guess what..the handbrake freezes on...

 

[Shelxs]

Had a moments panic tonight outside the gym when I couldn't get into the b. The door handles had frozen. Eventually got it open. What with that and the handbrake issue it made me wonder did Fiat ever do any winter testing on the barchetta

Prototypes of most new cars are sent to the frozen north before launch so these kind of things don't happen.

I've had that every morning this week! I managed to get the door handle to open with some luke warm water, then by the time I'd cleared the windscreen it had frozen shut again!
xS

 

[lanciaman]

Could always garage it for the winter and get a banger to runaround in....

Fiat handbrakes always rubbish. I've had a b, Coupe 20vt, Tipo 16v, about 10 Lancia Themas and 2 Kappas and every one had a crap handbrake....

 

[Mad Matt]

My parents Uno was the same, many years ago! Like Zem, mine's been working for a year now since I got the garage to replace the bits (well OK I got so annoyed I drove it with the brake frozen on and did some damage :devil: )

 

[norbert]

I find a precautionary squirt of the old WD40 in the lock hole helps.

oh and judging by the tangle of induction pipes and the size of the air filter, the b was designed for dusty not icey climes!

 

[RnRollie]

it made me wonder did Fiat ever do any winter testing on the barchetta

Prototypes of most new cars are sent to the frozen north before launch so these kind of things don't happen.

FIAT just holds this next to their cars:

 

[Rustbucket]

Strange that 'cos north Italy gets pretty cold in the winter. Lots of that funny white flaky stuff up in the ski resorts.

 

[LittleRedB]

Strange that 'cos north Italy gets pretty cold in the winter. Lots of that funny white flaky stuff up in the ski resorts.

Yeah, but not many lid-less cars kicking about there!!

 

[Rustbucket]

Ah but the B is the only fiat I've come across without a ski hatch hidden in the seat..Coupe has one, Stilo as well and I think the new Chroma does...

 

[LittleRedB]

Ah but the B is the only fiat I've come across without a ski hatch hidden in the seat..Coupe has one, Stilo as well and I think the new Chroma does...

Yes, but they have fixed lids!!

 

[Zem]

Ah but the B is the only fiat I've come across without a ski hatch hidden in the seat..Coupe has one, Stilo as well and I think the new Chroma does...

Yes, but they have fixed lids!!

And you don't need one of those when you can have this [posted elsewhere]

 

[Rustbucket]

So?? Your point is? Why can't you take the B to a resort..think of all the fit girlies who'd have round heels over it...

 

[Zem]

No point whatsoever, you were wittering on about ski hatches, he was wittering on about fixed lids, I was wittering on about having both.

 

[LittleRedB]

It's late, we were all wittering on in our own little worlds (again), one thing is for sure -be it in a ski resort, the South of France or the M25 the b cannot be beaten for affordable style!!

 

[Shelxs]

It's late, we were all wittering on in our own little worlds (again), one thing is for sure -be it in a ski resort, the South of France or the M25 the b cannot be beaten for affordable style!!

What the heck's a ski hatch??
xS