Winter Survival

[imported_Slick]

Here's a great list of preparations for your car to keep it in the best shape during the winter storage, and how to get her ready for the Spring

*****I did not write this and will not take credit for doing so. This DIY was found on Club SI [www.clubsi.com] and was written by 1300cc_Rocket. All credit goes to him for this great write up.

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I made this guide for people who live in climates where it snows a lot like in Canada. If you live in a warm climate no need to rub in the fact that you dont have to do any of this!!!

When winter rolls around some people just store their vehicle, and bring out their winter car. Personally I think that using a cheap old rusted car defeats the purpose of owning a newer one, as you still have to deal with repairs and break downs from time to time. If you can afford a decent reliable winter car then great. For some this is not an option and your summer fun vehicle must do the job in the winter.

The winter is the worst time for your vehicle; it is when your car does the majority of its deteriorating. Road salt used to melt ice and snow and sand used to gain traction gets into tight crevices often clogging up key drain points. Also, when this debris builds up on metal for long enough it penetrates the paint and starts eating away at metal causing rust. With these tips you are doing all you can to protect against rust taking over your vehicle down the road.

Exterior:

1. Get a coat of wax on your paint. I don?t care what wax, just get it done. I use carnauba wax and layer it, but even using cheap Turtle wax is FAR better then doing nothing. Do the door jambs and painted parts of the inside door panel. Remember that wax usually needs to be applied in temperatures at or above 10 Degrees Celsius for it to work properly.

2. Wheel arches are the first spots that rust on Hondas and many other imports. Let?s take a look at why. Here is a picture of the inside of the rear arches.


As you can see there is a lot of space for debris to sit. Keep these arches clean; make it a routine spot to clean as you are washing the car. Use a different sponge or mitt to wash this part as there will be a lot of sand and debris coming off on it. If you haven?t already, take off the weather-stripping that covers these arches ; they do nothing but trap dirt and moisture. Don?t be alarmed if there?s rust under them, I saw a 2000 SiR with serious rust bubbles under there, and my 2000 SiR had a tad bit which I took care of before it got out of hand. I actually waxed inside of there if you are wondering why it?s so damn clean looking. On the front fenders, remove the fender linings, clean and apply a rust proofing oil. I use a product called ?Rust Check Coat and Protect? which I picked up at Canadian Tire. It is yellow, and looks like caramel, smells good too, but don?t taste it. It doesn?t run, and doesn?t really ever dry. I do this since I can?t routinely clean in there due to the fender lining.

3. Suspension. I like to give the suspension a good scrub down with Simple Green, followed by an application of the rust proofing oil. Make sure you get all the bolt heads and threads. You?ll have to crawl under there to get to some.



3. Wheels. The best thing to do is to take off your alloy wheels and replace them with Steel Wheels or older alloy wheels. Honda wheels with a polished clear coated finish are notorious for corrosion. After many years of exposure to salt, aluminum wheels loose their ability to hold air for long periods of time. Other then saving your alloy wheels, the second set of wheels enables you to get a Summer-Only Sport Tire for the warm months. In many cases you can go down a size to save money on the winter wheels and tires, for example 185 65 14?s can be used on an Si. I picked up a set of almost new steel wheels for $100, and a set of new winter tires for $280 off ClubSi for sale boards, and that?s in Canadian money so I consider it to be a pretty cheap route. If a second set of wheels isn?t an option for whatever reasons, use a long lasting wax on them before winter, and wash them more often then you wash your car.

4. Under the Hood. Give the engine bay a good scrub down, and apply the rust proofing oil to unpainted brackets, and Bolt heads and threads through out the engine bay. This will save you a lot of agony down the road when trying to loosen bolts that would otherwise be rusted to hell. On the front edge of the hood, there is a rubber seal. Carefully lift it, clean under it and wax under it. Clean the rubber seal as well and apply a good rubber conditioner to it.


Interior:

1. Floor mats. Invest in a quality set of rubber mats for your vehicle. Make sure they are deep and can hold a lot of water / snow. I use Clubsi member DoWnGEAR?s patented, custom designed under mats which covers every square inch of the actual carpet up front, with the rubber mat on top of it. I use these to avoid getting salt on the actual carpet. It is a pain in the ass to clean off. The salt goes down to the floor board and starts attacking the metal, even after winter is over.

2. Clean and protect all the rubber door trim with a good quality rubber conditioner.

3. Don?t forget to pack a snow brush with an ice scraper. And make sure you have your spare tire and tools in the car. It?s not fun to wait around in the bitter cold for someone to help you when all you need to do is change a flat tire.

Engine:

Not much to say here except to make sure all your fluids are topped up, and that you have recently done an oil change with oil rated for the cold weather.

Washing the car in the winter:

Go to coin-operated car washes late at night when there aren?t line ups and when the owners aren?t there to hassle you for taking too long. Bring a bucket with soap in it already, and your car wash mitts/sponges. Using only the Rinse setting, with your first time lot of water rinse the car thoroughly and fill your bucket up with water. When the water is off scrub the car down the car with the soapy water mixture. Remember to clean the dirty wheel arches at the end!! When satisfied put more coins in to get the machine going again and rinse the soap off and in the remaining time focus on spraying the underbody / suspension as best as possible. Then dry the car the best as you can. Note: Thick Insulated Rubber Gloves are a must for this if you don?t want to eventually loose the ability to use your hands.
**Do not use the brushes and soap they provide at the coin-op!!!**
Carwashes: I personally do not go near these any time of the year but if you must, know that Touch-less setups are using a harsh detergant to blast your car clean without touching it. This detergant will eventually strip your wax, making your car less repelant to the elements.

Parking your car in the winter: This is gonna sound crazy, but parking your car in the garage after exposure to slushy salty roads is the worst thing you can do. If you make many short trips during the day leave the car out rather then putting it in the garage all the time.

Well that concludes my guide to car maintainence in the winter. I hope you enjoyed it.