Anyone affected by the weather?

[Station]

Had a bit of a problem all week!I put cheap shite Asda coolant in both cars when I sorted the engines (buying OAT stuff but, er, forgetting to put it in) and both coolant systems are now frozen. I broke my ONLY key in my MG, and had to use -public transport- to a key cutters miles away, and then return to find out they've not cut it properly (and going to have to head back tommorow!). And then my starter motor on the Suzuki burns out. Have missed work all week because of it, and I'm not sure how I'm going to get them both thawed out! I'm hoping nothing's cracked (headwise).I'd love this weather if either of my cars (fucking) worked.

[2Thumbs]

Seems like you been given a shitty hand.I park my car up the most mahoooosive hill you ever did see which is also access only (so no salt/grit), so it hasn't moved since Monday, and it wont until the ice de-frosts.It's a good thing I'm in walking distance from work, but it's a bad thing that my girlfriend isn't.

[Ratdat]

Was this pre-mixed cooland or just anti-freeze that you mix yourself? If so what ratio did you mix it in? Anti-freeze will give the greatest protection at 50/50. If you go over 50/50 the protection is actually less AFAIK. Last time I had an engine freeze up I just took the fanbelt of the ran it until it thawed out

[Richard]

I was looking forward to using the Volvosaurus in this weather.Things got off to a bad start on Christmas Eve when I took it out of the drive so I could put the van in. I turned the wipers on with some snow on the screen. I know I shouldn't but I've been doing it for 20 years with no ill effects. Not on the Volvo though, the passenger wiper stopped and the driver's one collided with it. On investigation it transpired that the passenger wiper is cable driven and the cable was broken. Volvosaurus off road until somebody opened. On the 28th I got another cable, fitted it and went out for a spin to celebrate. Got stuck. Parked car up in disgust.29th December got called out to work. Moved Volvo out of drive to let van out, got stuck across road trying to get back in. Eventually got moving by jacking up each wheel and putting a housebrick under. Left van in street after work.31st December- just about to start on the cheap red wine and Smartprice cider when the doorbell rings. It's a woman from along the road who's run into the van. Not really her fault, once one of those icy ruts gets you you have no control over where the car goes. Move Volvo out again to put van away. Get stuck in aforementioned ruts, which match the Volvo's wheelbase nicely. Wipe windscreen, passenger wiper stays put. BASTARD. Get push from neighbour, return to house, get drunk.Apart from moving it out again when I went back to work the Volvo has stayed there ever since. The snow can fugg off as far as I am concerned.

[Cavcraft]

Haven't been out in the Astra in the snow, 17" alloys and low profile tyres are probably not a good idea in this weather.The (newly acquired) 206 1.4 HDi van I've got is fucking ace in the snow though.Skinny(ish) tyres and gentle acceleration are a winning combo and I don't go fast anyhow.Plus it started first crack when it was -12 this morning.

[Pete-M]

The battery in the Audi remote plipper is getting a bit weak.Otherwise, I really don't see what all the fuss is about.

[trigger]

My Passat has been spot on in the snow so far, The wife has been using it for work instead of her Micra as it grips better, She even overtook a Transit van on a slight hill near mine that was stuck in the ice tonight.Not looking forwards to the next few days, we had a lot of snow this afternoon in Ipswich, even closing the A14 this evening and it's meant to get a lot worse over the weekend in East Anglia.

[oldford]

It's great, so little traffic on the roads yesterday, that I managed to get home without stopping. The worst thing that has happened to the Sierra so far is that the passenger door mirror glass became loose.

[ashmicro]

Anti-freeze will give the greatest protection at 50/50. If you go over 50/50 the protection is actually less AFAIK

That is correct, old stick.As far as the weather goes, I got fucked off today and dug out the Jag. Well, I actually had to shift about 2 tons of gravel and snow. Got the fecker out, though. Even though I'd run the car up to temp a few times, it was starting to smell damp. Good blast today on the main roads sorted that.

[dollywobbler]

Well, apart from the fact that the BX doors keep freezing up so that I can't get in, and the usual screenwash woes affecting all cars, I've not had too much trouble. The BX's heater isn't very hot - I suspect a semi-clogged matrix - and the 2CV's heater is smelly, but could be worse - as well I know working with Mr Scruff!Found an untreated, little-used road on the way home. I was in the Saab, and decided it'd be rude to ignore it. Very, very slippy and the touch of handbrake almost had me in the bushes! Fortunately, I accelerated rather than a panic jab on the brakes, and she pulled herself out of it. I'm not used to rear-operating handbrakes and I clearly need more practice!

[Albert Ross]

My Wife has been offered a lift to work every day, so her car has stayed at home! (No fuel costs)I, have had no problems..... not even frozen diesel!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

No problems here, the old crab laughs in the face of -15deg or whatever it is. The only problem I have got, is that I want to go and play in the garage of an evening and its just TOO FUGGIN COLD!

[RedSparrow]

Amazingly, and for the first time ever, the full fleet is running well!They seem to like the cold weather for some reason.

[Mr Lobster]

Cold weather has claimed the life of the battery on the Sprinter this week. Not the end of the world because with all the SNOW CHAOS etc I can't actually get it out of the drive at the moment. Suppose I'll be getting a dose of intensive wallet surgery next week in order to get a new battery.

[Rusty Pelican]

No probs this end , havnt been able to get the Imps out but both start and run fine , the 51 plate Astra has redeamed itself by running fine and is surprisingly controllable on the ice that is my estate , even the original battery supplied new with the thing is holding up fine , 9 year old batteries dont normally cope so well chuffed.

[pogweasel]

Aside from self-induced numptyism (excess snow inside vehicle), no vehiclular disasters here. Old stuff remains wrapped up awaiting warmer weather, focus & kangoo plod on regardless. The only real issue is not being to earn any frigging money. Sites are buried in ice & snow so no point even going out, as you'd only have to return to re-work later. No work, no money. Had a good month last month & a lean christmas so not a total disaster. Have pencilled work in to re-start Monday, hopefully the thaw will have started by then (?)

[Father Ted]

Nope. 10 year old Micra and winter tyres are FTW.Not sure about dizzle Zafira that looks like iceberg and not run /moved all week - will tell you tomorrow.

[whitevanman]

no major car issues, P100 continues to boldly go etc, though even with the new battery its slow to turn in -14c, but it has fired The Sapphire is tucked away in the courtyard at my unit due to having nowhere to put it at the house thanks to the snow drifts....my neighbours V40 dizzler has flattened its battery in 3 weeks of non running not so much as a glimmer of life..central heating boiler died yesterday..but nice gas men have fixed that otherwise no issues here PS- so far

[Guest]

My C4 is only just managing to start in this weather, and its tyres are beyond useless in the snow. Once the treadblocks fill with snow, I'm stuck for the duration.I also lost the numberplate in a snow drift when some fucknuckle decided to slam on the anchors approaching an empty junction. Cue me attempting a 3 point turn, slithering sideways, almost collecting a parked car (just like a Golf) and rocking back and forth frantically by bumping up a snow covered kerb. The front bumper dug in, and when I finally managed to get out through a combination of reverse, 2nd and 3rd, my front plate landed face first into the drift. The first I knew about it was when I got to work. Fortunately the lady who lived at the house adjacent had propped it up on her garden wall, and it was waiting for me at 4.30 when I managed to get back over there.I can't reattach the damn thing because the adhesive on the pads will cry off at the cold. The plate is currently visible through the windscreen, perched happily on the top of the dashboard. I think it would be a particularly anal copper who'd give me grief over it at the moment.I did have an old boy (most likely retired dibble) delight in telling me of how I was going to get fined and done (and that he was going to report me) in my local Tesco car park. The temptation to take the plate out of my footwell and smack him over the back of the head with it (SPLAT) was pretty strong. Then again, he was the second old giffer I'd nearly lamped that day, so I muttered something about him shuffling off his mortal coil because of his knackered central heating and bid him good day.Tomorrow morning will consist of a hairdryer, some isopropyl alcohol and lots of dirty rags as I try and get the plate back on the car. I want to go to Hull in the evening to see an old mate off to New Zealand.In other news, Mercedes ML Class SUVs are hilariously shit in the snow.

[pogweasel]

Pfft. Cable ties and/or woodscrews are your friends, WAT.

[wuvvum]

I'm not used to rear-operating handbrakes and I clearly need more practice!

Either that or chop your 900 in for a pre-'87 model with a front handbrake.The 104 has been pretty good in the snow, although I've had a couple of occasions where the driver's door has frozen shut and I've had to get in through the boot (front passenger door won't unlock on the key) and the heater struggles to keep up in these kind of temperatures. The car always starts first flick of the key though, whatever the ambient temperature.I've spent the evening round a mate's after deciding it was too late / cold to finish doing the wheel bearing on the Fourtrak, and I went up there in the Townace - good job I did, because it started snowing proper heavy at about 11 - the wind's got right up and the snow is starting to drift in places so the 4x4 came in most handy. I didn't go over 30mph most of the way home (12 miles), not because of lack of grip but because I couldn't see where I was going. Then when I got onto the residential roads near home (which haven't been gritted) the fresh snow had fallen on top of the compacted old stuff and it got proper slippery - even in 4x4 I was sliding around a fair bit and when I pulled up outside my house some cadence braking was required to avoid sliding into the neighbour's car.Other than that nothing major - I've not been unable to get into work or owt like that, although my 15-mile journey in did take almost an hour and a half yesterday, due to dithering idiots doing 18mph in a 60 and then ridiculous traffic on the approach to the Norwich ring road because nobody could get enough traction to pull out onto the roundabout. In the end I dumped the car at the side of the road and walked the last two miles.

[j-j]

No probs here either especially since 'upgrading*' the heated rear window. Whip off windscreen cover - clear windscreen, crank up motor - heater pon top - go away until car hot enough inside to live - drive. Win*cleaned up the connections with a little file - reconnected.

[peter9000uk]

Wife's Laguna has decided just not to start. She has been using it all week with no problems then yesterday it just turns over, fires and then that's your lot. First thought was it was frozen but the coolant is fine and none of the hoses are frozen, can smell fuel also. Really couldn't be arsed yesterday in the cold but will probably have to get out there today as she is back at work Monday.On a brighter note the new to me diz C5 has started touch of the button all week and has done over 300 miles this week ferrying offspring to and from work and is averaging 37.9 to the gallon. Couple of niggles to sort though.1. N/S dip beam doesn't work. Thought OK needs new bulb, went to change and it starts working. Hmmmm, dirty contacts methinks so cleam connector & bulb terminals and all is fine. Go out in the evening to collect daughter at 10 from work and no chuffing NS headlight again.2. Radio has decided it does not want to pickup any stations whatsoever anymore. CD changer is working fine however.Have checked all connections incl aerial amplifier and all seems OK. Do a bit of research and it appears this is a very common fault with the Clarion systems fitted to these cars.

[Rocket88]

It's throwing it down over here [Jersey] Going to employ an old trick, and make some temporary snow tyres. Get some stout [but fairly thin] rope, and thread through holes in wheels, replicating snow chains. If you're not doing a vast distance, and you proceed slowly, it does work, even on a rear wheel drive automatic. Doesn't bugger up your tyres either, which chains tend to do.

[VWPowered]

yep snowed all ruddy night, all our water pipes upstairs are frozen, only have the cold tap in the kitchen means we've now lost the bog unless you take bucket of water upstairs with you not good

[Tayne]

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[VWPowered]

we've had to shut it off, yes all taps are open, we had 7 leaks in our bathroom last year and our utility room blew a pipe last month..bloody cowboy builders, we rent our house (to pikey and skint to afford one) needs about 30K spending on it, none of the pipework is insulated, the side and rear exterior walls are all exposed and unpointed ( i think you call it jointing, i dont know as i learnt building in france ) which blow cold air in every where, and sometimes you can hear mice behind the plasterboard, which in turn we beleive is the reason the elecrics no longer work in the living room, the barn each time it rains fills with 6+ inches of water due to being on lower land and bad drainage around the property (easy sorted with a digger around for afew days moving earth) but again not my house so what do you do... (possibly move again, would like to move further south (Aude) so we'll see :evil:sorry seem to have started rambling for some reason

[VWPowered]

i love the snow just not the cold why cant we have warm snow (yes i know it would melt)

[Guest]

I'm affected in that there's so much snow on top of the Laurel that I've not been able to put the taxi sign on it since I got it. What a gip!

[Richard]

1. N/S dip beam doesn't work. Thought OK needs new bulb, went to change and it starts working. Hmmmm, dirty contacts methinks so cleam connector & bulb terminals and all is fine. Go out in the evening to collect daughter at 10 from work and no chuffing NS headlight again.

Funnily enough our C5 pulled the same trick. I think the filament is broken but the broken ends are still making contact now and again. Once it does light it heats up, expands a little and stays working for a while.