i guess since the cold nipply weather is starting to hit us NE people (and maybe some others, it's time to start prepping for some winter maintenance work......throw in any maintenance things you feel should be done....i'll start off

1) get some silicone spray and and a rag. or just spray right onto your rubber moldings...around your door panel, sunroof molding, and especially around your window area (along the sides, etc...)

in the winter, the rubber can get hard and can crack or lose it's ability to protect from water, etc...hard and rough rubber also slows down your window since it's pushing against it. some silicone spray should smooth that out and allow the window to operate smoothly, w/out wimping out. my pass. side was rolling slow last nite, so i know it's time for my moldings to get sprayed.

2) dont' forget that at least every couple weeks-month you should turn on your ac. don't have a reason why but they say to do it. keeping it off for long periods of time is not good. again, dont' know why, but it doesn't hurt, so just do it.

3) check water in battery (or get an optima )

4) i know this may be stupid, but we want our cars to last a long time, so don't be in a rush in the mornings....warm it up, let the fluids work their way around...i don't wanna see a "wassup with my tranny" post come january. at LEAST 3 minutes, then drive slow until needle has reached moderate temperature.

 

Does that Silicone thing really work? I had a Dodge Avenger and well i noticed that the rubber moldings around the window started cracking!! May I ask, have you done this before with the silicone and did it harm anything?

 

Hey, thanks for the heads up, PoLo. What kind of silicone spray do you use?


~limsandy

 

yeah, i did it when i had a leak in my pulsar (t-tops suck) and in my crx. the silicone spray is used to soften rubber. you do'nt want them cracking.
on my pulsar, as soon as i put the spray, the leak stopped. the rubber got soft and was able to shape itself onto the hinges when i closed the door.
damage anything, i very highly doubt it. it's silicone spray. it doesn't contain anything that would harm paint.
i used it all the time on my windows on my old cars and it kept the windows traveling smoothly, it's really something you should do to your windows every couple months to keep the tracks smooth.

lim: when i get home, i'll look at the brand that i have...i'm stuck in the office all day

 

I'll take the easy way out and go over your house so you can do all that to my car

 

I feel ya. Staying in the office on Sunday isn't a good idea.


~limsandy

 

if you got the "bling-blings" for your rims, like me..I suggest takin them off...tryin to "keep em clean yo" in the dead cold of winter is gonna be a biiyoch...snow tires would be good too for all you Northerners..

 

i have GUNK SILICONE LUBRICANT SPRAY
hope that helps

 

gonna rock the 2000 16" hubcap lookin rims with ContiWinter
Contacts....just hopin the powerslot rotors are gonna clear them..

 

You do know that setting the front defroster on also turns on the compressor, right? You can also flip the A/C switch on for those cold rainy days that fog the windows up real bad. The compressor works regardless of the temperature setting, so you can blow warm or hot hair just as well as cold. It works like a charm for clearing windows in a hurry.

I've heard the reason you want to run the compressor regularly is to keep the freon moving - apparently it serves as lube for the seals inside the compressor, and they dry out from not being used.

 

1) for the silicone (wish I had to do that in Phx)
2) The R134a Freon...well any freon period has A/C oil in the system. If you dont let the oil circulate, you'll find that after winter when the summer months are approaching your compressor it getting somewhat loud, thats the beginning of an expensive repair my friend. So yeah please do turn it on every once in a while.
3) The water in my battery is evaportaing in Phx's 120 degree heat, damnit I want an optima! Soon...
4)Do let the car warm up, but not too long. Usually 1min & 30 sec is enough, after that just toss it in gear and take it easy on the road til its 100% warm. Basically drive it til its warm, letting it sit for 5+ min isnt the greatest idea either. I rarley ever go longer then 1min 30sec.

Good Luck with the winter months and all the snow, It never snows here so I guess im good to go

 

does it even rain in Arizona??

 

Hey I thought your username sounded familiar... did you used to hang around exaclub.net (now nissanexa.com)?

 

Only with 72hrs of washing my car seriously though, it never fails. I wash it and within 72hrs (sometimes the same day) it rains, not just rains it nearly floods it rains so hard. So I find little time to wash it im ashamed to say

As for the Silicone spray goes, guys hes 100% correct, that stuff does absolutly no harm to anything. You can use it soften rubber, to shut up a window that squeals when going up & down, its an excellent lubricant and be4 any1 asks NO, not thats kind of lubricant
But hell the spray even smells great!

 

Thanks for the tips,It starting to get brick out here in CT.

 

Its 102 today

 

what was that...more audio advice

 

Response to 4). I lived in Montana most of my life and in the winter months you had no choice but to warm your car up for over 5 minutes. For one, you needed the defroster to start working on the 1/2 inch of ice stuck to your windshield. The heater doesn't start blowing out hot air for at least a few minutes, and you can't touch anything in your car b'c it's so cold. Even after warming up the car for 5 minutes and then driving for 10 minutes it's still not at the ideal temp. You don't have to worry about pushing your car to hard while it's cold b/c you can't drive that fast on icy/snowy roads.

Now I live in H-Town so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

 

Bro when it comes to your audio knowledge

bremner44: Ive never lived in cold country were a block heater is required. Ive seen less then 10 cars in my life with a block heater quipped so as far as warming it up for 5+ min, it still isnt something id do even in the cold. Arnt you supposed to have it plugged it all night?

Ive lived only in L.A. and in Phx... oh and todays temp was a record high 103 its supposed to be cooling down damnit!

 

It was 102 here too today ! Stinkin freakin hottttt! I cant relate to this thread ! I have no use for my heated seats and steering wheel !

 

whats so bad about letting your car warm up for more than 5 min...when i let my car idle for a couple minutes, even in the summer... i feel like it runs alot smoother.