any tips for winter driving

[chillcupra]

hey guys was just wondering if anyone has any tips for winter driving with diesels...ie start up and stopping etc

thanks

 

[Bunglebonce]

In terms of what exactly?

There's not much to say really. With older diesels you had the glow plug issue but its not as prominent in the new engines.

Also, it was always a good idea to keep the heater off until you got some warmth in the engine, but that is all automated now.

Then I spose there's torque on wet / icy / snowy roads - but TCS takes care of that lol.

There is a train of thought that says turning the tcs off in snow will help get you moving easier, but I cant comment on this as this is the first tcs car Ive had.

If you don't plant your foot its actually easier to pull away in a derv in snow ice etc than a petrol, as you don't need as many revs to get moving.

Derv starts to go milky around minus 10 but this shouldn't be a worry unless we get some real cold weather.

What exactly did you think would be different as there maybe stuff that's obvious but i'm not thinking of

 

[Vicky M]

older derv's with glow plugs can cause cold start issues, just pour boiling water over the block, thus, no need for a pre-heat.

rumours are that this winter will be particularly bad, with temps dropping as low as -18,
and shed loads of snow.

then the only problem i'll have this winter is "can't get the car off the drive, what dvd shall i watch today"

 

[Triple D]

Ive got a good tip for you......................... park the car up over winter, and use a bike. Thats what im doing as i dont like snow and ice. I wrote off my first car(Rover 214 sei) 3 weeks after i got it and about 1 month after passing my test. Lack of experiance and **** tyres dont work well when you brake coming up to a junction on an icy road, so thats what my advise is to you. Also saves you on fuel and gets you fit in the process. Couldn't imagine it if i crashed my baby

 

[sicasey]

Ive got a good tip for you......................... park the car up over winter, and use a bike. Thats what im doing as i dont like snow and ice. I wrote off my first car(Rover 214 sei) 3 weeks after i got it and about 1 month after passing my test. Lack of experiance and **** tyres dont work well when you brake coming up to a junction on an icy road, so thats what my advise is to you. Also saves you on fuel and gets you fit in the process. Couldn't imagine it if i crashed my baby

Great idea - only down side would be leaving the house at 4am every morning to ride the 30 miles to work

 

[cuprabod]

"Also, it was always a good idea to keep the heater off until you got some warmth in the engine, but that is all automated now"


I got my tdi earlier this year and have noticed the heater does not work on auto ,until the engine is warm.The climate doesn't work either.On my 20vt, i had before the tdi, it used to come on straight away.So if i need to warm the inside of the car up in the morning it has to be set on manual, i presume.I was going to take my car in to the dealer,thinking there was somthing wrong,so i'm glad i read this thread.Is it the same on petrol versions now?

 

[slimjim]

It wasn't THAT cold this morning. -0.5 on the dash....

The car was frosty, solid frost but nothing serious. Still took at LEAST 7mins for everything to clear.

Is this the MAJOR failing of the Derv?

My DelSol could be at in a block of ice and after two mins it would be roasty-toasty.....

I heard that the 110 engine doesnt get up to temp on tickover, so does that mean sitting in the car shivering with the RMP at 2k for 7mins every morning (as I did today) untill April?

PLEASE tell me an easy way to warm the car up asap

 

[Kam]

There is a train of thought that says turning the tcs off in snow will help get you moving easier, but I cant comment on this as this is the first tcs car Ive had.

Last winter, it snowed (very little but enough for a couple of cm on the road). My Cupra went nowhere with the TCS switched on! Switched off, it goes with loads of wheel spin!

For me, if it snows this year, the Bora is not going to be driven. Loads of torque with no traction = waste of time and waste of fuel! Just work and tell them you ain't coming in as by the time you get to work through the horrendous traffic, it will be time to go home! Then sit back and enjoy

The predicted cold weather, I will believe it when I see it! The press have a ridiculous obsession of dramatising winter weather ... and summer heat as it goes! One of the daily gossip mongers suggested that the Thames will freeze over By all means take pre-cautions but I wouldn't get over excited.

 

[slimjim]

Just work and tell them you ain't coming in as by the time you get to work through the horrendous traffic, it will be time to go home! Then sit back and enjoy

Us contractors dont get that option..... sure we can stay at home no problem. But we dont get paid

 

[Kam]

Us contractors dont get that option..... sure we can stay at home no problem. But we dont get paid

Well if it took you 5hrs to get somewhere when it usually takes 1hr - it would be a waste of time anyways! You wouldn't get paid and you have also wasted your fuel!

I have been in one of those jams, it is the most annoying and frustrating things ever!

 

[slimjim]

Well if it took you 5hrs to get somewhere when it usually takes 1hr - it would be a waste of time anyways! You wouldn't get paid and you have also wasted your fuel!

I have been in one of those jams, it is the most annoying and frustrating things ever!

OK, I will let you have that one.

Not sure how long it will take me to get from Telford to Brum (40 miles) if the place freezes solid

Which reminds me, I think I will put an "In case of emergency" bag together and chuck it in the car. Would a "heat up coffee can", some choccys and a sleeping bag be over the top? Or is "be prepared" the object of the winter?

 

[Kam]

Which reminds me, I think I will put an "In case of emergency" bag together and chuck it in the car. Would a "heat up coffee can", some choccys and a sleeping bag be over the top? Or is "be prepared" the object of the winter?

Sounds like an idea to me! What is the worse that can happen ?? You don't use it I guess and have to take it out of the boot after the winter.

S'pose the other thing is to make sure the anti-freeze is fine in the car as well as the windscreen wash is strong enough so it does not freeze.

Last winter, I made up some strong screenwash and put it into an empty bottle with a spray. Used it to clean the side windows and wing mirrors when they got plastered in grit! Also hady to have it incase the screenwash nozzles froze over.

 

[slimjim]

Also, it was always a good idea to keep the heater off until you got some warmth in the engine, but that is all automated now.

So THAT is why I get no heat from the car first thing in the morning...

Sounds like an idea to me! What is the worse that can happen ?? You don't use it I guess and have to take it out of the boot after the winter.

S'pose the other thing is to make sure the anti-freeze is fine in the car as well as the windscreen wash is strong enough so it does not freeze.

Last winter, I made up some strong screenwash and put it into an empty bottle with a spray. Used it to clean the side windows and wing mirrors when they got plastered in grit! Also hady to have it incase the screenwash nozzles froze over.

Think I might do. and possibly chuck a couple of those auto heating can's in, as long as they wont explode in VERY cold cercumstances!

I was in a rush this morning, so I used some standard anti-freeze and tried to make sure it went no-where near my paint work!

I checked the washer/coolant/oil levels this weekend on all the cars. They were fine. so im "ready" for winter....

Still not happy about the LONG amount of time the car takes to heat up. Could I buy an "in car heater" for the windows? Like a plug into the lighter kind of hting... anyone seen anything like that?

Something like this ....

Socket Heater

 

[Kam]

Referring to the earlier point about Tdis taking an age to warm up, why is that??

My car takes some 4 miles for the temp to get to the mid point on the temp guage!

 

[sssstew]

the best solution for us TDI drivers (which is what i do)is to scrape the windscreen with the engine OFF, then jump in and drive, normally, revving to 2500 or up to 2700 i do. This will get the engine up to temp sooner, you wont be wasting fuel sat idleing.

Theres little point leaving your TDI idleing on the drive, as the TDI engine is very thermally efficient and wastes less heat than petrols so hence takes longer to warm up like slim jim noticed.

 

[Chri5B]

I found my Ibiza good in the few days of snow we had last year. The ability to crawl on tickover in 1st, 2nd or 3rd was great. We have a pretty steep hill to get off our business park at work. A RWD Merc C-Class spent ages trying forwards, backwards and being pushed. I got up first time chugging along in 1st

Agreed it takes a while to get heat into the cabin but at least it doesn't have an alloy gear knob like my old 206GTI. I could shift quicker than a DSG box when it was cold!

Referring to the earlier point about Tdis taking an age to warm up, why is that??

My car takes some 4 miles for the temp to get to the mid point on the temp guage!

Is that for the water temp? My oil temp gauge takes ages to move from cold

 

[slimjim]

Agreed it takes a while to get heat into the cabin but at least it doesn't have an alloy gear knob like my old 206GTI. I could shift quicker than a DSG box when it was cold!

I had the stoopid idea of putting an alloy gear knob on the Pug 106 .... in the winter I almost stuck to it!

 

[Kam]

Yes, the water temp but I think sssstew has answered my query

 

[muddyboots]

I found my Ibiza good in the few days of snow we had last year. The ability to crawl on tickover in 1st, 2nd or 3rd was great. We have a pretty steep hill to get off our business park at work. A RWD Merc C-Class spent ages trying forwards, backwards and being pushed. I got up first time chugging along in 1st

Yes the pull-away-while-idling ability of TDIs makes them great for pulling away from a standstill in snow/ice. IF you have tyres than can give you some traction.

The ContiSportContacts on mine last year were so pathetic in snow it was laughable - at 5:30 one morning I was clearing tracks in our road with a spade 'cos I couldn't make it up the very short hill at the end (or get moving on the flat, for that matter) and my neighbour in his beat up old Citroen AX with nice narrow tyres just chugged on by...looking puzzled.

Anyway today I just ordered a set of 4 Toyo Snowprox S952s for my spare set of alloys, bring it on....

With regards to slow warm up, yes the TDIs are horrendous. I usually start mine up, bung on all the lights, rear heater, heated mirrors, fan on full (in defrost setting) to give the engine a tiny bit more load, then get out and freeze my nackers off clearing everything with a scraper... it's not warm when I get back in but the full blast from the fans on the windscreen usually starts to have a small effect.

 

[slimjim]

Yes the pull-away-while-idling ability of TDIs makes them great for pulling away from a standstill in snow/ice. IF you have tyres than can give you some traction

Gives me something to do on the M6 every monring and every night.
30mph is my top speed without touching the gas at all!

With regards to slow warm up, yes the TDIs are horrendous. I usually start mine up, bung on all the lights, rear heater, heated mirrors, fan on full (in defrost setting) to give the engine a tiny bit more load, then get out and freeze my nackers off clearing everything with a scraper... it's not warm when I get back in but the full blast from the fans on the windscreen usually starts to have a small effect.

Yup, I cover my windscreen the night before.
Start her up in the morning, turn everything on, scrape off my side windows and just go.
You would be waiting for ever for her to "warm up" in the conventional petrol sense, so I just drive.... im just about warm by Juntion 3 on the M54