Thinking winter service but what to do???

[hipplew]

Well one thread has led to another (put a thread up about tyres) and it got me thinking about a Winter service but what.

Now I have only had my fronty since July so it's only seen a bit of water so far, but I am considering quiet littrally doing / having a full service done I.E.
fuel, oil, air filters,
gearbox oil,
diff oil,
coolent
waxoyl the under side (come with living right by the sea)
but what ells
should I go the hole hog and grease the nipples etc or is this going to far?

just thinking with work I need it to be reliable, but as of yet I do not know what to expect as in what could fail that I could have prevented etc.
but also how do the fronty's go in the winter and what bug bears should I expect.

Also now this may seem daft to you southerners but are there such things as radiator blankets??? for Frontera's
The reason for my asking is that as I mentioned I live Right by the sea in fact the way the house and drive lie they are quiet littrally due North so when we get a true North wind that blows, well lets just say it get's a bit cold, like daily wind speeds of upto 80+mph and the highest wind chill for this year was -18*C so when you mix rain in with it you get a nice blanket of pure ICE 1/2" thick all over the front of your car (and before you say no I havent got a garage) so the poor fronty is going to be out in the cold. and I dont want a busted/frozen radiator like what I had with my landy 3 times in one year, because it's not a problen with the coolent but what happens the water gets into the vains of the rad and freezes and freezes and freezes and then when you look at them there either on the ground after they have thored out or are totally away from the radiator core, hence the question about radiator blankets.

Any thoughts would be trully welcome

Howard

[4x4 bobby]

I used to put a pice of Corragated cardboard box in front of my Landrover when in the army in Germany. It was Bl--dy cold out there. Give that a try. And just to add ive had a Fronty for five years now and they've never let me down in the winter...

[Drift]

Think its the pink anti freeze you need.
Not sure about a thermal blanked but I think but one of our Swedish members uses one I think.
I would be fitting some sort of bib across the front of a night as a stop gap and a battery cover, these are available for other VX cars so they may fit the Frontera.

Wouldnt hurt to grease the prop as they are the only nipples on that need greasing on the car unless your serving it in the winter without a top on

Ive experienced the weather up your way, bitter but nice.....for winter

[Sir-Doris]

In Chicago in winter we used wool blankets, lift the bonnet, drop the blanket between the radiator and engine and over the slam panel and close the bonnet.

Worked a treat there and it regularly gets down to -10 degrees C or less.

[Drift]

What would work well is the old military itchy blankets, hard wearing and they will absorb moisture (dont ask how I know ) easily available cheaply from ex military surplus shops.

[Sir-Doris]

By wool blanket I meant something like Drifty mentioned or a granny type blanket, you know the woolly ones they put over their legs when sitting in front of the fire while watching emmerdale.

[Drift]

By the way Phil can I have mine back, I watch Corrie

[hipplew]

Thanks for the responce I'm going to have to come up with something Just dont want the hassle of blown radiators had enough with the landy I have thought about some sort of blanket but have you tried to lay a blanket out, or on something in wind its good fun infact I think it should be an olimpic sport mind you all the Scot's would win

but thinking further it would need to be water proof as I mentioned when the wind blows we get Ice big style still it would be a good way to get a free mould of a radiator grill

But seriously I need to try and come up with something, this may sound daft but can you wrap a car battery up ??????

[4x4 bobby]

[Drift]

Grease or oil one side of the blanket

The battery covers are quilted and coated plastic on the bottom and sides with a plastic top, I wouldnt leave a blanket over the battery unless it was not touching the posts.

Think Bobbys wins

[4x4 bobby]

[hipplew]

Must admit Bobby's does sound to be a good idea using polystirene to form a box around the battery

[4x4 bobby]

[4x4 bobby]

Just a thought Howard how about a sheet of poly between the front grill and the rad. If the weather is that cold up there it would also help keep the engine warm when driving.

[hipplew]

I'm working on the thought of some how some way converting a dog blanket but still not sure,

By the way if you want to see what it's like up here when it gets cold then I took this photo crouched behind one of the walls in the garden with the wind blowing at 70mph wind chill of -13*C #

Howard

[Road Hog]

Ahh but it is a nice place to be on a sunny day & the is a nice museum on the quay

Will try & sort a Vx part number for a proper battery blanket

[Drift]

Yup, this is the Cairngorms about 60 miles West, dam cold



I wouldnt have the polystyrene in front of the rad when driving as the rad will warm and melt it.

But you could fit a "bib" Trugga used to use one to keep mud off his rad while off road, it can be hooked up with bungee cords and removed if the engine heats up to much.
A lot of the Hackney cabs used them on the front grills to get the engines warmer in winter and they roll up when not in use.

[N1ova]

Go to a local scrappie for a battery cover.Most vectra sri's gsi's and cdx's have them on.And will only cost pennies.

[Road Hog]

Battery protection cover Vectra Y22DTR ..70 amp.. part # 90507583