Chilly weather observations

[Michael]

1) The brakes work better. Why? Because winter footwear is heavier and more force can comfortably be applied

2) What to do about water? I am a 'let sleeping dogs lie' mechanic and averse to spending wonga. 

My memory reminds me that antifreeze finds leaks so only have a very weak solution to try and inhibit some corrosion. Now that it is turning properly cold do I drain the car or leave a heater under it? I decide to drain it. Half a freezing hour with a bent coat hanger and finally something starts coming out. Is it water? River silt? Old coffee? Something nasty from the unmentionable? 

Anyway it is out now. So...the next question is do I back flush the thing before filling it up again and encourage it to leak or yet again simply let sleeping dogs lie...

[Mike Costigan]

Sounds like a very thorough back flush is in order!

I have a 30%+ antifreeze in my system with no leaks; am about to go out for a bit of snow driving just for fun 

Oh, and no need for heavy boots, I'll only lock up on the ice!

[Geoff Halstead]

This is what I woke up to:

   

Geoff - Brrrr

[AllAlloyCup]

Can’t see your Austin in this picture Geoff?

Bill G ?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I had to go a friend’s funeral this morning, car did me proud!

   

   

   

   

[Chris KC]

Well done Ruairidh!

Michael, it's fairly normal for the first spurt of water to be fairly brown and skanky. If it doesn't run clearish after that I'd suggest attention may be called for. Beware of de-scaling solutions, unless you're about to strip the engine, as all the resulting debris can very easily obstruct the water passages in the block. I've never used anti-freeze, I simply drain in winter and re-fill as and when I want to use the car. However anti-freeze does include corrosion inhibitors which are ultimately quite a good thing for engine and radiator life (and have you seen the price of new radiators!) Downside of anti-freeze is it's not great if your car is prone to squirting coolant in your face from the rad cap under braking (don't over-fill), and it makes your engine run marginally hotter than pure water (at least until all that corrosion takes its toll).

[Michael]

Sunny and dry down here, hardly a sign of the white stuff...understand it will be delivered later.

And back to the original post, I fear that a thorough back flush will leave the poor old girl weeping from every joint and elsewhere too. As would 30% anti freeze.

Need to manage the decline into incontinence whilst saving for a new radiator...

[Reckless Rat]

Well if it's any consolation it's not any warmer down here. 3" so far and still falling, and that's in an country where the UK government says that we're not entitled to winter fuel allowance because it's much warmer than the UK... (mind you the bean counters did add the average temperatures of Guadeloupe and Réunion when they did the calcs)

Haven't been out in the RP because it's a bit crook at the moment. Emergency transport is by means of non-turbo shed:

[Bryan Downes]

Great pictures of the car in the snow Ruiaridh. Particularly like number 2 pic - splendid!

Bryan

[Ruairidh Dunford]

We have over a foot now.

No other cars are moving around us now, having a total blast up and down the street!!