How's your car in the winter?

Bugsy - V8 Disco 2

Starting: Only had a problem with the old battery that would keep going flat. Not that it ever gets very cold here.

Warming up: Aluminium engine warms up fairly quickly and the auto box holds on to gears a bit longer when cold, I assume this is to warm up and isn't just a fault.

Heater: I'm warm blooded so it never really gets challenged but the combo AC and heat clears the screen pretty fast, faster than anything else I've owned anyway. It can get hot but I would never want that because I would melt. Defrost button is nice.

Features: Heated seats are nice but a bit slow to get going. Heated front screen ditto, I don't think I've actually seen proof that it works TBH.

Performance: Don't remember driving it in icy conditions, never needed to. ABS still dead so it would be interesting.

Bob - Tdi Bobtail Disco

Starting: Limited experience in the cold but it has always fired up instantly so far.

Warming up: Old Land Rover diesels are cold blooded beasts...

Heater: What? Factory stuff has mostly gone, there's a fan that makes noise but it doesn't do much else and a 12V Fuseblower? heater that gives the impression of heat.

Features: Easily accessible fuse holders to make a mini multi-bar electric heater with thin fuse wire should I really need it.

Performance: Never driven in wintery conditions, should be unstoppable in moderate snow.

Keely barely started last winter...
 
Last time I was in a car with a heated windscreen it worked instantly.

Granted, it wasn't frost but rather four guys that got into a Mondeo taxi after standing in the rain. The windows fogged up instantly, the driver pushed a button and presto. :D An awesome feature I wish I had.
 
All that is, is the air conditioner running... A/C dehumidifies when it runs.
 
93Flareside said:
All that is, is the air conditioner running... A/C dehumidifies when it runs.
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No, it most certainly was not. I watched the windscreen defog in front of my eyes, exactly in the area that had heater wires in the glass. They don't go all the way to the A pillars.
 
The hatch:

Starting:
Fires right up

Warming up:
Engine warms up just fine.

Heater:
The heater does what it can... however the car lacks insulation and interior so it's freaking cold.

Features:
Block heater. Not needed to be honest.


Performance:
As any car with a stiffer suspension setup and a lower ride height. Damn terrible. :D



The sedan:

Starting:
Fires right up

Warming up:
Engine warms up just fine.

Heater:
The heater does work and get the car hot. But It's past it's prime. It could blow a bit more.

Features:
Block heater.


Performance:
With the skinny studded tires and stock height it plows through anything I've thrown it at. This includes a recently finished roundabout with NO warning about it and a ton of snow. The only annoying thing in these is the windows fogging easily.


By far THE BEST winter car I've had was my volvo "two by four". That's only because I've not had a lada yet. :D
 
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Anesthesia said:
The hatch:

Heater:
The heater does what it can... however the car lacks insulation and interior so it's freaking cold.
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Can I interest you in a heating system from a Jeep Wrangler? For a car made of mostly tent material, the mid-late 90s and up Wranglers have steller heating in cold weather.
 
93Flareside said:
Can I interest you in a heating system from a Jeep Wrangler? For a car made of mostly tent material, the mid-late 90s and up Wranglers have steller heating in cold weather.
Click to expand...

Good enough to melt the sole of running shoes, true story.
 
93Flareside said:
Can I interest you in a heating system from a Jeep Wrangler? For a car made of mostly tent material, the mid-late 90s and up Wranglers have steller heating in cold weather.
Click to expand...
I was going to say that or one out of an old 240 volvo...until I realized that in a "two by four" the engine is basicly the heater since there is no other way it can burn that much fuel and not make any power. :D
 
Land Cruiser 4.0

Starting:
Requires couple of fresh uranium rods. Massive effort for make it to burn diesel.

Warming up:
Maybe in other season.

Heater:
Possibly gonna heat the cabin if it has a chance.

Features:
Successfully consumes natural resources.

Performance:
Can accelerate up to mind blowing 120 kph with help of tailwind.
 
Wish I had winter.
 
Burak said:
Land Cruiser 4.0

Starting:
Requires couple of fresh uranium rods. Massive effort for make it to burn diesel.

Warming up:
Maybe in other season.
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Every old diesel Toyota I've ever seen has fired right up. Doesn't matter how cold it is. If it's warmed up, it just takes a short whack of the starter. And surely Finland can get colder than Turkey?

Sounds like yours has problems with the glow plugs, bad compression, or both.
 
Perc said:
Every old diesel Toyota I've ever seen has fired right up. Doesn't matter how cold it is. If it's warmed up, it just takes a short whack of the starter. And surely Finland can get colder than Turkey?

Sounds like yours has problems with the glow plugs, bad compression, or both.
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Thats true, currently I'm in Tbilisi but none of them are not colder than Finland. The issue is related with the car as you said. It has over 400.000 kms on the clock and spend all its life on construction sites :)

20160506_194755.jpg
 
Saab 9000: starts no fuss, drives no fuss, hot heat fast, and with snow tires it goes anywhere. What'd you expect?
Jaguar XJR: not enough weight on the drive wheels to really handle accumulation, even with the LSD. Otherwise it's okay.
Toyota MR2: haven't tried, I'm absolutely not risking thin 80s Japanese steel on the salty roads here. If I tried I bet it'd be like my old Spyder, limited only by ground clearance.
 
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Anesthesia said:
I was going to say that or one out of an old 240 volvo...until I realized that in a "two by four" the engine is basicly the heater since there is no other way it can burn that much fuel and not make any power. :D
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Depends. If the heater core was undersized or isn't flowing enough coolant, the blower isn't working at full speed, the fan wheel is clogged with shit, or a blocked or broken duct could factor in to shitty heating. :)
 
Perc said:
I don't understand this. Surely everyone has to have a shed, a storage closet or whatever to put a stack of tires in?
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As incredible as it sounds, no we don't all have a shed or a storage closet to keep a set of car wheels in.
 
Meant to fill this out earlier but I'm a dumbass with next to no time on my hands:

Starting:
No issues here, usually turns over within 2-3 seconds unless it's sat for a while and it's super cold. Then it takes about 4 or 5 seconds.

Warming up:
Takes about 10 to 15 minutes for needle to hit center.

Heater:
Pretty decent since the core was changed - the Jeep gets nice and warm.

Features:
4WD (currently broken), ABS, rear window defroster. Yeah, nothing fancy.

Performance:
With 4WD working, it's great. Without it, it's like any other rear drive car for the uninitiated, took some time to get used to the dynamics in wintery weather.
 
Miata: I put the top down and enjoy the exhaust note.

(the first post says no Aussies or Californians. I'm a Floridian!)
 
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I sold my Skoda since my last post and replaced it with something unexpected.

The Opel has a more sophisticated HVAC that needs less fiddling with the manual controls when it's cold and damp. It also has a heated steering wheel. The pre-heater has a remote control fob rather than a smartphone app but that'll hopefully be rectified before winter. Right now I feel like a caveman having to get up and go fetch the car keys to pre-heat the car. :p

Haldex AWD with a limited-slip rear diff will make for effortless progress too. I am very much looking forward to next winter when slippery intersections and hills simply won't exist anymore.
 
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Perc said:
Haldex AWD with a limited-slip rear diff will make for effortless progress too. I am very much looking forward to next winter when slippery intersections and hills simply won't exist anymore.
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Scandinavian flick
 
rickhamilton620 said:
Meant to fill this out earlier but I'm a dumbass with next to no time on my hands:

Starting:
No issues here, usually turns over within 2-3 seconds unless it's sat for a while and it's super cold. Then it takes about 4 or 5 seconds.

Warming up:
Takes about 10 to 15 minutes for needle to hit center.

Heater:
Pretty decent since the core was changed - the Jeep gets nice and warm.

Features:
4WD (currently broken), ABS, rear window defroster. Yeah, nothing fancy.

Performance:
With 4WD working, it's great. Without it, it's like any other rear drive car for the uninitiated, took some time to get used to the dynamics in wintery weather.
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ABS? My sisters '01 didn't have any. Or maybe it was broken. :think:
 
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