Preparing the car for winter

[Ian Key]

It's time to prepare our cars for the cold weather so if anyone has any tips please let the rest of us know. I'll start...

Spray the charging port catch with silicone spray to stop the lock freezing shut or being unable to close it after charging. I also put a bit of silicone on the connectors of the charging port.

Wipe all the door seals with silicone to stop them freezing shut.

Spray the door handle hinges and the door mirror rubbers once again with silicone.

Check tyre pressures.

Fill the washer bottle with anti-freeze screen wash.

[ Edit moderator: silicon → silicone. Silicon is likely to scratch things. ]

 

[Jomarkh]

Hi, any recommendations for a good silicone spray?

 

[Anon70]

On the Mini/BMW forums they used to recommend this stuff, not a silicone spray just something to help stop any rubber seals cracking in cold weather

Gummi Pflege Rubber Protection For Door Seals And Windows | MicksGarage

Gummi Pflege Rubber Protection for Door Seals and Windows

www.micksgarage.com

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

This sorted out my sticky flap mechanism last winter.

Has been perfect ever since but will be re treating along with all the rubber parts as per Mr @Ian Key.

A bit dearer than Gummi Pfledge but you get 250ml for £9.65 instead of 100ml for £7.99.

 

[DBedford]

So basically spray every opening surface and hinge.....

 

[Ruislip Resident]

Get some wing mirror 'mittens'.

 

[dsimpkins]

Hi, any recommendations for a good silicone spray?

Don't know if it's any good or not, but Lidl have various sprays including silicone spray in their middle of Lidl offers this week.

 

[5teep]

I stop washing mine, the grime acts an an insulator

 

[gazza487]

I’m 100% going to silicone the charge flap, on a few occasions last year I was driving all the way to work with the flap firmly lodged open.

If I ever get the thing back from having the swimming pool drained and sealed I’m actually going mental and putting an agm battery on that’s just arrived.

 

[Rolfe]

Don't silicon anything. Scratchy stuff, silicon. Pretty sure there was silicon involved in Caliban's mishap last month.

Go with silicone, it's much better.

 

[Slipstream]

I’m 100% going to silicone the charge flap, on a few occasions last year I was driving all the way to work with the flap firmly lodged open.

If I ever get the thing back from having the swimming pool drained and sealed I’m actually going mental and putting an agm battery on that’s just arrived.

Absorbent Glass Mat for those not familiar with the term.

 

[wandle MG4 trophy]

A small bottle of screen wash to top up if the reservoir runs dry. The reservoir in the MG4 is small and has no warning light when levels drop.

 

[ElectricBenSolar]

Great idea about the silicone spray on the charging port/flap, will do that.

The lock pin on the flap on my mg5 charging port has been stuck inside for a few weeks now, not sure how to get it out and reattach it to the flap?

 

[tsedge]

Oh, here's my advice for this thread.... move somewhere warmer!