Winter prepping 101
10-15-03, 07:07 PM
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
Winter prepping 101
Many have suggested a thread on some do's and don't's for the winter and how our cars should be ready for it. Being a Floridian, I sure can't take the lead here, but I can offer some general tips ( I am originally from N.J. after all 
) for specific concerns and hopefully answer some questions you folks may have.
Anyone with sound advice for winter prep, please chime in. We can perhaps make this into a FAQ and redact it all into a useful yearly tool.
Here is a general primer for all cars, garaged or not;
DO'S
1). WASH; Wash and clay the vehicle. Claying should generally be done a few times yearly anyway, so any seasonal change should suffice as a reminder to do it. You can judge by running your fingers across the horizontal paint surfaces and if you feel bumps or roughness, claying is necessary. You can put your hand in a plastic sandwich bag to amplify this effect if you wish. It should feel smooth like new glass before you polish or apply wax or sealant. Power washing (even a garden hose sprayer) works here) of the underbody/chassis at each wash is also key to keeping salt from causing corrosion on the underbody.
2). PAINT CONDITION; Study your paint for oxidation or dullness. If you feel it's got good clarity, you're ready to wax or use sealant. If you need to remove oxidation, now is the time to get out the paint cleaner or polish and clear things up. Make sure you re-wash the car again after paint cleaning prior to wax or especially a sealant.
3). PROTECTION; When it comes to durability, few would argue that a synthetic sealant ( i.e. Zaino Klasse SG or AIO, Blackfire etc among others) will easily provide longer protection than a carnauba wax, so decide for yourself which you want to use to get you through most of the winter, but be prepared to wax a few times if you go the carnauba route. Something like Zaino on the other hand should easily last 4 to 5 months under most conditions, and that's either all winter or a good part of it for most of you. 2 layers of polymer is recommended as minimum if possible. Of course a carnauba over a polymer is the arguably the best of both worlds for appearance if you don't mind the extra $$$ and work involved.
WHEELS; Not everyone wants to remove their pretty rims to substitute "beater" rims for the winter so rim care is key now; clearcoated alloy, polished, and chrome rims need to be conscienciously maintained due to winter road salt. A sealant is a sound choice here, because it will be more durable than a wax, and hold up to brake heat better. A simple rinse with water after a drive on slushy/salted roads will help a lot. Just be careful of never spraying cold water on hot wheels because it can and does warp rotors. Wait till they cool down before you spray. Use the same ( cleaning and protecting) approach on finished exhaust tips too.
INTERIOR; There's not a lot I can think of here that would require a different approach than the usual; Clean and dress leather as required, protect your dash with a UV enhanced product. Might want to Scotchguard the carpet and/or carpet mats.
DON'T'S
Use a broom to remove snow from your car, unless you don't mind scratches and swirls.
Use very warm or hot water on your car during a wash etc. when it's very cold out or to remove snow. Paint manufacturer TSB's have cited checking / cracking / crazing of clearcoat (sometimes appearing months later) from rapid expansion / contraction. Some 'warm" water in the wash bucket is ok to save your hands, just keep it reasonable.
I'll probably think of more as I imagine myself back in the northeast, but that's it for now. Let's hear some more ideas or questions from everybody.
) for specific concerns and hopefully answer some questions you folks may have.Anyone with sound advice for winter prep, please chime in. We can perhaps make this into a FAQ and redact it all into a useful yearly tool.
Here is a general primer for all cars, garaged or not;
DO'S
1). WASH; Wash and clay the vehicle. Claying should generally be done a few times yearly anyway, so any seasonal change should suffice as a reminder to do it. You can judge by running your fingers across the horizontal paint surfaces and if you feel bumps or roughness, claying is necessary. You can put your hand in a plastic sandwich bag to amplify this effect if you wish. It should feel smooth like new glass before you polish or apply wax or sealant. Power washing (even a garden hose sprayer) works here) of the underbody/chassis at each wash is also key to keeping salt from causing corrosion on the underbody.
2). PAINT CONDITION; Study your paint for oxidation or dullness. If you feel it's got good clarity, you're ready to wax or use sealant. If you need to remove oxidation, now is the time to get out the paint cleaner or polish and clear things up. Make sure you re-wash the car again after paint cleaning prior to wax or especially a sealant.
3). PROTECTION; When it comes to durability, few would argue that a synthetic sealant ( i.e. Zaino Klasse SG or AIO, Blackfire etc among others) will easily provide longer protection than a carnauba wax, so decide for yourself which you want to use to get you through most of the winter, but be prepared to wax a few times if you go the carnauba route. Something like Zaino on the other hand should easily last 4 to 5 months under most conditions, and that's either all winter or a good part of it for most of you. 2 layers of polymer is recommended as minimum if possible. Of course a carnauba over a polymer is the arguably the best of both worlds for appearance if you don't mind the extra $$$ and work involved.
WHEELS; Not everyone wants to remove their pretty rims to substitute "beater" rims for the winter so rim care is key now; clearcoated alloy, polished, and chrome rims need to be conscienciously maintained due to winter road salt. A sealant is a sound choice here, because it will be more durable than a wax, and hold up to brake heat better. A simple rinse with water after a drive on slushy/salted roads will help a lot. Just be careful of never spraying cold water on hot wheels because it can and does warp rotors. Wait till they cool down before you spray. Use the same ( cleaning and protecting) approach on finished exhaust tips too.
INTERIOR; There's not a lot I can think of here that would require a different approach than the usual; Clean and dress leather as required, protect your dash with a UV enhanced product. Might want to Scotchguard the carpet and/or carpet mats.
DON'T'S
Use a broom to remove snow from your car, unless you don't mind scratches and swirls.
Use very warm or hot water on your car during a wash etc. when it's very cold out or to remove snow. Paint manufacturer TSB's have cited checking / cracking / crazing of clearcoat (sometimes appearing months later) from rapid expansion / contraction. Some 'warm" water in the wash bucket is ok to save your hands, just keep it reasonable.
I'll probably think of more as I imagine myself back in the northeast, but that's it for now. Let's hear some more ideas or questions from everybody.
10-15-03, 07:29 PM
#2
Lexus Champion
Thanks for the write up guitarman.
So from what I get, wax and sealant play the same role as far protection and enhancing paint gloss?
I plan on doing either of these pretty soon, what's the lowest temperture I can apply these at? It's getting cold fast in NY.
So from what I get, wax and sealant play the same role as far protection and enhancing paint gloss?
I plan on doing either of these pretty soon, what's the lowest temperture I can apply these at? It's getting cold fast in NY.
10-15-03, 09:55 PM
#3
Moderator
Thread Starter
technics, as far as the products go ( wax or sealant ) you should get good results when applying well into the 40's, even just above freezing. From what i've read on the subject, Zaino for example, does well in the cold. Carnaubas will likely go on a bit thicker because of it, since they contain oils/solvents.
More important for most waxes and sealants is humidity. If you can apply them in fairly dry, less humid air, chances are you'll get a good result. In high humidity, they can be finickiy and streak ( this is a problem here in Florida). So pay more attention to the relative humidity rather than the cold. I would avoid waxing in SUB-freezing temperatures mostly because I would freeze! The solvents in waxes would still allow them to haze even below 32 deg I believe. When i lived up north, I used to apply wax products in the mid to upper 30 degree range, and I never had problems.
Some waxes can also congeal in their containers (Meguiar's Gold Class did this to me years ago) if they freeze, so store your stuff inside the house if your shed or garage sees anything below freezing, just to be safe.
More important for most waxes and sealants is humidity. If you can apply them in fairly dry, less humid air, chances are you'll get a good result. In high humidity, they can be finickiy and streak ( this is a problem here in Florida). So pay more attention to the relative humidity rather than the cold. I would avoid waxing in SUB-freezing temperatures mostly because I would freeze! The solvents in waxes would still allow them to haze even below 32 deg I believe. When i lived up north, I used to apply wax products in the mid to upper 30 degree range, and I never had problems.
Some waxes can also congeal in their containers (Meguiar's Gold Class did this to me years ago) if they freeze, so store your stuff inside the house if your shed or garage sees anything below freezing, just to be safe.
10-20-03, 06:19 PM
#4
Moderator
Thread Starter
Here are some more tips I found;
For products you choose to leave in a cold garage or shed, squeeze some air out of the bottle before you close the lid, it will give some room for the product to expand and not crack the container. Most quick deatiler sprays can freeze, these should be among the products squeezed a bit before capping off. Any water-based silicones are also best stored indoors as well.
Carnauba waxes are exempt from freezing for the most part (*Antarctica notwithstanding*). I know Pinnacle even suggests you store their wax in a refridgerator, which I do FWIW.
If a product does freeze, but the contents DON'T separate. then you're usually ok to use it once it thaws. The ones that you shouldn't use will congeal / seperate.
In very cold weather, if glass cleaners give you trouble, try using windshield washer fluid with methanol in it in place of glass cleaners to clean the windows. the methanol is the ingredient that acts as an 'antifreeze' for its use in the windshield washer reservior.
Try to treat all your leather, rubber and vinyl at temps over 50 degrees. Below 50, they become more brittle and are much more reluctant to absorb conditioners.
More tips added as found.
For products you choose to leave in a cold garage or shed, squeeze some air out of the bottle before you close the lid, it will give some room for the product to expand and not crack the container. Most quick deatiler sprays can freeze, these should be among the products squeezed a bit before capping off. Any water-based silicones are also best stored indoors as well.
Carnauba waxes are exempt from freezing for the most part (*Antarctica notwithstanding*). I know Pinnacle even suggests you store their wax in a refridgerator, which I do FWIW.
If a product does freeze, but the contents DON'T separate. then you're usually ok to use it once it thaws. The ones that you shouldn't use will congeal / seperate.
In very cold weather, if glass cleaners give you trouble, try using windshield washer fluid with methanol in it in place of glass cleaners to clean the windows. the methanol is the ingredient that acts as an 'antifreeze' for its use in the windshield washer reservior.
Try to treat all your leather, rubber and vinyl at temps over 50 degrees. Below 50, they become more brittle and are much more reluctant to absorb conditioners.
More tips added as found.
10-23-03, 12:34 AM
#5
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: New York
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might i suggest getting a fwd car to drive during the winter.. i don't have this option so mostlikely i'm going to take the bus. all i know is if anyone throws snow on top of my car. all hell is going to break loose. sucks not having a garage to park your car in during the winter..
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