motoring tips in winter

[Fran]

Leave car windscreen wipers in mid sweep when you park your car at night and it will be easier to remove ice the next day.

if you get stranded in the wilderness of the thurso-inverness road or elsewhere, make three fires in a triangle 50 feet apart. this is an international distress signal, then pray a plane passes overhead to notice it.

If your car sticks in mud use your rubber foot mats from the car to stick under the tyres. Rock the car back and forward so that it can get a grip on the mats and motor out of the mud.

always carry a rug, silver foil, phone and hot drink, and always tell someone when you leave and when you should arrive at your destination. note down the local police numbers. take a spade with you too. Bring back the cb radio...these were so useful in emergencies and stevens lorries were always on the road talking to each other, that way there was always help on hand.
good motoring.

[kas]

Only thing is if it is the Navadale side of the Ord, then there is no mobile signal to contact anyone, as we learnt getting stuck there this March. Luckily there was a tailback and some people managed to get back to Helmsdale to phone out for a plough. Also phone signals have been known to go down in bad weather.

So dont just rely on mobiles, as Fran says blankets and a hot drink are essential. Luckily it was drifting that our problem was, but it could have been a different story had it been snowing, Thurso and Helmsdale had no snow whatsoever, you can never tell with the Ord when it comes to snow.

[Fran]

i agree, I left Inverness at 2pm on a lovely sunny afternoon and soon before helmsdale it was thick snow. the gates were shut and the blizzards were really bad, we couldnt see the roads. it was a nasty experience but we got home safely eventually.

[Rheghead]

Stock up on Kendal mintcake, a gas stove, blankets, a spade, and a mobile phone.

oh, did I forget to mention a gas guzzling 4X4 with offroad tyres?

[Naefearjustbeer]

stay at home in front of the fire with a hot toddy save all the hassle:)

[lasher]

Leave car windscreen wipers in mid sweep when you park your car at night and it will be easier to remove ice the next day.

Can't see how this would make it easier to remove ice, good way to wreck your wipers though, if you leave them mid sweep as soon as you turn on the ignition they will try and move, not good if they are frozen to the screen!!

[Doleve]

As lasher has just said leaving your wipers mid sweep leaves a very high chance of bending the linkage or burning the motor out or at least reducing its life. Try it if you like wasting money on new parts.

[William]

That is a good point but if they are in the middle could ytou not lift them up as there will be no snow there and you can then work up and down to remove the ice/snow from the window instead of working up from the wipers if they were at the bottom?

[DrSzin]

Clear out all the junk from your garage and put the car in there. No problems with frozen wipers then.
Take heed of my own advice.

[SJR]

Clear out all the junk from your garage and put the car in there. No problems with frozen wipers then.
Take heed of my own advice.


Been thinking about it for years! anyone know where to keep the junk? haha!
William, ive accidently left wipers mid sweep before and they still freeze to screen.

[William]

Been thinking about it for years! anyone know where to keep the junk? haha!
William, ive accidently left wipers mid sweep before and they still freeze to screen.
Oh i see lol oh well can't say i have had that problem my mode of transport does not have Wipers :( or anywhere to keep stuff to help out if i get stuck in the snow.

[dragonfly]

leave wipers mid sweep but place a poly bag under them, then before starting engine, lift wipers, remove poly bags and hey presto, clear window and no frozen wipers :D

[Rubha_an_Tuir]

Why not buy a can of De-Icer and a scraper? (Like I have been meaning to do all week, running out of CD boxes as makeshift scrapers now!!)

I've heard you can get this pre-freeze stuff that prevents ice forming on the windscreen? Never tried it though.

[dragonfly]

i bought it last year and wasn't impressed, left windscreen very greasy