Winter Prep: Antirust, Mudguards, and Engine Heater?

[stefan]

Hi all,

I’ve been preparing my Jazz Mk4 for the upcoming winter in Finland, and I was curious about what other owners, especially those in colder climates, are doing to get their cars ready. I know most users here are from the UK or places with milder winters, but I’d also love to hear your experiences.

Specifically, has anyone done any antirust treatment for the underbody? I’m considering it, given the amount of road salt used here. I’m also thinking of adding front mudguards to reduce stone chips on the sills, but I’ve noticed the plastic trim of the mudguard could trap salt water near the metal panels. Do you have any thoughts on that? Does it help, or could it make things worse?

Lastly, I’m debating whether installing an engine block heater is worth it for our hybrid models. I know not many places get quite the same cold as we do in Finland, but has anyone done anything similar, or do you think it’s unnecessary?

[ahavoja]

Hi,

Last winter I put rubber floor mats in my Jazz, because fabric mats let the water go through. Shoes bring some snow in the Jazz every time and then it melts when Jazz warms up. It's important that the edges of the rubber floor mats are tall enough, so that the water doesn't go over their edge, even when the car is moving. If the water gets under the rubber mat, then it won't dry easily, because the rubber mat is not breathable.

Another useful thing was a silica gel dehumidifier bag. Overnight it absorbed some water from the air inside the Jazz so that the inside of the windows was not covered in frost in the morning.

I tried a hydrophobic window treatment on the outside of the windows. It makes ice stick less strongly to the glass, making it easier to scrape the ice off. The downside is that the treatment causes some streaking or hazing on the windshield when using wipers in wet weather. On side and rear windows it's ok. Even so, I don't like scraping ice, as it may scratch the glass.

I have also thought about engine block heater, mudguards and antirust treatment, but I don't have any of those (at least yet).

I guess the most important things have been winter tyres and a snow brush.

[stefan]

Thanks, ahaovja. Did your Crosstar come with those rubber floor mats, or did you buy them separately? I had a hard time finding good ones that fit and ended up buying a set from German Amazon.

That silica gel dehumidifier bag idea is cool! How long does it last?

Winter tyres and a brush are practically standard kit here 8 months out of 12.

[ahavoja]

I have the Honda ones, got them from my local Honda dealer separately. The edges on those are only about 2 cm tall, which is good enough when the car is parked, but when driving hard, the water can go over the edge.


There are some taller edged rubber mats available in China, for "Honda Fit". Some can even have a 10 cm tall edge, which would be nice. But those can be hard to find.


I have this dehumidifier: https://kungs.fi/tuote/kuivaus/kungs-kosteudenpoistaja-1-kg/
It lasts a few weeks and then it can be dried by heating it. Might be easier to have two of them, and keep one drying indoors in a dry place, while the other one can be in the car.

[John Ratsey]

Lastly, I’m debating whether installing an engine block heater is worth it for our hybrid models. I know not many places get quite the same cold as we do in Finland, but has anyone done anything similar, or do you think it’s unnecessary?

An engine block heater would help address the drop in fuel efficiency when the weather turns cold caused by the engine running continuously to try to get itself warm. I notice that problem in England and it must be more noticeable in colder conditions. The standard fuel economy testing is undertaken in warm weather conditions and few vehicle manufacturers have bothered to try to maintain good fuel economy in cold weather.

[ahavoja]

At current petrol prices, 0.20 € worth of petrol contains about 1 kWh of energy, so if the price of your electricity is cheaper than 0.20 €/kWh, as is usually the case, then it indeed makes sense to warm up the engine with electricity. But if your electricity costs more than 0.20 €/kWh, then it would be cheaper to just let the engine run to warm it up.

[davejazz]

At current petrol prices, 0.20 € worth of petrol contains about 1 kWh of energy, so if the price of your electricity is cheaper than 0.20 €/kWh, as is usually the case, then it indeed makes sense to warm up the engine with electricity. But if your electricity costs more than 0.20 €/kWh, then it would be cheaper to just let the engine run to warm it up.

Love the explanation, and I am sure that it’s pretty well accurate.

Of all the technical things that my wife challenges me with, this would be up there!

Heavens,…I haven’t been successful yet, in her overfilling the kettle, for a brew!

[ahavoja]

I’m also thinking of adding front mudguards

On another thread, I have a photo what happens without front mudguards in winter. The slush sticks to the bottom of the car. Maybe mudguards could prevent that as well? https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=16258.msg138226#msg138226

[stefan]

Thanks for the insight on fuel savings. Just a thought - another perk of the engine heater could be reducing wear during extreme cold starts, although a modern engine's tight tolerances and thin oil probably already minimise this.

@ahaovja, I agree that mudguards could help minimise slush buildup or at least limit it to the wheel wells. I also heard about spraying WD40 around wheel wells, though it sounds extreme.

[ahavoja]

another perk of the engine heater could be reducing wear during extreme cold starts

You are probably right. I guess it can reduce engine wear and that way save on maintenance costs in the long term.

I also heard about spraying WD40 around wheel wells, though it sounds extreme.

Interesting idea. I guess a layer of silicone spray, WD40, oil or something could maybe work, because then the snow couldn't stick directly to the wheel well. But I'm afraid that those oily substances would also collect dust and dirt. Also accidentally getting those sprays onto the brake rotor might make the brakes squeal, so I'm afraid to try it.