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Quick tip...

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:46 pm
by carlos_canter
...and have also noted a trend.

I think its mainly down to sod's law kicking in, but when ever a fault is posted on here, it happens to at least one other person.

There was a recent thread about a heater fan packing up, HA HA i thought to my self, low and behold mine started playing up and decided to give up the ghost yesterday on the way home at 6 in the bloody morning!

Doubt its the switch, and its definatley not the motor, so as Gaz has pointed out, the resistor pack is favourite.

So this morning at a "fresh" minus 2 and being out all bloody night i carried out a quick temp solution!

Aquire a length of reasonably thick single core wire, and fit a crocodile clip to either end(a must in all car boots!), open up your bonnet, start the engine and next to the heater fan there is a single red wire from the resistor, clip 1 end of the wire to this and the other to the + terminal of the battery. This gives the fan a direct feed.
Allow the car to warm up and demist the windows etc, then when your ready to go, remove the wire and refit trim. The wire i used did not get warm and the fan will run on its max speed.

I think its safe to say that this should NOT be left in place while driving! if the wire was to come away from the motor and earth out all hell could break loose.

Hopefully this should make the journeys to and from work a little more bearable at least until parts can be sourced especially with the cold snap kicking in.

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:33 pm
by Colorado
Useful idea better than freezing

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:37 pm
by Gaz
if your locked out of your car because the locks are frozen heat the key up till it nearly melts, dont hold it by the blade as it sets fire to your finger then you drop it and have to warm it up again, then leave it in the lock for a min and it will open.

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:44 pm
by Greig Sri
Gaz wrote:if your locked out of your car because the locks are frozen heat the key up till it nearly melts, dont hold it by the blade as it sets fire to your finger then you drop it and have to warm it up again, then leave it in the lock for a min and it will open.

Funny you should say that. I did excatly that the other day. Borrowed a work mates lighter to get in to the Astra. It was -4 c that morning.


Greig

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:13 pm
by Colorado
They always freeze up them locks dont they

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:28 am
by Gaz
years ago i used to have a little deicer that fitted in the lock, not seen one in while thou

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:34 pm
by Mort
The other day when my lock froze I just splashed a little anti-freeze on it, left it for about 30 seconds, unlocked the car, and then rinsed it off. The paint on my car is already rubbish, but it didn't seem to be damaged by the experience. Mind you, I haven't had the car re-sprayed, I'm not sure that I would be so cavalier if I had... (boom boom!!!)

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:50 pm
by humbucker
on the flip side, what better way to annoy your neighbours during winter than firing a water pistol into their door locks the night before a good frost hehe

Re: Quick tip...

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:34 pm
by Gaz
I annoy mine by existing