Winter Gadgets/Tips (kinda long)

[Joe Yakubik <75363.2524@compuserve.com>]

Not quite timely, but...
 
While carrying a snowblower in your car is a great idea, it's just not that
practical for everyone.  Also in the interest of providing info to those less
acquainted with winter driving/conditions here are a few of my recommendations:

New (Winter) wiper blades  (keeping an old one as a spare isn't a bad idea
either, I've had them freeze to the windshield and in my zeal to free them ended
up ripping one in pieces)

One of those nifty programmable intermittent wiper relays.  A sort of elegant
solution.  Switch from OFF to INT, and it goes at 6 sec intervals.  Back to OFF
it wipes once, then enters a standby mode (45 sec), when you select INT again
(ie your windshield needs wiped again), this is your new interval.  It's
plug-and-play, and just what every Audi needs, more electrical gadgets.

Wiper fluid mixed to well below freezing.  (Recommened especially to those
skiers in CA, BTDT)

For those Audis not equipped with heated locks: De-icer in your coat pocket (not
in the glove compartment...)

For those with aforementioned locks: a quick review.  They are activated by
lifting up on the handle, not by turning the key.

When the lock works, but the door is frozen shut: Don't pull too hard, you may
end up ripping the rubber weather-stripping, try another door and crawl around.
To prevent this you can spray your weather stripping with a silicon lube
(lightly) then put a little talcum on them or you can put a light coat of
vaseline on them, but this has a big mess potential.

Per other posts: extra fuses are always a good idea, especially in winter.
Blade fuses should be common, but you never know...

When starting your car ALWAYS clean off the headlights, including at gas
stations.  One time I had built up over an inch of ice on my headlights driving
in freezing rain.  My foglights were hot enough to melt the stuff, but not the
regular low beams.

Of course: snow tires, aux lights, certificate from Winter Driving Course,
etc...

A lot more than my $0.02. 

Joe Yakubik