Re: Eurolocks and foul weather

[Igor Kessel <e6941tb@ix.netcom.com>]

Dan Simoes wrote:
> 
> > A trick which is used in Russia in the winter to fight a frozen door lock:
> > Heat up the cigarette lighter, firmly push it up against the keyhole, insert
> > and turn the key QUICKLY :)
> 
> You guys must leave the windows open then, or you have external
> lighters :) (think about it)

No, we ask a friendly gearhead passer-by to lend us a lighter.

Incidently while we are on the subject.
In January and February if I happened to leave the car overnight outside on the 
street I normally won't even bother to try to start it up in the morning (at -35 
to -40°C). I would catch a cab out on the street, jumper cables in hand.
For 2 rubles he would give me a jump start; everybody's happy :)

Here's yet another trick from the Country that the rest of the world somehow 
perceives as one_gigantic_Siberia: in the evening, right before you shut the 
engine off, pour a glass (200ml) of gasoline in the cranckcase and let it idle 
for ~30 sec. 
In the morning the engine would start much easier coz gasoline has kept the oil 
dilluted to a less viscous state. Within minutes of driving the gasoline vapor 
would have burned out in the carb through the recirculating sys and the oil 
would get back to the spec. Worked well at mild temperatures (down to -20°C).

Of course I am talking here about Russia circa mid eighties. The syntoils were 
unheard of back then. Some braveheads ventured into building the *TENs* (the 
spiral type ~220v heating elements, commonly found in electric tea kettles) into 
the oil pan. They worked like a dream. The car equipped like this would sport a 
standard ~220v plug with a cable in the front grille.
In Canada I saw a lot of cars, outfitted with such devices.

Yet one more funny story. I once owned an ancient 2L 45hp '57 car that had a 
3-sp gear box, with straight cut non-syncronised gears and with the shifter on 
the steering column. BTW, if you  haven't mastered the art of double clutching 
you're ain't gonna get no gears changed on that car :)

That car had a watercooled engine. In the winter my buddies would laugh at me 
when I would drain the water out of the system every evening before parking the 
car overnight.
The following morning I would laugh at them while watching them trying to start 
their engines, running with cabls around cars etc.
I would just pour a bucket of hot water in the cooling sys and my car would 
start right up from a quarter-turn. I would then jump start their cars, filled 
with pure 100% antifreeze.

-- 
Igor Kessel
'89 200TQ - 18psi (TAP)
'98 A4TQ - on order...again. For the third time and counting.
Philadelphia, PA
USA