advice on getting the car sorted for winter

momofthree · Post by **momofthree** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:33 pm

hello
I am looking for advice for getting our GB car ready for winter here...
I know about getting winter tyres but is there anything else I need to do?
Also, can anyone recommend a garage where I can get tyres done etc? Live in northern helsinki...
many thanks

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Mattlill2000 · Post by **Mattlill2000** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 9:44 pm

Check to see if your heater is good enough. Some cars aren't equipped with heaters good enough for cold northern climates. Also its good to get a block heater installed.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:11 pm

if you're paying for the "pole position" in your yard better get a block heater... if you're only driving in the south it might be worth contemplating between slicks and studs for winter tires... and then you better check your liquids to be atleast -20 worth, a frozen block costs more than a new car... motor oils these days tend to be year-around, I remeber in the 70's you changed winter oil and summer oil

peteh · Post by **peteh** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:55 am

From your post it seems that this also could be your first time at winter driving. How old is your car? is it equipt with ABS, EPS etc. etc.
Because if its on the older side, and it's your first time in the ice and snow, then you may want to get some advice and driving practice in.
Even after over 10yrs driving here, with modern cars, I always get a bit shakey when the first snow falls.
Ask a friendly native to give you some pointers in a deserted car park somewhere.

meplusthree · Post by **meplusthree** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:27 pm

First find yourself a local garage, get them to check your anti freeze is ok !. If you can afford it get the engine heater and insde heater (LOHKOLÄMMITIN+SISÄHAAROITUS+LÄMMITIN) I just had complete system fitted including the fan heater for 400 eur.
As for tips - get some screen wash with very low freezing point. Put some silicon spray on the door rubbers and wipe off excess with cloth - helps to stop doors freezing shut. Get small bottle of lock de-icer and dont keep it in the car !.
When parking dont use the hand brake - just leave the car in gear the brakes can freeze on !

bm50 · Post by **bm50** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:29 pm

Also has your car been tested here? Like mot ( katsastus)? Is your car right hand drive? Only I am not sure but is it true that you can only use a right hand drive car here for so long then you must convert it to left hand drive? Would'nt it have been better to have sold your car before coming here then buying a car in Finland as then the car would be prepared to drive here? Garages are expensive here for repairs etc but you can find do it yourself garages!

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:44 pm

bm50 wrote:Is your car right hand drive? Only I am not sure but is it true that you can only use a right hand drive car here for so long then you must convert it to left hand drive?

Tell that to Itella (Post). They buy lot of cars with steering on right, easier to deliver mail straight from car. So no need to conversion, which would be hard or impossible (or impossibly expensive).

edit: left -> right

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:54 pm

bm50 wrote:Also has your car been tested here? Like mot ( katsastus)? Is your car right hand drive? Only I am not sure but is it true that you can only use a right hand drive car here for so long then you must convert it to left hand drive?

No, it's not true. I've had a RHD car since I moved here, it's been on Finnish plates for about 5 years. Last inspection it passed with 0 faults.

A true RDH --> LHD conversion is almost impossible in a modern car. The only thing which needs to be converted to make an RHD legal in Finland are the headlamp lenses and the rear foglights (my car had one at the back, Ford offered to either switch the sides or install a second, I took the latter). The things I needed were

- new LHD headlamp lenses (€300)
- second set of rims and winter tyres and (€750)
- block and cabin heaters (€400 ish).
- inspection, registration plates (ca. €200)
- Shipping costs around €500

Total excluding import tax (€2150)

bm50 wrote:Would'nt it have been better to have sold your car before coming here then buying a car in Finland as then the car would be prepared to drive here?

Not if the OP has owned it for over 6 months and can bring it as a removals vehicle. For comparison ... a 2005 Ford CMax would sell for about £5k in Britain ( €6250 ) and to buy the same one here would cost > €15k. Net loss €8750.

Compared to bringing over your own car from Britain, which costs only €2200-€3000.

It's a no brainer. The saving is around €6k in the case of a 2005 CMax.

momofthree · Post by **momofthree** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:51 pm

hi there
Many thanks for all the great tips...I am a bit nervous about this all, esp as I saw 5-6 neighbours all changing tyres this weekend!
We drove here from the UK and are here for under a year so have been advised that no need to register with FIN plates etc. The car is about 7 yrs old and so an expensive conversion to get all this sorted, but I guess it has to be done...the block heater will be worth more than the car

And no, I have never driven on ice and snow so am planning on getting some tips and/or lessons before I go slip-sliding away.
Thanks again,
Sarah

EP · Post by EP » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:00 pm

If you are mom of three like your name suggests, for the sake of those three, I suggest that you take some proper ice/snow driving lessons in a driving school. They have those.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:09 pm

EP wrote:I suggest that you take some proper ice/snow driving lessons in a driving school. They have those.

...and they can arrange them even without there actually being any ice or snow on the roads at the moment:

Of course, doing it on a real ice track – on the surface of a frozen lake, if possible – would be more fun...

momofthree · Post by **momofthree** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:16 pm

oh ****!!! I am selling the car as soon as posti opens up tomorrow morning. aargh
definitely taking those lessons and thanks for letting me know they can be done before it's all frozen

Cod · Post by **Cod** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:41 am

..don't panic, it's far safer driving here than on a snowy day in London - at least you know that the car behind you probably is a Finn, with studd tyres and knows how to stop - whereas in UK on a snowy day you know full well the guy behind you is inexperienced in snow, does not have studd tyres and is probably driving too close too fast!

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:31 pm

cow-heada wrote: whereas in UK on a snowy day you know full well the guy behind you is inexperienced in snow, does not have studd tyres and is probably driving too close too fast!

I don't wish to open an old debate, but at least in my experience Finns tend to drive much closer to the car in front than do people in the UK (used to drive around 80k Km/year in the UK). 2 metres between cars here in Finland is a common (and slightly annoying) sight.

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:41 pm

Agreed, tailgating is an issue here as is misplaced confidence in snow tires that Finnish drivers seem to think are magical devices which allow you to drive in the same manner and at the same speed in Winter as you do in Summer.

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