Bringing UK car to Finland

[sinikala]

So overtaking is a minor issue as I see it.

I agree. I ran a RHD car here for a few years and have run a LHD car in the UK. Neither was a major issue.

You must all have longer necks than I.
Until we got our LHD car, was doing the 240 km drive between Helsinki and Pori (Valtatie 2) 2-3 times a month in a RHD, that lasted nearly 3.5 years, I make that around 50,000 km driven, and I can tell you that overtaking trucks, especially in winter is an utter pain in the arse in a RHD. Many, many, many times I've been stuck behind a single truck for upwards of half an hour due to lack of visibility / sight of oncoming traffic. You have to rely on your passenger to tell you if the road ahead is clear.

On the up-side, the driving position in a RHD makes it really easy to see speed cameras.

Still not sure how much registration will cost though.

Keyword: rekisteröintikatsastus
So 200 should do it, even in Helsinki.

Off the top of my head, the last time we registered a foreign car (Sept 2005) it was about €150-€200 for the import inspection. And then the cost of the plates on top. I vaguely remember it coming to somewhere between €250 and €300.

However, I was under the impression the fuel was as much the problem in very cold weather so a heater on the tank too?

I don't know anyone with a heater on the fuel tank. The winter fuel additives mean this isn't normally an issue. Just be careful if your mileage really is as low as you imply; make sure you don't keep (only) summer fuel in the tank when the weather gets cold.

Just watch the sticker on the side of the pump, it will have something/something marked: http://www.nesteoil.com/default.asp?pat ... 35,547,557

As well as the tyres and winter diesel, in Finland they use a winter grade of oil capable of going to cold temperatures and more antifreeze in the coolant. You are likely to need full oil and coolant change. Remember also to empty your windscreen washbottle and fill it with window-wash that can go down to -20. Once that's frozen it's a pain to thaw the washbottle.

Another thing that can be different with the UK model is the thermostat. Our German Mondeo's thermostat failed on a drive down to Helsinki one Xmas eve. It was -15°C outside when we drove back on Xmas day with only cold air blowing in the cabin. 3 hours of zero degrees in the car was not pleasant. The Ford guy said the failed German thermostat (not sure if it was on the radiator or the cabin heater) was a different type to the cold weather one they fit here.

[Upphew]

Remember also to empty your windscreen washbottle and fill it with window-wash that can go down to -20. Once that's frozen it's a pain to thaw the washbottle.

And it most likely will break something like the pump...

edit. also the cheapest stuff can have methanol in it.

[Pursuivant]

Well, you just buy a bottle of Sinol and "spike" your washer fluid... doesn't hurt to spike your fuel tank, as the condenced water freezing is the biggest problem when the temperature see-saws between +5 to -15. they do have those additives, but alcohol is alcohol is alcohol.

[sinikala]

Well, you just buy a bottle of Sinol and "spike" your washer fluid... doesn't hurt to spike your fuel tank, as the condenced water freezing is the biggest problem when the temperature see-saws between +5 to -15. they do have those additives, but alcohol is alcohol is alcohol.

If your washbottle freezes when full that's easier said than done (as happened to me once when it dipped below -20) then it can be that there is no room to add antifreeze, and even if you do add it to the tank, hoping that the stuff you add will melt what's in the pumps and lines ...

The only option then is to drive to a heated parking hall - like the Q-Park downtown or under Iso-Omena and wait a couple of hours for it to thaw.

[Pursuivant]

Well, you spike the fluid before it freezes, no use crying after spilled milk. Basically, you can bust the tank, the pump or the connectors, even the hoses... rebuilt a few systems and some of the new ones have such brittle plastic its not even funny... never mind the routing of the pipes...

One thing then, with the car is, when you take it to the heated garage, you need to let it dry as well, as otherwise your locks and door rubbers freeze shut. So "maintenance" is a very big thing to remember to do, silicone greasing the doors, keeping your door lock lubed, oiling the door latch system... oh and good luck with electric windows... you will want them to freeze shut and remove the fuse so nobody goes and freezes them open when you need to drive to Oulu aaahhh... winter driving... one thing I won't miss at all...

[sinikala]

Well, you spike the fluid before it freezes, no use crying after spilled milk. Basically, you can bust the tank, the pump or the connectors, even the hoses... rebuilt a few systems and some of the new ones have such brittle plastic its not even funny... never mind the routing of the pipes...

When mine froze it already had antifreeze in it, just not enough or not strong enough.

The -20°C screenwash is OK for almost all winter driving... except when it drops to closer to -30°C, and yes then I had a cannister of the -50°C stuff in the boot.
Q) how do you get it in when the washbottle is already full of ice.
A) you don't

Depends also on where your washbottle is located... on both of our cars it's just behind the headlights, so never really warms up when driving.

[Pursuivant]

Nevermind the headlight washers...

[dbs]

If you are going to bring RHD car to Finland, then you should make sure it is something interesting that you can sell later on. Skyline, s2000, Supra Twin-turbo, Lexus Sc etc. RHD Mondeo is quite much pointless car to bring to Finland, considering if you want to get rid of it someday. I have RHD Lexus in Finland and I think that RHD is a a bit of an hassle specially in longer runs. I did bring that car from Ireland since the car was about 2k in there and about 12k in Finland, but for Mondeo I do not think this is the same.

[Clarky78]

I wouldn't say I consider doing 25k KM is unusual or anything particularly, I drive over that here every year in miles, but based on the initial usage of the car, I don't find it likely. Also based on the fact that when I met my wife, her car and moved twice that year, both times to Oulu, I get the impression that if working locally public transport and bikes are better option.

Will have to get the coolants checked changed, hadn't considered that.

Not sure about the tyres argument. Things clearly cost more in Finland, the friction tyres here cost less, so unless I want studs buying here is better. My wife's cousin and I were discussing friction tyres over studded, as when I first started visiting Finland, I was surprised his car didn't have studs, and he said that on snow, he think frictino tyres are superior, but not as good, naturally, on ice. I have driven many many miles with studded tyres on the father-in-laws car to Ruka and back and around Oulu, to Helsinki etc, and they amaze me how much grip they have.. Considering how we have to drive in UK with summer tyres in snow! I particularly remember pulling into a services on the way back from Ruka, driving around the empty car park, pulling up in a space, getting out the car and almost falling flat on my ass because it was sheet ice! I had no idea because the grip from the studded tyres was incredible. I haven't used friction tyres myself though, would be interested to experience those in that situation. Heard bad things about All Season tyres, jack of all trades master of none.. Good in neither conditions.

I understand the considerations of freezing washer bottles, because of damage from expansion. However, in all the time I have driven around Finland in winter I have not needed the washers because the roads are not wet, but frozen and snowy. Surely when the snow thaws and the roads are wet, so too the temperature is higher, so freezing is less issue.

With regards to selling the car, I can't see any reason to sell it in Finland. I would drive it back to UK when I visit home probably, the cost of driving it back would far outweigh the reduction in price in Finland.

[sinikala]

However, in all the time I have driven around Finland in winter I have not needed the washers because the roads are not wet, but frozen and snowy. Surely when the snow thaws and the roads are wet, so too the temperature is higher, so freezing is less issue.

Even when it´s well below zero, other cars (& especially trucks) throw dirty snow up behind them. It can coat your windscreen after a few km which is why you need the washers. Also useful to have headlight washers - lights coated in brown scum aren´t very effective.

[Pursuivant]

lights coated in brown scum

Thats only in Itäkeskus

[aguinness]

I havn´t read everything here but I will later, I just bought a set of alloys for my Mondeo yesterday for my Winter tyres, so I have a set of 16 inch steel wheels which I will no longer use, no tyres unfortunately as I am going to use them. If you are interested let me know. I am in Ireland right now but will be back in Tampere in about 3 weeks.

[Hpslm]

Feh, "arctic" sold from oct-march is -40 proof

Yes, but in my experience, you can buy Arctic at very few places and in most towns nowhere. Winter diesel is around -28 C for crystallization and around -32 C for filtering depending on the manufacturer.

––

As for fuel tank heaters, I can't anymore find the quote about there not being any in Finland, but I would presume there to be lots of them in Finland. They are just built-in. For example a BMW 3-series E91 owner's manual states that the car is equipped with one. This does not, however, mean that one needs that in order to drive. And with diesel, the -30 C starts to be where the trouble is if you keep your car parked for a long period.

If you're considering buying friction winter tyres from Germany, please make sure you're buying Nordic winter tyres and not Central European winter tyres. The latter are designed for wet conditions and for occasional ice. The Tekniikan Maailma article that Jukka Aho linked for has a lot more information on the subject. But the easiest way to distinquish them is to just look at the speed rating of the tire. Nordic ones with their higher friction wear out on higher speeds, so they have a low maximum speed rating.

As for windshield washer fluid, the heavier the traffic on a set road, the more the tires warm the road, the more you start getting slosh on your windshield even during colder weather.

[Clarky78]

Due to the complications, we have decided to bring the van over for the first trip this weekend. This works out quite well, as we can see how much will fit in it and how much is left to go, also allows me to see what may be available for the kind of money we might spend. I hope to speak to a Ford dealer in Finland whilst there to see about the car headlights, but it seem's the internal switch flattens the beam, and not sure if that will pass an MOT or not?

We did expect to pay around 1k to bring it over and make it legal, but the thought of the 400e diesel tax is a hard pill to swallow, and pretty much the nail in the coffin for the car..

[Pursuivant]

You can ask the dealer the exact tax, they'll know for sure.