Storing grease, oil etc.?

[AnthonyH]

I'm wondering which car items like grease or oil, shouldn't be stored in extremes of temperature?

I have some of my car stuff in the conservatory which will get hot in the summer and freezing in the winter.

 

[the green vanper]

You should be able to find storage instructions in the technical sheets of each product. They should be available on the manufacturers websites.

I assume water based products should rather not be exposed to such 'extreme' temperatures when they can freeze or evaporate. And normal european outside temperatures should not impact the products based on crude oil nor syntethics.

 

[AnthonyH]

That does stand to reason. I've just had throw away some paint that i'd stored in the conservatory because it'd turned solid, i think that paint was water based and oil based may have lasted longer. This made me think of car things I should store elsewhere, but i only really have screenwash and coolant that are water based.

 

[the green vanper]

Coolant contains alcohol, so should not freeze. Unless you diluted it too much Screenwash should not also get damaged, both summer and winter ones. I assume you don't have -20 or more for extended period of time.

I think that such temperatures won't damage fluids that are 'thin' and easily mixable. Even if water in it evaporates, it will just get on top of the container. And then flow down to the fluid and get mixed with it.

Paint is much thicker. So if you pour water on top of a waterbased paint it won't mix with it unless you help it. So the paint will get solid with water on top of it.

 

[AnthonyH]

Coolant contains alcohol, so should not freeze. Unless you diluted it too much

LOL, i'm quite lazy with coolant and buy the pre-mixed version. Its kind of wasteful really but I don't need much in any given year, if any.

Screenwash should not also get damaged, both summer and winter ones. I assume you don't have -20 or more for extended period of time.

I was investigating summer and winter screenwash this evening. Here in the UK it hardly ever gets below minus 5 degrees C, so i've only ever seen "Blue" screenwash for sale, i'm assuming "Yellow" is for lower temperatures? or I may be getting mixed up with the USA.

But anyway, I was at the point of thinking that i'd need to clean the nozzle that shoots the screenwash out from one of my cars because the jet has been tiny for as long as I can remember. However, today I filled up the reservoir and suddenly it fixed itself and started shooting the liquid out like i've never seen before. It has been very warm for this time of year, 18 degrees or so today, so this may have something to do with it? Or did I buy a different brand of car wash recently?

 

[the green vanper]

In PL the blue screenwash is the winter one, the yellow / green the summer one. But there are winter ones that have different freezing points, the light ones of around -10 or -12, the middle ones with around -20 and the ones for harder winters. I'm usually buying the -20, as most of the winter we have around zero, but usually we're getting a week or two of around -15 / -20. The problem with the screenwash is that when driving the windscreen gets colder from the wind...

When I was a kid -30 was not unusual.

 

[AnthonyH]

In PL the blue screenwash is the winter one, the yellow / green the summer one. But there are winter ones that have different freezing points, the light ones of around -10 or -12, the middle ones with around -20 and the ones for harder winters. I'm usually buying the -20, as most of the winter we have around zero, but usually we're getting a week or two of around -15 / -20. The problem with the screenwash is that when driving the windscreen gets colder from the wind...

When I was a kid -30 was not unusual.

Maybe the jet just seemed better because the car was stationary, i'll try it while driving tomorrow.

Its also possible that i previously bought blue screenwash that was more viscous than what i used today. I've thrown away the old bottle, so i'm not sure.

Global warming in the UK has primarily affected Spring, its just a lot milder in March, April and May than when I was a kid. I can't remember having 10 days of sunshine and warmth like we're having at the moment, ever.

 

[the green vanper]

Global warming in the UK has primarily affected Spring, its just a lot milder in March, April and May than when I was a kid. I can't remember having 10 days of sunshine and warmth like we're having at the moment, ever.

On the continent everything is drier and hotter.

I remember riding my bike in April being a kid in winter jacket.
Since around 7 years I was able to get my motorbike out on the last days of March.
This year my first ride of the season was on the 9th of April. And the day before was even warmer, but I only managed to get the motorbike out of storage and prepare it for the season

 

[AnthonyH]

Luckily this winter i didn't have any major car jobs to do. Its certainly a lot nicer being under a car on the driveway in the mild sunny weather we've been having.

Last year in March it was very mild, but rained every day...mmm