BertL

This thread gives me the shivers every time I look at your winter updates. I suspect if any Northeast Visitors Bureau or Chamber of Commerce knew about this thread and some of the photos, they'd like to figure out a way to ban it -- or at least they should.

Having lived all my life in SoCal & Hawaii, with 2-3 year stints in both Arizona and Georgia -- I admit to being a fair weather wimp, and not liking even those couple of New Year's Days in Marietta with 2' icicles hanging from my eves and dozens of crashes on the surrounding interstates. That, along with 30 years of business trips to wintery NY & CT, provided enough of the white stuff for my lifetime.

Take care you-all! Remember to pay your utility bills and stay warm!

kitlz

Weak stomach Bert? I think it's relative. Every part of the country has their share of weather woes from time to time. This has been a relatively mild winter snow-wise, half of what fell last year. Now that was nasty. Temperatures however have been well below normal. It's put a serious dent into my weekly washes. I started this thread five years ago so we could commiserate about having a filthy RX. It's only fair since we have one when they're nice and clean. I'll probably be posting in there this weekend.

A few more weeks and we can retire this thread, that is until next winter

Cruiter

Bert, living in Dixie has it's challenges. Starting tomorrow afternoon our area is under another weather warning for 2-4 inches of snow followed by freezing rain early Saturday. Should be a Jam-up weekend (for the body shops) LOL.

budwom

Well, it's about thirty below zero up here this morning, the coldest February in recorded history continues.

We love our RX350 which is two years old. But one observation (which is not a criticism) is that
since we have four good, toothy snow tires (a must, regardless of AWD) we have had absolutely world class car turds all winter, which is what we call the gigantic brown salt, sand and snow globs which adhere to the car behind each wheel. On most cars you can pretty easily kick these off before entering the garage, but the Lexus seems to have wheel wells which have extra robust adhesion. I've managed to poke them off the car periodically using a sharp implement, but obviously caution is advised with this maneuver.

Lately the globs have become so large they rub against the tires when the front wheels are turned, so I have to take a gardening tool to knock them off. Maybe March will be warmer.

kitlz

Sorry to hear, budwom. The extremely cold weather hasn't made clearing the liner and mud guards easy. The snow and slush turn to ice on contact. Just a few more days of frigid February left.

Cruiter

Roy, I hadn't thought of it before but I guess serious snow tires can produce serious globs of whatever you called them . Well you have to admit it's also been a serious winter so in areas such as yours there are probably quite a few cars producing the same malady.

Not knocking your post or hazing you, but your post gave me a smile and made me laugh. Thanks as I needed it .

Welcome to the forums !!!

budwom

No problem, it's an enjoyable discussion!

Having given this probably way more thought than it deserves, I've settled on the explanation that
my other cars have had plastic or rubber mud flaps behind each wheel, and if you kick them
they have some "give" to them, so they flex a bit and the snow globs fall off. My Lexus doesn't have those flaps, so the globs freeze onto the rigid body, basically, and don't succumb to modest, or even very hard kicks.

As a result of this, the inside of the garage is a genuine mess, as the globs eventually decide to fall off of their own volition, creating a marshland of brown, salty sandy muck.

Maybe March will be nicer...

kitlz

Well, Jim will be able to do his own glob test with the snow heading his way

Cruiter

Thanks Anita, doing my best dance to send it back your way. For tonight, I've a huge pot of S'getti sauce simmering, getting ready to make a salad and toss some garlic bread into the oven. Plenty of red and some cherry or honey sipping whiskey with vanilla ice cream for later. I'm in for the duration and maybe a little bear type hibernation !!!

DunWkg

budwom,

What a nice descriptive term for the ice globs in the wheel wells !!

I absolutely agree, the flexible rubber mud flaps are the best for kicking and breaking out the chunks of winter build up.

On very rare occasions, there is a collection of snow/ice on the inner wheel barrels. Not noticeable driving down a street, but at highway speeds the vibrating of headache-causing, headrests beating on your head are a clue it's time to grab the scraper and clean out between the wheel spokes.

Right now it's too cold to go out photograph the dirty car. Although not enjoying a soothing beverage like Cruiter, a straight hot chocolate is very comforting. Thankfully the wind has stopped and the real temperature and the wind chill are the same....minus ten.

budwom

Oh yes, when I drive through a deep new snow fall and get snow jammed into the wheels themselves, the wheels can go WAY out of balance, rattles the fillings in my teeth. Tough to get that stuff out of there, too.

Our driveway is now littered with snow globs/turds from our two vehicles, quite an ugly sight.

Maybe March will be nicer!

COPAPILOT

When I lived in Ontario I had the same problem. Not much you can do now except use a length of 1x4 to clear it but before next years snow, spray Pam on your plastic wheel well liners and the snow will not stick as well.

kitlz

A little winter white.

Cruiter

Anita, you know you're not allowed to drive w/all that up there .

kitlz

Jim, I cleared off the snow (per the law) but I still wound up with a snow belt