Cover for car windows in winter

The goal is to get an accurate template of each window shape in the car. And since the two door and back side windows are symmetric I only had to take one template of each. This was intentional. And more importantly, people expect to see those kinds of window covers already, it would be strange to see a cars entire front window blacked out by my privacy window cover. Anyway, now it was time to buy all of the material. I used the paper templates to measure the size of fabric I would need to cover the pieces and headed over to JoAnn Fabrics.

Originally, I wanted to purchase felt because it would have great light absorbing properties, and I still think it would be a great choice. I purchased a couple yards of black for the outward facing side and an equal amount of white for the inside. Before I started making all the covers, I wanted to test out my idea.

So, I took the smallest window template in the car and cut out a few Reflectix panels that matched the template, and then cut out each fabric color with about an inch of overlap. Then came the trial and error part…. Remember how I said I wanted to sew these? Well I actually tried it. Wrapped the fabric around a single layer of Reflectix and tucked the edges of the white fabric and placed that on top of the open edges of black fabric and the exposed Reflectix. The stack was way to thick and too squishy to be moved through the feed-dogs of my machine.

So, I had to scrap that idea and moved to plan B. Taking two layers of reflectix now, I used the Super 77 spray adhesive to attach the fabric to each separate piece of Reflectix. Then, I again used the spray adhesive to attach the two panels together, trapping the raw edges of the fabric between the panels. This looked much cleaner and was surprisingly sturdy, not feeling like it would fall apart. The interior looked really nice with the white fabric.

It made the space feel a bit more roomy having those in there opposed to a darker color. The picture below requires a bit of explaining to know how awesome it is! I have all my lights on in the car and they are pretty bright. You can see into the car through the back door window, and directly to the right of that is the window with the cover in it. It actually took me a second to realize where I had put up the test privacy window cover, because it worked so well in preventing light in or out.

The only way to tell it was there was to shine a flashlight directly into the window and look closely to see the fabric behind the glass. Barring that, it was completely undetectable. With this success in and, I continued with the rest of the covers! Using the paper templates I took earlier, I cut out two panels of Reflectix per window. One tip that I can give if you want to use this same construction, orient the creases in the Reflectix to be perpendicular in each panel.

The careful reader will notice that I failed to do this, so definitely listen to Lucas of the future on this one! It was also important to stay organized since all the panels looked similar and could have easily become mixed when proceeding to cover each panel in fabric. I was really glad to have taken all of these cutouts to my car for a dry fit. While I was down at the car, I also took note of the covers that were directly contacting a steel door frame. On these sides I planned to add magnets to better hold in the covers.

With all the planning accomplished, I began the long process of tracing all the panels onto the fabric leaving about a 1 inch of allowance to be wrapped around the edge of the Reflectix. With all the fabric cut out, I started the process of attaching it to the Reflectix using the Super 77 spray adhesive Amazon Link. I placed small rare earth magnets like these: Amazon Link on the edges of the Reflectix and folded over the fabric edges using scissors to make small cuts around the curves and corners allowing the fabric to sit flat.

I was very careful to note which panel of each pair went on the outside and which went on the inside. Cold temperatures make it hard to find the motivation to run out the door first thing in the morning.

Add scraping your windshield to the list, and it becomes that much harder to make it to the car. The answer: a good windshield cover. Windshield covers eliminate the need for scraping and give you a full field of view as soon as you hit the road. But some are more effective and easier to use than others, and price differences often reflect the quality of the materials and construction used to make the cover.

Size Windshield size and shape varies by the make and model of the car, and windshield covers come in as many different sizes. Before you buy, measure your windshield so you have a basic idea of the dimensions.

Manufacturers may make a windshield cover in several different sizes while others are designed for a close, almost custom fit. If you plan to use the cover on more than one car, buy a cover that will fit the largest car on which it may be used. Installation ease Installation ease varies by the attachment design of the windshield cover. For example, some covers require that the car doors be open during installation. Other designs have adjustable straps with buckles and attachment hooks while still others use elastic straps and rearview mirror pockets for installation and fit.

Coverage How much coverage do you want? Some windshield covers may only protect the windshield itself while others may also cover the rearview mirrors, the top of the car, side windows, and the rear windshield. An extended coverage area may keep ice and snow off a greater portion of your car, but it usually takes longer to put the cover on. Some covers also include UV protective materials much like a car sun shade that reflect light and prevent sun damage to the interior of your car, making them a great choice for the summer months as well.

Attachment options The way in which the cover attaches to the windshield makes a big difference in fit. In turn, the fit can affect how effective the cover is at protecting your windshield from ice and snow. The most common attachment features include:. Tie-down straps with hooks attach to the wheel well or the hubcap to hold the cover in place. Once the cover is positioned correctly on both sides, you can tighten the straps.

This kind of attachment system works well with covers that are meant to fit a wide variety of windshield sizes, as tie-down straps offer a greater adjustment range. A fuel stabilizer like this one is a must for winter storage. Gasoline starts to lose its octane a lot quicker than you might think. If left untreated, that 91 octane you put in your tank in the fall will be nowhere near 91 octane when you come back in the spring.

This can be catastrophic for high performance engines. A bottle of fuel stabilizer is cheap and can really help out. Even when using fuel stabilizer, I still make sure to take it easy when using up that old tank of gas in the spring time. This is extra important on turbocharged or high compression engines. Drive it gently and avoid building boost as much as possible.

This is most definitely an exercise in self control for some. Pumping 5 or 10 extra psi into your tires is a good idea. As the temperature changes, your tire pressure might drop gradually over time. Flat spots are not a common problem on modern, radial tires. They were an issue with old bias-ply tires found decades ago. Any minor flat spots that might happen will quickly be worked out as soon as you drive down the highway.

Cracking your windows an inch will do the trick. If you want to take it a step further and use silica packs to absorb moisture, you can. The same thing goes for rodents and pests. I always pull the batteries out of my vehicles before storing them for the winter. I keep them at home on a wooden shelf and top them up with a tender once a month to make sure they stay fully charged.

Yes, this will wipe out any radio presets and clocks. A good quality tender like this one will give your battery a gentle charge only when it needs it. Trickle chargers are a bad idea when left unattended. Climbing into a freezing car is not fun, so many resort to starting the vehicle and letting it warm up before they leave for the day. This is viable for a couple minutes; however, engines are not designed to idle for long periods of time.

According to AutoBlog, idling for too long causes buildup on the spark plugs , rendering them less efficient. This may be bad news for your wallet, too, as it wastes gas. Many who live in cities that rarely see snowfall neglect changing their tires for the appropriate season.

Summer tires begin experiencing faulty performance when the temperature falls below A thin layer of ice on the road can weaken summer tires, leading to poor handling and braking.

Tires tend to be a bigger issue in the winter due to compressed air that cooler weather brings. It may be a good idea to keep an emergency maintenance kit in the car and include a portable air pump and pressure gauge.