My car normally leads the sheltered (literally - garaged) life. Last weekend, however, after a night at a campsite I found that it isn't too keen on the cold. Maybe it had been spoiled? It's perhaps worth mentioning that the car had a major service within the last two weeks.

The bad bits: :(

Anyway, the temperature display showed -7 and it had certainly been colder during the night when I tried to start the car. Key in the ignition. PEEEEEEP. Temperature / coolant symbol flashing. Ignition off, checked levels, radiator. Tried again. PEEEEEEP. S*d it, no sign of anything wrong, levels fine, no fluids in a (frozen) puddle under the car and it was fine the previous night, so I started the engine. After "idling" for about 5 seconds - which seems like a very long time - at about 2500 RPM it settled back down, but the light was still flashing.

While waiting for the needle to rise above "nothing", I opened the glove box, only to find that the plastic had become brittle with the cold, and the handle snapped off. Clucking bell. No, I wasn't trying to force anything.

I was just waiting for my clutch pedal to stick down and I would have had the "perfect" cold-weather start.

The good bits

Once the temperature gague half way to normal I pulled away. The needle then quickly rose to 90, at which point I pulled into a layby and rebooted. This time it started perfectly, with no Christmas lights on the dash.

When back home I found that the glovebox is a lot more modular than I imagined, and the broken bit of plastic can be replaced for around a tenner.

Anyone else find problems with low temps? Is there anything I should do to prepare the car for winter, apart from the usual of carrying extra kit?

yip, very simple answer, temperture sensor on your engine is faulty and your two pin sensor in your water bottle, big pink ball filled with fluid is faulty, replace both parts on a daily basis in work

You think that fault is common enough to get that sorted off-factory now then :confused:

That's a pretty stupid fault to get on a pretty new car I'd say in all honesty. Always amazes me how car companies (not singling out anyone of them) still manage to make this substandard bits part of their cars.

The cynic in me is thinking it can be subpar as long as the warranty replacement costs aren't that high that they cost more than putting the slightly more expensive, slightly better part in in the first place