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From: sasrer@unx.sas.com (Rodney Radford)
Subject: WD-40 as moisture repellant (was Lead Acid batteries & Concrete?)
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Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1993 14:46:23 GMT
References: <1993Apr21.204556.21262@cronkite.ocis.temple.edu> <1993Apr22.220549.26828@dmu.ac.uk> <1993Apr23.115031.6151@titan.inmos.co.uk>
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stephen@dogmatix.inmos.co.uk (Stephen Collyer) writes:
>|> The same thing happens to my car (Citroen 2CV) -- damp gets under the
>|> bonnet (US: "hood") and shorts the spark-plugs to earth so it won't start.
>|> 
>|> The solution (for the car) is to clean the plug leads and spray with
>|> WD-40 (moisture repellant).  If damp *is* the problem, then storing the 

>Well, this is off-topic, but back in the days when I used to drive bangers
>I never found WD-40 to do anything that wiping with a dry cloth did'nt do.
>I think the effectiveness of WD-40 is a myth invented by the guy who owns
>the company.

Back in high school I used to work for a detailing company, and one of the
services we offered was an engine cleaning (remove all that oil BEFORE you
sell the car...  ;-}). Unfortunately, we did not have a high pressure
washer so we would use one several miles from the shop. On more than one
occasion after washing the engine, it would not start as water would have
gotten under the distributor (I would put a plastic bag around it to try and
minimize this), around the spark plug wires, etc and it would be nearly
IMPOSSIBLE to try and wipe all these areas down with a dry rag. The usual
solution was to carry a can of WD-40, and when the car wouldn't start to spray
all the likely areas and it would then start on the very first time.

It may be a myth, but it certainly kept me from being stranded at a car wash...

--
---
Rodney Radford          || Computer Graphics/Imaging
sasrer@unx.sas.com      || SAS Institute, Inc.
(919) 677-8000 x7703    || Cary, NC  27513

