Modern cars are well able to handle winter conditions but there are still a few small things that we can all do to get our cars winter ready, ensure we're safe and to make life that little bit easier. let's get straight to it:
Visibility:
With cold weather comes the daily chore of de-misting steamy windows - Don't be tempted to drive off peering through that 6" window you've cleared! We won't go into the science behind it but this combination heater control settings is proven to clear your windows in the quickest possible time! if you're interested in the science you can read more about it here
- Heat on Full
- Air-con On
- Recirculating air off
- Open windows slightly
For de-icing, rather than the kettle of hot water you're much better off using a
plastic scraper and a can of
de-icer. It also works great on door locks and door seals too.
We stock a handy
winter kit which includes includes all the items you need when your car is iced over on those frosty Winter mornings and includes a unique product called Gummi Pflege, manufactured by Nextszett Germany. You apply it to the cars door seals to stop the doors from freezing shut! It's a hugely popular product - we have trouble keeping it on the shelf!
Kit Contents:
- Holts 600ml De Icer.
- Holts -15 Screen wash 1ltr.
- Heavy duty ice scraper.
- Gummi Pflege.
- MicksGarage Branded Microfibre Cloth
Tyres
Standard summer tyres, once there is plenty of tread depth will work pretty well throughout a typical winter in the UK & Ireland but once the
temperature gets close to zero they do start to struggle. Winter tyres are made from a softer compound of rubber which will continue to work at much lower temperatures and have much more aggressive tread patterns which work really well if it does snow - Winter tyres will significantly reduce stopping distances in snowy, icy and wet weather conditions.
Click here to browse our selection of tyresBatteries & jump starters
Cold weather has a dramatic impact on the performance of your cars battery so if it's on it's last legs you'll often find out about it at the first cold snap of weather. Now is a good time to replace it if
A handy piece of kit to keep in the car is a
jump starter pack - These things used to be massive but now they'll fit in your glove box - they stay charged for months on end and you can even use them to charge your mobile or laptop - super handy!
Coolant & Antifreeze
If your car doesn't have antifreeze in the engine's cooling system, when temperatures fall below zero the water in the system can freeze. when water freezes it expands and this expansion is powerful enough to crack your engine block - believe me, I know from first hand experience! For the average Joe, testing the amount of antifreeze in your car something you're unlikely to do, so if that's you, then it's a good idea to ask your mechanic to test the level of antifreeze in the system the next time your car is in the garage. For all you DIY'ers out there, it's actually an extremely simple process to check your antifreeze, you simply need an
antifreeze tester which looks like a fancy Turkey baster!
