Winter Car Care
Seasonal maintenance of your vehicles in winter is an important procedure both in terms of driving safety and in terms of extending the life of the vehicle. Periodic winter vehicle maintenance reduces the likelihood of being left on the road in adverse weather conditions, and at the same time, you do not endanger the lives of other drivers.
Driving safety is the most important issue during the winter months when windy, cold and rainy days prevail. This is why you should do seasonal vehicle maintenance during the winter, both for your own safety and that of other drivers. It is no secret that with regular maintenance of the car, the performance of the car increases and, accordingly, fuel consumption is reduced. Plus, regular maintenance can help you avoid high maintenance costs.
The scope of seasonal car maintenance activities in the winter includes :
- Carrying out suspension adjustments and wheel balancing after changing a winter tire
- It is necessary to check the engine oil, if necessary replace the engine oil and the oil filter.
- Check the settings of the headlights, check the serviceability of the fog lights.
- In winter, we often use windshield wipers. Wiper blades that have lost their characteristics should be replaced with new ones.
- To prevent water freezing inside the radiator, it is imperative to use antifreeze.
What you should pay attention to when taking care of your car in winter
When the air temperature drops below 7 degrees, the tires of the vehicle become stiff and the coefficient of traction with the road decreases. In such cases, road safety is compromised, and winter tires come to the rescue. Winter tires, thanks to the special rubber structure and the silica material they contain, remain soft. Even at temperatures below 7 degrees, the tires do not harden, and on snowy and icy roads they do not lose traction.
If you do not use antifreeze in cold winter weather, the water in car radiators will freeze. Frozen water creates a lot of pressure in the hoses when the vehicle is running. This results in abnormal situations that cause serious engine failure. The use of antifreeze is one of the issues that should not be overlooked in order to avoid freezing of water in the radiator.
Another important criterion that should not be forgotten is the wiper blades. Despite the fact that they are not given special attention, they are nevertheless one of the elements of driving safety. The wiper blades wear out over time and the glass is not completely cleaned. Remnants of snow and ice, water droplets and streaks begin to remain on the glass. In such cases, light may reflect off the resulting stains on the glass. These light reflections also impair vision and the eyes begin to darken. Especially the field of view narrows in cloudy weather and during snowstorms and blizzards. To ensure good visibility in winter conditions, it is imperative to replace worn wiper blades.
Another of the topical issues of technical maintenance and car care in winter is the prevention of condensation on the windshield (windshield). In this case, it will be sufficient to pour a liquid glass cleaner containing antifreeze into the washer fluid reservoir. You can also use anti-fog sprays that have become popular recently.