People in Britain are used to having to deal with the harsh effects of winter weather on an annual basis. The sad truth, however, is that many people do not adequately prepare their cars for commuting to and from work on a daily basis, or making essential journeys such as to the local supermarket or GP surgery.
If you want to make sure that your car is as prepared for winter as it can possibly be, then you should check out these top tips!
Use silicone lubricant on door rubbers
Do you ever find that when the weather is so cold outside, and ice starts to form on your car, that you find it virtually impossible to open any of your car doors – even if you spray lots of deicer on them?
The reason why this happens is because any water or moisture on your rubber door seals gets trapped against your car doors, and as temperatures plummet that moisture turns into ice.
But luckily there is a simple solution to preventing this problem from happening in the future – apply some silicone lubricant spray on your door rubbers! You can also use this spray inside of your door locks too.
Protect your windscreen
One thing I hate about trying to set off in my car on a frosty morning is the fact that I have to spend ages deicing my windscreen!
Even if I spray some deicer on my windscreen and wait for any ice to melt, there are always bits of windscreen that are just too stubborn to shift, and I begrudgingly have to use a scraper to remove them – which can annoyingly leave scratches if I use it too harshly!
Then, of course, there is the issue of having to demist the inside part of the windscreen. Air conditioning doesn’t normally work under a certain temperature, and not many cars have heated windscreens, which work in the same way as heated rear windows.
The best (and also cheapest) way of protecting your windscreen from the elements is to use a windscreen cover. You simply cover the exterior of your windscreen with the cover and use your car doors and wipers to keep it in place, then when you want to use your car in the morning you can simply remove the cover and head off to your destination in seconds!
Make sure your battery is charged and in good working order
Everyone knows that it can sometimes be harder to start a car in colder weather; this is due to slower chemical reactions inside of the battery in colder temperatures. If your car has had the same battery for the past 5 or so years, then you should consider replacing it with a new battery that has more CCAs (cold cranking amps).
Cooper Mini, a Mini Dealer Sunderland, recommends the Bosch S5 line of batteries for cars that are located in parts of the United Kingdom such as northern England and Scotland where temperatures can be rather unforgiving in the winter!
