We do not need to draw your attention to the importance of preparing the vehicle for winter. In any case, please find the basic checkpoints summarized in our article. Also we introduce you 3 super-hints, by following these we can not only protect our car, but also save ourselves hundreds of thousands of forints, annoyance and and needlessly spent time.
1. Tires
If the temperature drops below 7°C, it is advisable to mount the winter tires.
2. Locks
Frozen locks can give us a nasty surprise in the morning, so it is recommended to spray them with lock de-icer before the onset of frosts. During the winter months it is advisable to repeat this after each trip to the car wash.
3. Windows, windshield wiper, windshield washer fluid
Keep an ice scraper and de-icer in the car. This is where point 2 becomes especially important, since if the lock freezes and we cannot enter the car, the ice scraper and de-icer kept there become worthless.
Buy a better quality ice scraper; otherwise, you could easily scratch the windows.
Do not skimp on high-quality windshield washer fluid – it is an indispensable element of one of the two main rules: “see and be seen”. If the windshield wiper leaves streaks or does not clean the windshield properly, the refraction of the headlights of oncoming cars could blind us, leading to an accident.
Switch to a windshield washer fluid designed for winter. Summer windshield washer fluid may freeze in the tank as frosts start. As a result we cannot clean the windshield, and in worse cases the fluid tank may rupture.
4. Lighting
The second main rule is “be seen”. If we want others to see us, it is important to check all lighting fixtures of our car.
5. Battery
As all power supplies, batteries also suffer from the cold of winter. It probably has happened to you, as well, that in very cold weather your phone battery died all of a sudden. The battery of a car must perform under far harsher conditions.
Windshield wipers, windshield/rear window demister, seat heating, mirror heating, fog lights…. the list of electric consumers we use in winter – or more often in winter than in summer – is endless.
Before the start of winter is it advisable to get the state of the battery checked.
6. Coolant
Get the coolant level checked. It is worth getting its frost resistance checked, as well. In addition to not providing proper lubrication for parts, use of a coolant with insufficient frost resistance could also lead to engine damage.
7. Super tips that nobody mentions
a, For cars with xenon headlights the headlight washer is now a mandatory component. Today, almost all vehicles come equipped with this important part, which manufacturers integrate into the bumper or directly into the headlights.
In winter, due to weather conditions, we take our cars to the car wash far more frequently. During the wash, water penetrates under the headlight washer covers, freezing immediately as we drive off into frosty weather.
As a result, we either cannot see, because our headlight washer is not working, or the high-pressure cleaning fluid breaks the cover or the sprinkler of the headlight washer. By spraying the gap under the washer covers once a month in winter we can avoid massive expense in just 20 seconds or so.
b, While washing the car, whether at a car wash or manually, water penetrates the door mouldings. On frosty days the same happens to the rubber parts found here as to the cover of the headlight washer: the metal surface of the door freezes to the rubber seal. It often happens when we wish to get in the car on a frosty morning that although the lock opens, the door does not. Since we are cold and in a hurry to take the children to school or get to work, we might easily resort to forcing the door to open, which can rip the rubber door moulding, whose price is between HUF 30,000 - 120,000. The solution is the same as in point “a”.
c, The side windows of cars are also sealed, with the so-called weatherstrip. Unfortunately, regardless of whether the car is washed, this rubber seal tends to freeze to the side window. Countless times we are in a hurry and cannot wait until the mirror heating defrosts/defogs the mirror so that we can see out – out of routine, we reach for the window control button, and trouble is upon us. The mechanism of power windows contain many plastic parts, which are also subject to temperature changes, becoming rigid and fragile in winter. Who would like their car to look like this, when in just 1 more minute you can prevent this problem, as well.
This was worth reading, right?
author: Endre Deáki - ALD Head of Technical, Body Repair and Invoicing