How to care for your car in winter

In the winter season, due to the intensity of precipitation and temperature fluctuations, the road surface, which is not distinguished by its excellent quality, is severely destroyed, which creates problems for many motorists. Therefore, it is better to think about caring for your favorite car in advance, before the onset of cold weather. Adhering to simple rules and following basic tips, you can avoid malfunctions in the vehicle and save on its repair.

We change tires and continue to enjoy life

Changing summer tires to winter or universal tires solves the problem of using a car in the cold season. Increased grip will reduce slipping and make handling easier and safer. But still it is worth remembering that the best insurance for the driver is his vigilance, which means that no winter tires guarantee safety for those who knowingly break the rules and neglect driving in the winter.

In addition, with the onset of cold weather, you should try to leave as much gasoline in the tanks as possible to reduce the air content in them with frozen particles of moisture that can get into the fuel. You also need to take time to frequently measure the pressure inside the tire chambers, because in winter, due to lower temperatures, the air contained in them is literally compressed, and the pressure, accordingly, also drops. This measurement in modern car brands is carried out automatically, and its results are immediately visible on the instrument panel.

We warm up the car

There is an opinion among drivers that in the winter season, before you go on the road, you need to warm up the car engine. However, to carry out warming up, standing still, is pointless, it will only lead to unnecessary burning of fuel. It is best to enable all components of the mechanism to come into working condition with a slow and smooth ride. It is worth paying attention to the heating of the brakes, for this you can try to smoothly brake to make sure that they work smoothly.

How to protect the "faithful partner" from the cold and rain

Naturally, few people want some time after the purchase to find traces of rust on their car. And the reason for this, in addition to precipitation, may be ordinary condensate that regularly forms in the winter, when moisture drops form in the air (and there is enough water vapor) when interacting with heated parts of the car. This can lead to corrosion not only of the body, but also of internal parts and components, which is rather undesirable.

To solve this problem, you need to take care of the place where you can store the car, protecting it from the effects of adverse factors and preventing the deterioration of its performance.

An excellent place for such storage can serve as a garage. A dry room with well-established ventilation and a more or less constant temperature is well suited, but not everyone has the opportunity to use it because of its high cost or inconvenient location. In this case, you can use the services of a heated parking lot, if available nearby.

Parking on the street may also not be the worst option possible. To protect the car from direct sunlight and rainfall, you can use the built canopy. In this case, you can not be afraid of the accumulation of moisture, since in the open air it evaporates.

Covering a car in the open in winter is not a good idea.Ice will still form on the body, constantly compacting and deforming, which can lead to the formation of cracks in the paint layer, and, as a result, to further corrosion.

To wash, or better not to wash

To wash, or not to wash - that’s the question of modern car enthusiasts, which concerns the question of whether it is worthwhile to water your favorite car when the weather, to put it mildly, is not the best. A way out may be a visit to a car wash, which will qualitatively clean the machine from contamination without harming its technical characteristics. Those drivers who prefer to bathe their own “swallow” on their own should take into account that it is safe to do this in winter only with the use of high-quality detergents.

To do this, you need to get a soft brush that will not leave marks on the body. To take care of the cleanliness and shine of all the glasses, a special washing liquid and a rubberized scraper will allow you to clean it from frozen ice or snow. When choosing polishes, it is better to give preference to those options that contain wax or polyphon, which, when processing the surface of the body, will literally block existing microcracks, preventing them from increasing under the influence of various adverse factors.

The most fragile element of a car in winter can be rubber parts, which, under the influence of low temperatures, can deform and lose performance. To prevent this, it is best to use special compounds that are able to restore the elasticity of the rubber and maintain its elasticity.

When caring for the leather elements of the machine, it is recommended to use conditioners and other cosmetics that do not give various chemicals, as well as low temperatures and moisture (which is especially important in winter), to worsen its appearance by deformation and loss of elasticity and softness. In addition, car care products in winter, which can be purchased both in specialized stores and markets, or ordered via the Internet, not only protect the car from the harmful effects of weather conditions, but also have dirt-repellent properties, which can not be pleasant not to please motorists.

Summing up our tips for car care in the winter, it is worth noting that a competent approach to the use of fuel, tires, protective equipment and cleaning the body from pollution, as well as the presence of a garage or well-equipped parking for storing a vehicle can guarantee its good safety and long term of operation.

Video: how to care for a car in winter