How to prepare car windows for the upcoming winter?
To increase safety and driving comfort in the first frosts, it is worth thinking about the proper preparation of car windows for the upcoming winter.
During the technical inspection of the car after the summer season, in addition to the standard replacement of tires with winter tires and checking the level of coolant and brake fluids, pay special attention to the condition of the windows and windshield wipers of the car.
Properly working wipers are the basis of a bad aura
In a period when night prevails over day, and precipitation significantly impairs visibility, properly working wipers are the key to safe driving. The cost of replacing them is not high, and the comfort and safety that comes with installing new ones is priceless, especially on long journeys. The first sign of wear on the wiper blades is fogging of the glass surface after the end of the wiper cycle. If we have observed such a phenomenon on our car, let's check that the wiper blades have not stratified or cracked. Worn-out wiper blades do not collect water and dirt from the windows. Stripes left on the surface reduce visibility and unnecessarily distract the driver. When replacing wipers, you need to take care of their good size and model.
Full spyrskiwaczy
Before the first frosts come, we must replace the washer fluid. Unlike summer, winter is characterized by a high alcohol content, so on colder days it does not freeze, but additionally dissolves the ice remaining on the glass. - If we keep summer fluid in the reservoir and want to use the washer in the cold, we can seriously damage the washer pump or the lines that supply fluid to the washer nozzles. Remember that buying several bottles of windshield de-icer is much cheaper than replacing broken parts in a car. If we have a lot of summer liquid left in the tank and we don’t want to replace it, we can thicken it with a special winter concentrate available in stores, the NordGlass expert suggests.
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Windows must be degreased
To further increase the visibility of windows during the first heavy rains and snowfalls, before the start of the winter season, it is always worth taking care of thorough cleaning and degreasing of windows. A hydrophobization treatment may also be performed. It consists in applying a nano-coating to the surface of the glass, which protects it from annoying contaminants, and also improves visibility.
– The hydrophobic layer smooths out the relatively rough glass surface on which dirt settles. At the same time, it becomes perfectly smooth, and the condensation of water and oil liquids on it helps to remove dirt, insects, ice and other contaminants from the windows. Hydrophobization leads to the fact that when moving at a speed of 60-70 km / h, water is automatically removed from the glass surface, the expert says.
Be careful with scrapers!
Before winter, we often buy new car accessories - brushes, de-icers and windshield wipers. Especially the latter are very popular with drivers, as they are the fastest method of cleaning windows from ice and snow. There are various types of scrapers on the market - short and long, with an attached glove, made of plastic or with a brass tip. Regardless of which one we choose, we must be careful - intensive scraping of ice from the glass can scratch the glass, especially if the dirt and sand have frozen together with the ice.
As the NordGlass expert points out: – To reduce the risk of breaking the glass surface, use a hard plastic scraper. The soft blades of the scraper after the second pass over the dirty, frozen glass scratch it, and the grains of sand from the frozen ice dig into the soft line of the scraper blade. A dull front edge of the scraper indicates wear. In this case, the tool must be immediately replaced with a new one. How you use your scraper is just as important. To minimize the risk of scratches, we must hold it at an angle greater than 45°.
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Damaged glass does not mean it needs to be replaced.
Before the weather turns into winter forever, let's have a thorough inspection of the windshield and repair the damage on its surface. If the water that has penetrated inside the cracks freezes, there is a risk that a small, seemingly harmless "spider" will grow significantly, and the glass, initially repairable, will only have to be replaced.
– Cracks that appear on the glass do not always mean that it needs to be replaced. If the point damage does not exceed PLN 5, i.e. its diameter does not exceed 22 mm, and the defect is located at a distance of at least 10 cm from the edge of the glass, it can be repaired. This treatment restores the functional value of the glass and protects it from progressive damage. It is worth taking the opportunity to repair car glass, because by performing the service in a professional workshop, we are sure that up to 95% of the glass will restore its original strength. Therefore, it is better not to risk getting a ticket or keep the registration certificate. Remember that even a small mechanical damage can quickly increase in size, which will lead to the need to replace the glass, says Grzegorz Wronski from NordGlass.
