Winter and car. What maybe you don't know?

Winter again surprised drivers and road services. As you know, frost, snow and ice to a large extent change the operating conditions of the car. However, there are a few points that still raise doubts among drivers.

Should you wash your car in winter? Is it enough to use low beam headlights? How to care for glass to avoid problems with visibility and at the same time not too tired? These are just some of the topics that are usually slightly ignored in the media. Some drivers may have big troubles, for example, lack of winter fuel…

To wash or not to wash?

Cars, although some think otherwise, need to be washed from time to time in the winter. However, the execution of the entire operation (except for washing the car) is inevitably more difficult than in other seasons of the year.

“Air temperature matters. If it exceeds the mark of about -10-15 ° C, it is better to refrain from washing and wait for better weather conditions. Washing a car in severe frosts is quite dangerous - water can get into various cracks and then freeze, which, of course, can lead to completely uninteresting results, ”explains Rafal Berawski, an expert at Kufieta, which specializes in plastics processing and the production of car accessories.

Special attention should be paid to the body and chassis of the car, Berawski notes, since in the winter season these elements can suffer from contact with salt or other chemicals spilled on the road by road services. After cleaning, it is important to carefully wipe the individual elements, especially the edges and gaps. It is also advisable to use frost protection.

Winter fuel

Starting November, gas stations must sell so-called winter fuel adapted to low temperatures. The legal provisions on the standards governing the composition of individual fuels in Poland are very unclear and, importantly, are not binding on distributors, but are only recommendations. Currently, most stations are already dispensing fuel with a cloud point of approximately -23-25°C, which is completely safe for the engine.

In most new car models, a possible shortage of winter fuel - for example, when there is a sudden attack of frost and there is still summer fuel in the tank - should not be a serious problem. However, sometimes it may not be.

“If the temperature drops a lot and there is no winter fuel in the tank, owners of older diesel cars may have problems. In such a situation, the safest solution would be to buy a liquid that reduces the pour point of diesel fuel at gas stations. After a few tens of minutes, the engine should start,” Berawski adds.

The composition of LPG is also adjusted for seasonal changes. The percentage of propane is increasing. For this reason, as expert Kufieti notes, gas prices are usually higher in winter than in summer.

Better to see more...

In winter, more attention should be paid to visibility issues. One of the main steps you should consider is changing your windshield washer fluid to winter grade. If this is not done, the driver, unfortunately, has to reckon with the fact that if the liquid freezes, the consequences can be quite expensive - in the end it can even lead to the destruction of the pipes / tank and require a complete replacement of the nozzles. . In any case, the general point is that the plastic itself does not scratch the glass, neither does dirt. Therefore, it is recommended to scrape in one direction rather than in both directions.

“A good and not too expensive step is to get a quality glass scraper. In severe frosts, such equipment may be needed, but, of course, it is better not to invest in products from the lowest shelf - due to poor workmanship, they wear out faster. We must also keep the scraper clean. If more dirt accumulates on it, it can scratch the glass,” Berawski explains.

On particularly frosty days, before driving, it is better to check if the wipers are frozen to the windshield. If this happens, you should use a window cleaner (preferably winter) or turn on the heating.

Many drivers are annoyed by the "fogs" that appear on the windows in winter, which can also impair visibility, and at the same time safety. In order to avoid such troubles, it is first necessary to keep the inside of the glass clean. "Mists" can occur for a variety of reasons, and finding the right protective compound is unfortunately not easy and often requires independent trial and error.

The way headlights are used can also have a significant impact on winter driving, the expert notes. Beravski reminds us that in winter you need to constantly drive with low beams.

“When we use only daytime running lights, the taillights do not come on, which in turn can lead to a collision on a snowy day. In winter, the number of potential troubles is actually relatively large, so it is good to prepare in advance for at least some of them. It is worth remembering this and trying to be especially careful during the snowy season, ”the Kufiiety expert concludes.