Advertorial: Top tips for defrosting your car
Winter weather can play havoc with a car, causing exterior elements such as the windows, the exhaust pipe, and the locks to freeze up. This can cause all manner of problems, such as reducing visibility or preventing the car from starting, but thankfully there are plenty of things that you can do about it. Here are some tips to help you to defrost your car before you head out on the road.
Winter weather can play havoc with a car, causing exterior elements such as the windows, the exhaust pipe, and the locks to freeze up. This can cause all manner of problems, such as reducing visibility or preventing the car from starting, but thankfully there are plenty of things that you can do about it. Here are some tips to help you to defrost your car before you head out on the road.
The night before
When you lock your car at night, place a blanket over the windscreen and tuck it under the wipers. This should prevent the screen from freezing, and the wipers from getting stuck to the glass. Using a Pre Icer spray can also help to prevent the screen from freezing.
Get up earlier
Although it can be tempting to grab a few extra minutes under a warm blanket on a winter morning, defrosting an icy car takes time. Set your alarm at least ten minutes earlier than normal to allow yourself plenty of time to defrost your car before you head out.
Dealing with frozen locks, door seals and handles
You can prevent the door lock from freezing by spraying some WD40 into the lock barrel the night before. Failing that, you can defrost a lock by holding your key over a lighter for 15 seconds to heat it up, and the heat of the key should melt the ice. If the door seals or handles are frozen, you can melt the ice by pouring warm (not hot or boiling) water over it and wiping off the excess before it freezes up again.
Check the exhaust
If your exhaust pipe is blocked by ice or snow, this will make the car difficult to start and cause toxic fumes to leak into the interior of the car. A handheld vacuum cleaner can help to get some of the debris out, and you can get rid of the rest with an old cloth.
Scrape the windows clear
Visibility is all-important when driving, and this is especially true in snowy or icy conditions. Take the time to scrape all the ice and snow off your windows, using antifreeze if necessary. Some drivers will leave their car idling in order to power the windscreen heater, but using the heater is no more effective and a lot more wasteful than a combination of antifreeze and elbow grease, so this should be avoided except in emergencies.
Wipe the snow off your car
Snow sitting on top of your car can slide off when you are driving, which could block your view in a dangerous fashion. Also, the extra weight will add to your fuel consumption at a time when your car is already having to work harder due to the cold temperatures, so be sure to take the time to clear it off before you head out.
This information was provided to you by Allianz Your Cover (www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk).
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Weather for Northumberland
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
