{"id":8396,"date":"2018-04-13T09:01:42","date_gmt":"2018-04-12T23:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/?p=8396"},"modified":"2020-06-20T00:29:14","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T14:29:14","slug":"is-your-car-winter-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/blog\/is-your-car-winter-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Car Winter-Ready?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lake Mountain Road, Vic.<\/p><\/div>\n

It might not quite be winter yet, but we have passed the autumn Equinox, which means that the time when the sun is up is shorter than the time when it\u2019s down. This means that it\u2019s time to think ahead and get your car ready for winter. Because there\u2019s no point in getting ready for something if it\u2019s already come and too late, right?<\/p>\n

One thing we can be thankful for is that we don\u2019t have to go through quite so extensive preparations for winter as they do in, say, Sweden or Canada\u2026 especially if you live in the northern bits of Australia when winter comes as welcome relief from the intense summer heat. However, the southern states and territories can get problems with frost and snow from time to time, and everybody gets things wetter and rainier (except in the very far north in places like Darwin, who have their rainy monsoon period during the summer).<\/p>\n

As things are going to get wetter, the most important thing you need to do to get your car winter-ready is to check your tyres.\u00a0 First of all, they need to have plenty of tread on them, as it\u2019s the tread that channels out the water so you still get plenty of grip.\u00a0 When it comes to tyre styles, there\u2019s a bit of a trade-off, as having lots and lots of channels means that you can pump lots of water out \u2013 and a tyre needs to shift about 6 litres per second in average rainfall at open road speeds \u2013 but the problem is that lots of little raised bits wear out more quickly when it\u2019s dry\u2026 and nobody wants the hassle of changing tyres every time the weather goes from wet to dry and back again.\u00a0 The best tyres for driving in the wet are the ones with the directional treads (lots of stacked V shapes) and asymmetrical tyres, although you can\u2019t rotate asymmetrical tyres like you can with the directional ones.\u00a0 Directional ones look nicer, too!<\/p>\n

Tyre pressure is also important to check when the weather goes from hot to cold. This is because air temperature affects tyre pressure, so when the mercury goes down, a tyre that was just right may now be underinflated.\u00a0 If you remember your high school physics, the hotter a gas gets, the more it expands and the greater the pressure. When the gas cools, then the gas contracts and the pressure decreases.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to check your tyre pressure at all times, but if the temperature\u2019s changed (or if we\u2019ve had a cold snap), then it pays to check.<\/p>\n

The next thing that\u2019s important to deal with is to check the windscreen wipers.\u00a0 Winter means more rain for everybody except the far north folk, and this means that your wipers are going to see a lot of action. They won\u2019t shift the water and keep your visibility decent if they are in bad condition.\u00a0 New wiper blades don\u2019t cost the earth and changing them is a job that you can easily do yourself, so there\u2019s no excuses.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re looking at the windscreen and the wipers, this might be a good time to ensure that your windscreen is nice and clean. The angle of the sun will be that little bit lower in the evenings and the mornings, especially the further south you go, so sunstrike and glare can be a problem, especially if your windscreen is filthy. Give it a good clean and top up the fluid for your window wiper fluid.<\/p>\n

The next thing is your lights. It\u2019s going to be darker, especially if your state does the Daylight Savings thing (and consider yourself lucky if it doesn\u2019t because it\u2019s a pain). Make sure that all of your lights are working well, including the fog lights. Check that the angles of your headlights on dip and on full beam are angled correctly.<\/p>\n

The last thing to get the car mechanically ready for winter is to check the battery.\u00a0 Your battery is going to get more of a workout, what with the extra demands of heating and lighting.\u00a0 Top it up with distilled water if needed (tap water is often chlorinated or have other minerals that don\u2019t play nicely with battery acid, so don\u2019t use this).\u00a0 Check the terminals for corrosion and clean off any greenish bits around the terminals caused by the acid. The best way to do this is with baking soda (which neutralises the acid and will fizz), an old toothbrush and rubber gloves to protect your hands, followed by a good rinse with warm water.\u00a0 If your battery is getting on the ancient side, then change it. Few things are as miserable as waiting in a freezing cold car on a nasty day for the breakdown guys to come and jump-start your battery.<\/p>\n

These steps will help keep your car winter-ready, but don\u2019t forget you and your passengers when preparing your car for winter.\u00a0 Having the right items stashed away can make a real difference, especially if you have to wait in a parked car for ages for any reason on a nasty cold day, or if some idiot who DIDN\u2019T check their tyre condition skids into your rear end, meaning you have to wait for the breakdown team.\u00a0 Most modern cars have plenty of useful storage space for all sorts of odds and ends \u2013 one particularly useful one is found on the Skoda Superb <\/a>, which has a special compartment for an umbrella that allows it to drain when wet.\u00a0 If you own one of these sedans, make the most of this feature!<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the list of things that I\u2019d have in my car to make sure that I can cope, even when the weather swings wildly or gets nasty and cold (on top of other staples like hand sanitiser, snacks and a first aid kit).<\/p>\n