Best tips for Winter from Primo Registrations.
Winter is here again. And that means a few things are on the horizon: days dark and bleak, the prospect of spending even more time indoors than we already have in 2021, and a distinct need to pay your car some attention.
Cars are robust things, but the cruelty of winter can get the best of even well-made and generally reliable cars. Luckily it doesn't take too much to keep your car in pristine roadworthy condition, and here at Primo Registrations, we decided to share our top tips.
How, you ask? We put a few pointers that we recommend.
1. Change Your Oil.
It does make a difference. Depending on vehicle age, type of oil and driving conditions, oil change intervals will vary. It used to be normal to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but with modern lubricants, most engines today have recommended oil change intervals of 5,000 to 7,500 miles.
2. Keep it clean
Unfortunately, winter adds more grime to your car, so we would advise washing, wax and drying it before that winter sludge sets in. While you're in the cleaning phase, make sure you clean out all the leaves, twigs as they could block drainage, retain water. Make sure to pressure wash the underside of your vehicle regularly, as well, to make sure that road grit and salt don't collect and rust your car's undercarriage.
3. Take care of your windscreen
Hot water certainly has its benefits – showers, cups of coffee. However, hot water is no such friend of the frozen windscreen. We're not saying that you will crack a windscreen by defrosting it with scalding hot water – they are hardy bits of toughened, laminated glass, after all – but as they're not the cheapest things in the world to replace, 'should be OK' starts to seem like a bigger gamble. It's better to start the car and let it warm up, pump the heater and in-car defrosters up (making sure to keep the aircon on to dry the air), brush and scrape off what comes easily and use a proper defroster for the stubborn stuff. A good tip is to stock up on windscreen wash as the grit on the roads can add to a pretty murky windscreen. We'd also suggest stocking up on windscreen wash. Grit, snow, salt, smog and constant sogginess combine to form the world's worst mud facial for your car and require constant cleansing scrubs if you're willing to keep torturing that particular analogy. I use antifreeze in my screen wash additive as this saves me from bursting pipes or nozzles when the weather hits freezing point.
5. Do not go flat and recharge those batteries
One thing about cars, in general, is that they tend to come with a battery. Get a professional to test your battery ahead of the winter months and replace it if necessary. You do not wish to be stranded on a cold wintery morning.
6. Keep the tank full!
Apart from the obvious that you need petrol/diesel for your car to operate, it will also help your vehicle have a full tank. With less air in the tank to harbour condensation, you'll get less water in your fuel system. And something we've noticed in our years in the motoring industry is that water is a much worse fuel for your average engine than, say, petrol.
Finally, happy driving and stay safe; we will be compiling more tips, so sign up for our newsletter to ensure you don't miss out! Sign up here.
