Protecting Your Car for Winter Weather
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Posted On :
Nov-11-2011
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Article Word Count :
736
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Winter can throw a lot at cars, so it's important to make sure they are properly protected. There are a variety of products available to protect your car’s paintwork, alloys, upholstery, chassis and cavities. Good general maintenace of your car is also important if it is to be kept in good working order through the harsher months.
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It's always important to make sure that your car is well protected, but especially so during the winter months when it is exposed to road salts, frost and the occasional sunny warm spells which can serve only to bake all the muck onto your paintwork. It’s essential therefore that adequate protection is in place to form a barrier against these elements and to keep your car safe from the environmental onslaught.
Clearly, road salting helps people travel safety, but it does present its own dangers. It can cause major damage to the bodywork and chassis of your car, unless you take extra care and the right precautions. The interior of the car isn’t safe either, as all that salty, dirty slush is brought inside and onto the carpets, mats and upholstery.
The prevention is better than the cure. For that reason, you ideally want to get your car protected before winter sets in. That way, your car is prepared for the winter months. The correct choice of products will give years of protection without the need for repeated waxing and polishing on an ongoing basis. It’s also worth considering protection for the chassis of older cars. Under body and cavity rust proofing is definitely worth doing.
There are a number of very effective protection solutions on the market designed to protect your car from the worst winter can throw at it. Some solutions require ongoing polishing (e.g. Autoglym Lifeshine), some require only a certain amount of aftercare treatments (e.g. Diamondbrite), while others require no ongoing maintenance whatsoever (e.g. Supagard). Some of these products come with warranties and guarantees of performance, ranging from three years to the lifetime of your ownership of the treated vehicle. Metalmate offers specialist warranted alloy wheel protection. Even with those services which require a degree of aftercare, it is still considerably less than relying on a simple wax and polish, which generally needs refreshing at least four times a year.
When it comes to protecting the chassis and cavities, consider getting your car treated with Waxoyl. It’s a dirty job and definitely one best left to the determined DIY motorist. But don’t fear; a number of Waxoyl treatment specialists exist to help you with the job. Such treatments are common with off road vehicles like Land Rovers and Range Rovers, imported vehicles, and classic cars. It is, however, still important to do the cavities of all vehicles. Water can often get trapped in cavities: especially in the door, where trapped water will often fail to drain properly. The treatment will typically last up to 5 years, depending on what car you are treating.
Protecting your car paint, upholstery, alloys and chassis is all very well and good, but there are a number of other important factors you should consider in order to get your car through the winter months;
FLUIDS: For a start, remember to check the fluid levels regularly. That means the oil, antifreeze and screen wash. In particular, a regular oil change is the simplest and most important element to keeping your engine running properly.
PETROL: Always make sure you have plenty of fuel in your car because you never know when you might get held up or have to take a diversion. If there is a long trip you regularly do on a single tank, fill up before returning: it’s always important to have a contingency plan.
TYRES: Recent studies have proven that good quality winter tyres provide better grip and performance at 6°C or below. If you decide you can't afford that expense, just making sure your tyres have plenty of tread makes a huge difference.
VISIBILITY: Lights bulbs, wiper blades, de-misters, heated windows, etc all need to be in good working order if you are to ensure that you can see other cars properly and they can see you.
BATTERY: Lights, heaters and windscreen wipers put high demands on a car's battery. Make sure to have your battery tested, especially if it is more than 2 or 3 years old. A dead battery is one of the most common causes for cars failing to start during the winter.
ESSENTIALS: It pays to be prepared! Bring a blanket for warmth, a light source such as a torch, food, water, a first aid kit and a de-icer. It’s also worth considering buying an Emergency Winter Survival kit.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Protecting Your Car for Winter Weather_103332.aspx
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Author Resource :
Technicians of Ultimate Car Paint Protection are trained in the application of a number of the UK's leading car protection solutions like chassis and cavity protection. They can travel to treat your car on site or you can visit one of their bases.
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Keywords :
Car paint protection, Vehicle paint protection,
Category :
Travel and Leisure
:
Vehicles
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