Protect Your Car Against Winter

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 keep your car safe from the environmental onslaught.Clearly, road salting helps people travel safety, but it also has its drawbacks. The flying particles of grit 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.You should protect the exterior of your car at the earliest opportunity and ideally before winter sets in. That way, your car is prepared for the winter months. The correct choice of products will save you money in the long term, as a one-off protection service can work out as cheaper than years of regular waxing and polishing. It’s also worth considering protection for the chassis of older cars. Under body and cavity rust proofing is definitely worth doing.When choosing how to protect your car for the winter, there are a range of different solutions available. 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. Alternatively, you could consider just polishing or waxing your car, but the effects will wear off over a relatively short period of time and will need to be repeated at least every three months.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 Japanese and American vehicles, and classic cars. It is, however, still important to do the cavities of other vehicles. Water can often get trapped in cavities: especially in the door, when the water fails to properly drain out of the drainage holes. 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 the most out of your car;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: Running out of fuel isn’t an option, so ensure you run with the tank nearly full whenever possible. 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: Ensure all your tyres have sufficient tread left. In cold weather, it is worth considering installing good quality winter tyres. They are now proven to provide better grip and performance at temperatures below 6°C.VISIBILITY: Lights bulbs, wiper blades, de-misters, heated windows, etc all need to be in good working order if you are to avoid collisions in poor weather.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 torch, food, water, a first aid kit and a de-icer. It’s worth considering buying an Emergency Winter Survival kit.Ask an expert for a great car paint protection or vehicle paint protection.