Using your vehicle during winter

Manchester car dealers Grange Garge always strives to put its customers first. Why not take advantage of the free information below, this will prove worth your while in the long run.

Over the last few weeks as we are all aware the weather has been the worst we have had in over 30 years. In these conditions with all the ice, snow and rain on the roads. It is very important that you maintain your vehicle especially if you are going to use your car on a regular basis. The following need checking:


Tyres
Check that all your tyres are in good condition and that they are set to the correct pressure; this will reduce MPG figures if underinflated. The tyre pressure settings can be found in the owner’s handbook for your car or usually there is a sticker on the inside of the car door with them on. If you have any trouble locating it, a good rule of thumb for most vehicles is 32psi all round. Or feel free to call in to the garage and we will set them for you.


Anti Freeze
During the winter it is very important to check that the strength of the anti freeze in you vehicles engine is correct to prevent the water in the vehicle becoming frozen. Trying to start a vehicle with a frozen water system can result in severe engine damage due to it overheating. It takes just a few minutes to check the strength and only an hour or so to drain the system and top up if needed. If you are not capable in doing this yourself why not pop into our Garage in Cheadle.

Windscreen Wipers and Washers
Again during the winter your windscreen wipers and washers are used a lot more than the summer months so it is important to check that your wiper blades are in good condition, make sure they are not torn or split. Split wiper blades will not clear your screen properly resulting in poor overall vision of the road ahead. Also your windscreen washer fluid needs to be kept topped up with a mixture of screen wash and water so that doesn't freeze in the winter months. It is also very important to check that during freezing conditions that your wipers are not frozen to the windscreen before using them, if they are this can result in damage to your wiper blades or possibly burning out the wiper motor. All you need to do to prevent this is just lift the wiper arms off the screen to check they are not frozen before using your wipers. Wiper blades and screen wash are also available at the garage.

Lights/Bulbs
During the winter months even more so than normal due to poor visibility it is once again important to make sure that all the lights on your car are working correctly. It takes just a few minutes to check them and it is a fairly simple and cheap to change any bulb, all of which can be done again at the garage.

De-Icer/Ice Scrapper
It is a very good idea to carry a can of de-icer and an ice scrapper in your vehicle to help you clear the ice off your vehicle to maximise visibility.