subject: De-icer And Anti-freeze Keep Your Car Running Smoothly This Winter [print this page] As winter fast approaches it is the time of year that motorists need to start paying closer attention to their cars and making sure that they remain running smoothly, failure to do so can mean it takes longer for the car to be ready to drive in the morning but also could mean you car gets damaged or becomes unsafe to drive.
A number of key resources to do with the running of a car are liquid based, from the fuel we put in to the tank to the water in the washer bottle. As all drivers will know some liquids will freeze once they hit a particular temperature and whilst fuel and oil are not going to freeze at the temperatures we get here in the UK during our winters there are some liquids that may freeze such as water.
Water is not only used in the washer bottle but is a key part of the engines coolant which will be mixed with antifreeze. Having enough water in the cars washer bottle is often overlooked but when driving it is a legal requirement to have functioning washer jets and have the appropriate screenwash topped up.
One of the biggest annoyances about driving in winter with the colder weather is having to leave the house earlier than usual to scrape the ice off the windows, warm the car up and let the engine acclimatise. This often adds half an hour to most peoples commute and getting up earlier can often put people in a foul mood for the rest of the day or delay them enough so that they drive faster and more aggressively than they normally would. Doing this in the best conditions is dangerous enough but when you add snow and ice into the equation it becomes very treacherous and accidents are far more likely to happen.
This morning routine can be sped up by using de-icer spray or aerosol, this helps to clear ice much quicker and can shave valuable minutes off the morning routine. Some people will think that a kettle full of hot water will help to clear the ice quickly but the sudden change in temperature can cause windscreens or windows to shatter. If your windscreen has a chip or crack in it then youre likely to accentuate this damage further and may mean you cant use your car until the damage gets fixed anyway. So, when you need to clear your windows and get your car clear for the road make sure to use de-icer and your cars heaters for safe and quick clearing of snow and ice.
