Winter Driving – No Unpleasant Surprises This Year Please!

Oct. 23, 2009 - PRLog -- It won’t be long before winter is upon us. Have you bought a car battery charger yet? Remember last year? That first morning when you came out already running late only to find your windscreen completely covered with frost that you had to get rid of before you could drive away? Were you one of the many who went to start the engine to get some heat going while you scrape, only to find it wouldn’t start before the battery went flat? Oh happy days!

It doesn’t have to be like that. During the summer months these problems don’t arise and because the engine and in particular it’s ignition system doesn’t get so cold and damp it starts easily and the starter motor doesn’t have to work so hard. Consequently it doesn’t tax the battery so much.  In any case you won’t be using the lights, demister, and wipers anything like as much as you do in the winter.

The upshot of all that is that in the summer your battery has a fairly easy life with plenty of charge going in from the alternator and not all that much being taken out, so it stays well charged. Even an ageing battery will continue to serve you well without using a 12v battery charger. http://www.fasteronline.co.uk/care-battery-chargers-c-32_...

Come the winter all that changes. Car batteries are like people in that more of them die of old age in the winter months than at any other time. It’s no coincidence. It’s the cold and damp that does it in both cases.

So how do you make sure your battery survives the winter? The first thing you can do is to get yourself a car battery charger if you haven’t got one already and use it regularly. A battery that’s kept well charged up will last much longer than one that’s allowed to discharge too far as well as being always ready for the morning start.

Car battery chargers are not expensive and you won’t notice their consumption on your electricity bill. You will notice the improvement in early morning starting and the overall longevity of your battery. Of course if your battery really is on its last legs now is the time to get a new one before winter sets in and then use your 12v battery charger through the winter.

Early morning engine starting is not the only thing that can give you unpleasant surprises in the winter. Tyres have a lot to cope with in winter conditions too. If your treads are getting near to the legal limit there’s no better time to replace them so you have nice new tyres for the winter roads. Keeping them inflated to the correct pressures is particularly important in winter and it becomes more unpleasant in the wet and dirty conditions so why not make the job easier with a tyre inflator? Tyre inflators run off the battery so it’s best to use them with the engine running so you don’t discharge the battery too much. Actually most tyre inflators don’t take much current from the battery but it’s still advisable to keep the alternator turning. http://www.fasteronline.co.uk/maintenance-tyre-inflators-...

So, you’ve got your nice new car battery charger to keep your battery up to snuff and a tyre inflator to make it easy to keep the pressures right in your lovely new tyres. You’re all prepared for winter to do its worst.

Well, nearly, there is something else you might need. Snow chains may seem a bit unnecessary if you live on the South Coast of England or anywhere south of Birmingham but hold on a minute. Do you ever drive to the North of England or even Scotland in the winter? Can you guarantee that you won’t ever have to? Not everyone can. Also if you are heading into Europe, many place require you to carry snow chains in winter.

Even as far south as Dorset extreme snow and ice conditions are not unknown, even if they don’t last very long. A set of snow chains in the boot takes up very little room and might make the difference between getting home and getting stranded. Snow chain prices are such that the expense is hardly a consideration when set against the peace of mind that comes from knowing they’re there. http://www.fasteronline.co.uk/leisure-snow-chains-c-29_31...

Of course if you contemplate going on a skiing holiday by car or driving in alpine regions and parts of Scandinavia for any reason remember the snow chain law. In many of those countries the law requires all vehicles travelling in specified regions to carry snow chains at all times. Regular checks are carried out to enforce this.  

With your car battery charger, your tyre inflator and your snow chains snugly stowed in the boot your car’s all prepared. That just leaves you. Remember to drive according to the conditions you find.

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Fasteronline - UK car accessories specialist stocking a huge range of tyre inflators, snow chains, roof bars, roof boxes, bike carriers and car battery chargers. If you are looking for car accessories then visit http://www.fasteronline.co.uk/