We humans behave differently when it is cold. We retreat indoors, we sleep more, and we dislike working in cold and wet conditions. Our cars are the same! Of course, they are machines but while they are designed to work equally well in summer or winter they do sometimes seem to have personalities of their own. Even if you are driving on the Yorkshire roads during winter, you have to make sure that your car is winter ready and roadworthy to roll on icy Yorkshire roads.
Let us take a look at vehicle features which can react poorly to cold or wet weather.
Fluids
The obvious fluid is water, which freezes into ice when temperatures fall below zero, but even oil and brake fluid can react with the cold, thickening up or becoming more viscous. This can impact the lubrication of the engine, and the stopping power of the car. If possible, warm up your car when you first start the engine, giving the oil time to both warm up (and therefore thin out) and travel around the whole system, to ensure that the engine is fully lubricated and will not seize up.
Tyres
Your tyre rubber, too, reacts to the cold, and if you start your vehicle and drive straight away on icy or untreated roads, you might find yourself sliding on the road. Instead, as above, give your tyres time to warm up and drive slowly and carefully for the first few miles, until the whole vehicle is warmer and the tyres are readily able to grip the roads once more. If your tyres are on their last legs and in need of replacement, you can check with Ossett Tyre House to get new tyres in Wakefield.
Standing Still
Often, we use our cars less in winter. There are no day trips to the beach, no Sunday drives, and few excursions because of the short days and gray, cold conditions. This can mean that vehicles stand in one place for weeks or even months, which can predispose them for problems once they are started again.
Just as we have to force ourselves to leave the house to exercise and run errands, so too should we think about our vehicles. Start the engine at least once a fortnight, and if it is safe to do so, drive around the block once or twice. Just as exercise keeps our circulation and metabolism working at optimum levels, so too does being driven work to keep our cars in top notch condition.
