In order to travel safely with your vehicle and avoid any problems, you need to maintain it in accordance with the seasons. Winter maintenance is one of the most important seasonal maintenances. For you “How to winter care for a car?” and “What is done in vehicle winter maintenance?” How to Use Anti-Fog? How to Adjust Air Pressure of Winter Tires? We answered questions such as:
Highlights in Car Care for Winter
Regardless of the model or brand, there are some highlights in car winter maintenance. These are briefly listed as follows:
- Preparing windows for winter
- Checking and fitting winter tires
- battery controls
- Antifreeze level and values
- Oil change
- Air filter check
First, let's look at what you can do with preventatives such as anti-fog agents, which are also often found in winter car care kits.
How to Use Anti-Fog?
Auto winter care products are usually sold as a set. Even if they differ according to the brands, the contents of the products, which are considered as auto winter care kits, are generally the same. Ice remover plastic spatula, anti-fog, rain slider and cloths; It is included in almost all sets.
Anti-fog and rain sliders are applied to glass surfaces. Products sold in plastic bottles are used after cleaning the glass. It is sprayed on the inner surface of the windshield and side windows by means of an anti-fog spray and on the outer surface by means of a rain-slippery spray. Then the remaining liquids should be wiped with a cloth. Thus, your vision will not be blocked in cold and rainy weather.
Finally, the spatula-like plastic ice remover, which is frequently found among vehicle winter care products, is the one you will get in the vehicle. zammoment is used. Get a view with the spatula and you need to remove the frosted layers that occur in areas such as the doorknob. When purchasing, we recommend that you make sure that the tip is elastic. Otherwise, it is possible to scratch the windows or the hood.
Inspecting and Fitting Winter Tires
Winter tires are recommended when temperatures drop below 10 degrees. Because winter tires have a very soft dough and they can get warm and grip the road even at low air temperatures. In addition, thanks to the many grooves on them, they ensure that you are less affected by precipitation.
Checking a winter tire is quite simple. It is recommended that all surfaces be visually inspected before first fitting. The most important thing to consider here is the tooth depth. Usually, tire manufacturers mark the legal tread depth limit of 1,6 millimeters with a distinguishable color such as red or yellow. If any groove of the tire has reached this depth, a new tire must be purchased.
It is important to replace the tire if you see an area on the tire where the form differs from other sides, such as swelling, other than the tread depth. If you cannot observe any problems with the tires, you can install them on your vehicle.
You can store the removed tires through companies that provide tire storage services. If you are going to store it yourself, we recommend you to use hooked hangers or the horizontal arrangement method. Because if the tires are stored in a way that pressure can be applied, they can lose their form due to their own weight.
If you are going to use the hanging method, you must hang chains or other strong material from the ceiling. Then you have to hook the tires one by one into the hooks. A tire should hang without ever touching any object, especially another tire.
If you are going to use a horizontal arrangement, you should use an empty and flat surface. If possible, you should add an extra surface on the floor, such as plywood, that is smooth and the tires will not touch the ground. After this process, you can lay a thick nylon cover to prevent problems such as dirt.
After the ground is prepared, you should put the tires on top of each other. But remember, the sides of the tires that have a camber-like bulge must fit perfectly on top of each other. Otherwise, the tires may lose their form and become unable to function properly. After properly aligning, it is sufficient to check the tires once a month or every two months.
Finally, winter tires are mandatory for drivers carrying passengers or freight and must be fitted from 1 December to 1 April.
How to Adjust Air Pressure of Winter Tires?
Another thing to consider when doing winter vehicle maintenance is air pressure. When you install your winter tires for vehicle winter maintenance, they may not be at the ideal air pressure. Therefore, you may need to inflate the tires. You should review the user manual to find out the ideal air pressure.
You can easily learn how to find the ideal values in Kia user manuals. After finding the ideal air pressure value, it is possible to inflate the tires with an apparatus such as a compressor for winter maintenance of the vehicle.
Don't Neglect Battery Checks
The battery not only enables the vehicle to move, but also enables you to operate the electronic devices in the vehicle. If the battery runs out, you may not be able to move the vehicle, and you may not be able to operate the vehicle's heater in cold weather. In such a case, it is possible to be affected by the cold. For this reason, we recommend that you do or have battery checks done.
- The water level of the battery should be checked. When the battery cover is removed, a line or plate showing the ideal water level is encountered. The water level should not be below this line or plate.
- If you are not going to use your vehicle, remove the terminals. If you are not going to use your vehicle for a period of 1 month, be sure to disconnect the battery terminals.
- Be careful. Take care not to use metal devices or equipment while performing these operations. Otherwise, the life of the battery may be shortened considerably.
Check Antifreeze Level and Values
The antifreeze, which prevents the freezing of the special water in the vehicles, must be checked during the winter maintenance of the car. You can easily see the antifreeze level by removing the radiator cap. However, there is special water mixed with antifreeze. If you make a mistake, the water can freeze. For this reason, choosing authorized technical services will prevent you from having problems during the winter months.
Oil and Air Filter Change
The vehicle's oil reservoir usually has a line showing the ideal value. Considering this line, you can add the oil recommended by the car brand you use. Changing the air filter is a little difficult if you do not have high technical knowledge. For this reason, you should definitely go to the technical service to get professional help.
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