- Winter Checklist Windscreen - Check the level in your washer bottle and make sure it has enough additive in the water to prevent it from freezing.
- Battery - Drive into Autofit for a free winter battery check, the cold weather can reveal any weakness in your battery.
- Anti-freeze check - Drive into Autofit to check the levels in the radiator and the freezing point of the coolant.
- Air conditioning is not just for summer! - A little know fact is that your air conditioning will clear your screen faster than the heating system,this is because of the dry air it produces.An added bonus of using the air conditioning system is that it keeps both the pump and the seals lubricated .
- Tyres - Drive into Autofit for a free check of your tyre pressures and tread depths to make sure that you are ready to tackle the icy roads ahead. Winter and all season tyres are becoming more popular,especially for people who live in the country and need to stay mobile for as long as possible.
- Tests have shown that not only are winter tyres vastly superior in the snow but that the best outperform a quality summer tyre when the roads are wet and near freezing. (Please see my previous blog on winter tyres for more information). Please also note that winter tyres are a legal requirement in many European countries.
- Please feel free to ring Autofit for any further advice 01473 723325. Stay safe this winter.
Autofit Blog
Posts Tagged ‘tyres’
PREPARING FOR WINTER
Thursday, November 24th, 2011 by Ingrid Ward
Despite the mild weather we have been experiencing here in East Anglia I am sure that the cold winds will soon find our lovely little corner of England; so with that thought in mind I thought I could go through some of the checks you can make on your car to keep you safe.
Winter Tyres
Thursday, October 14th, 2010 by Ingrid Ward
After the terrible weather last year there is a lot more interest in the use of winter tyres in the UK, so I thought it should be a subject for discussion.
Winter tyres are not designed to be used only with snow! They are actually designed to function at temperatures of 7C and below which is the point when summer tyres start becoming hard and lose their grip.
They are designed with a chunky tread pattern to maintain better contact on ice and snow. The rubber compound used remains flexible and soft in low temperature which helps maintain grip.
There are also "All Season " tyres which are made with the same rubber compound as winter tyres but with a less chunky tread, to minimize road noise and wear.
Most tyres sold in the UK are summer tyres.
You can see what type of tyre you have by looking at the markings on the sidewall of the tyre. A snowflake or snow topped mountain indicates a winter tyre, if there is also a sun symbol then the tyre is an All Season tyre.
In Europe people have 2 sets of wheels for their car and simply swap them over with the seasons, this is fine but you do need to have somewhere to store the spare sets of wheels and with most homes owning more than one car this could be a problem!
Autofit can supply and fit winter tyres to your car so if you are interested please give us a call and we will be happy to advise you.
Watch out for Potholes!!!
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 by Ingrid Ward
Driving around Ipswich at the moment has become more like an obstacle course as I desperately try to avoid the huge potholes, which have been created by our wet and freezing winter. I am beginning to wonder if the local council funds are going to be able to fill them all in? Read the rest of this entry
First Bite
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 by Ingrid Ward
Well here I am, L plates on the keyboard and ready to learn.
I am not sure yet where I am going with this space but at the moment I am hoping for a relaxed environment in which to open up the mysterious and oftening frightening environment of your local garage! Read the rest of this entry 
