Winter Prep

I am currently writing this blog from my kitchen table looking out on to a Wet Stormy disgusting day, So i think this is the perfect time to talk to you all about winter prep for those daily drivers and of course the weekend toys.

I have been seeing a few posts on the book of face this week regarding cars covered in snow and inches deep to.
This is all lovely for pictures but it does make me bite my fingers in fear.
Snow is lovely just sat there and melting naturally over time, but if you have to remove it to go somewhere than this is where things get nasty.
I have seen people using scrappers to get it off the windows and even off the paint….i know frightening.
There are a couple of ways in which can be safe for the paint.

Number 1 would be warm water.
Getting a watering can or pan of luke warm water and pore over the car whilst the engine is running to warm the car would be my go too.
Remember not to use hot water as this can cause the glass to crack from heating to quickly and nobody wants that.Start from the top and work your way down not forgetting those wing mirror glasses.

Number 2 would be to warm the car up a good few minutes before having to get going.
This will melt the bottom layer of the snow and let it slide off easily.

Of course if the paint work is protected than this whole process is easier.
A ceramic coating will aid in keeping the snow from sticking to the paint work and PPF will help with stopping scratches being inflicted in the paint work.
Snow is bloody sharp and it like dragging tiny little razors over the paint surface.

If you are driving the car on a daily basis than it will be a good idea to get the under carriage protected also.
There are few options and pretty inexpensive to, If you are handy yourself.
There are some fantastic products from BILTHAMBER to give some anti corrosion properties to help maintain that pristine chassis and components.
Stopping the road salt attacking the surface and inturn preventing the rust from setting in.
Get in touch if this is of interest to you as we can carry out any deep cleaning and protection to any surface.

Storage

If you are lucky enough to be able to store the car over the winter than thats great.
A few things to bare in mind.
Always put the car away clean and dry, don’t let water sit on the car and leave it, This will cause unsightly water spots on the paint and may need machine polishing to remove.

Trickle chargers are worth there weight in gold, and keeping the car on charge over the winter period will save a few quid and a few dramas at the end of the season when you come to prep for those sunny days again.
You can get a Ctek trickle charger that will also carry out a battery conditioning cycle so it will discharge the battery and recharge it as to maintain full function. Over time batteries will become dependant on a trickle charger and that will also become a problem.

If you are covering the car with a breathable cover than be careful, these can cause very excessive damage to the paint work if covered outside.
With the wind blowing the cover will rub away on the exposed paint and i have seen some very very nasty results.

Final point will be to get a quick check over from a garage before you get the car out again for those sunny drives.
Check tyre pressures and levels and start off slowly let the car come to you.

Hope this blog has helped someone out there reading it.

Thank you for your time we are always here for any advise any time of the day.

Mike
Doyen Voss.