Kiwi drivers are being asked to make sure their cars are winter-ready as temperatures drop across the country.
Frozen windscreens, dead batteries and broken lights are all everyday experiences on frosty mornings and can lead to delayed commutes.
1News spoke with Automobile Association (AA) technical support lead Allister Wade, who offered some tips on how to make winter car care easy.
He said winter was a great time to get your car serviced if it hadn’t been recently.
“They'll look at things like your coolant and engine oil. All these things are going to be working a lot harder in these colder months. You want to make sure that they are all on top of their game.”
Wade said keeping across the weather forecast was also important, as it meant you could plan for any curveballs the elements may throw.
“If you know it's going to be a frosty, cold morning, you can allow for more time to defrost your windscreen so you're not rushing out there in a vehicle that's not actually safe and ready to go on the road.”
Keeping on top of ice
One of the most common winter-related car issues Kiwis faced was a frozen windscreen.
It’s illegal to drive with an obscured windscreen in New Zealand. Last year, a Christchurch woman copped a $150 fine for driving with an ice-covered windscreen.
Thawing out the windscreen can be a frustrating inconvenience, delaying your morning commute, but there are ways to get it done fast.
Wade recommended parking your car closer to your house or the garage - if you have one. This stops the ice from actually forming.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including what will happen to food after supermarket blaze, Trump's dithering over the Middle East, and winter car care tips. (Source: 1News)
For those who can’t, he recommended allowing extra time to go outside and defrost the windscreen.
This can be done by pouring cold water on the windscreen, or allowing the engine to warm the vehicle up and blasting the heater inside. You can also use a plastic scraper or debit card to scrape off the ice once it loosens. You should never use hot or boiling water, as the temperature difference could crack the windscreen.
You can find a guide on how to de-ice your windscreen here.
Wade said visibility was one of the most important things to be aware of in winter.
“I've seen so many people when I walk to the bus station, crouching down, looking through that little part of the front of the windscreen. They're not going to be aware of pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists.”
This also extended to how visible you are to other drivers. Wade said winter was “always a good time” to check that your lights worked.
“So even when the vehicles are defrosting, you can get one of the family members, if you've got the young kids or something around, to check all the lights. Make sure your headlights, your brake lights and your indicators are working.”
Check on your battery
Car batteries don’t last forever, and in the winter they’re likely to be working hard to make sure all your vehicle’s electronics are fully functional.
To ensure your car starts every morning, Wade recommended getting your vehicle serviced so you’re not using a battery that’s about to die.
“They're going to be able to give you an idea of when it's getting there.”
If your battery is nearing the end of its life and the car is becoming harder to start, Wade said you should turn all electronics (lights, heater, and radio) off when starting the engine, adding them on one by one.
“Almost like in a house. You don't have all the heaters on at once. It puts too much pressure on systems, and that's when the battery will get overloaded and go, you know, I'm not going to actually start today.”
If you haven’t driven your car for a while, Wade said you should take it for a drive the night before to make sure everything is working.
Another thing to regularly check is your tyres. Wade said you should make sure all four tyres have equal pressure and treads in good condition. These chores could be done at home, petrol stations or local tyre shops.
Drive to the conditions
When on the roads, it’s important to be safe and drive according to the conditions.
“Like in the fog, just increase your distance between vehicles,” Wade said. “Allow that little bit of extra time for people to have those delayed reactions.
“Treat everyone with respect. We're all in the same position. We all want to get to work and home.”
He said alternatives, like public transport, could also be easier.
SHARE ME