TÜV SÜD: staying mobile in severe frost
The weather forecast predicts severe frost over the next days. Now is the last chance to prepare your car for freezing temperatures, especially if you leave your car parked outdoors at night. Frost protection is absolutely vital if you want your car's systems to function and ensure safe and reliable transport. The TÜV SÜD experts give tips on how to stay mobile in freezing temperatures.
Locks, batteries and washer fluid are the first to be affected by frost, especially in cars that are parked outdoors at night, and may put a brake on mobility. Yet frozen door locks, flat batteries succumbing to below-zero temperatures and frozen washer fluid can be avoided through careful maintenance and winter preparations. Throughout the winter, fluids including washer fluid and coolant should be mixed with antifreeze that prevents freezing down to temperatures of minus 20 degrees. If temperatures drop even further – as the weather forecast predicts for some regions – topping up the antifreeze will be necessary. Philip Puls of TÜV SÜD says: "If the windscreen washer fluid or the jets freeze, motorists risk driving blind as windscreens quickly become dirty from road spray and salt on the road. Using a sufficient amount of washer fluid and appropriate anti-freeze will give a clear view and thus ensure safety."
Secure access: The door lock on the driver's door is frozen. And the de-icer spray? It's in the glove compartment! Put this little helper in your coat pocket to avoid this classic mistake in the mornings. Rubber seals also frequently freeze to the doors or the rear hatch in Siberian temperatures; motorists can ensure that they can get into their cars by applying grease or a silicone spray.
Ensure a clear view: Motorists using standard windshield washer fluid without antifreeze run the risk of 'driving blind'. In a worst-case scenario, the tank and the pump may crack if the fluid in the windshield washer system freezes. Washer fluid freezes at minus 20 degrees. The appropriate ratio of antifreeze to water is given on the product container. As a tip for commuters, heavy motorway users need a lot of windshield water to ensure clear vision, so that a five-litre container bought in a specialist shop and kept in the boot is a more cost-effective solution.
Clear your windscreen: Motorists should have a clear and unobstructed view right from the start – this also applies to cars parked outdoors. Clearing only a small porthole-sized section of the screen is not enough. Before starting out in the cold winter morning, clear ice and snow from all windows. Motorists parking their cars outdoors at night are advised to get a thermal windscreen cover. Do not turn on the engine and leave it running while scraping off the ice. The engine should only be switched on when you actually plan to drive away. The rationale for this is that when the engine is cold pollutant emissions and fuel consumption are particularly high and may reach up to 40 litres per 100 kilometres. The engine only reaches its normal operating temperature, and thus its normal performance and fuel consumption, after the car has been driven for approximately four kilometres.
Prepare for a jump start: On very cold days, motorists with older batteries should carry a set of jump leads in their cars. To go easy on the battery, short journeys should be avoided. In winter, trips of under 10 kilometres are practically never sufficient to recharge the battery. "Many failed attempts to start the car in the morning are simply on account of a flat battery, not a defective one. In this case, a battery charger is the solution", says Puls. For the sake of their batteries drivers should keep an eye on energy guzzlers large and small, such as the heated windscreen, heated seats and heater blower.
Keep your cool: Freezing of the cooling circuit may lead to costly damage: cracked radiator, fractured water pumps or even, in a worst-case scenario, hairline cracks in the engine block or cylinder head. Given this danger, modern vehicles now come with a closed and zero-maintenance cooling system. The minimum temperature set for winter is shown on a label attached to the radiator cap. "If the antifreeze protection is not sufficient, have it replaced in a specialist repair shop", says Puls. In older vehicles with non-sealed cooling systems, motorists can easily test the ratio of anti-freeze in the cooling water with an antifreeze tester. Warning: When selecting an antifreeze agent, look for the manufacturer's approval. Unsuitable agents may damage the cooling circuit.
Check off your list: Do you have everything you need in icy weather? De-icer spray (in your coat pocket), ice scraper, jump leads, towrope, a blanket in case of delays in road congestion, and snow chains should be in every car in winter.
Contact: Frank Volk