Warming Up Your Car On Cold Mornings! - The Right Way To Start Your Day & Your Car.
Cold mornings are here! Just as everything starts to get darker and colder, you now have to pay special attention when warming up your vehicle this winter to ensure you are not accidentally damaging your car or a danger to yourself!
To help make the cold mornings a little easier for you, Eurofit Autocentres have put together this short guide on how to get your car ready for driving as safely and quickly as possible when it’s cold outside.
If it’s taking you too long to get on the road in cold weather, it may be that there are steps you could be doing more efficiently or steps you could be skipping altogether! Either way, we've got you covered!
4 easy steps to warm up and start your car properly.
Don’t let the cold weather ruin your day (or your car!) The trick to properly warming up your vehicle is to warm up your engine only as long as it takes to make your car comfortable and safe to drive. Here’s what you should do!
1. Make sure your vehicle is in a safe spot.
It should be out in the open, not in a garage or enclosed parking lot. If it is, move your car to the open air.
2. Turn on the vehicle and the defroster.
The defroster will help clear the window while the engine warms up, spray your defroster and let it get to work.
3. Is window fogging a problem?
Try turning the car’s heater up all the way to warm up the air in your car. You could also try turning on the air conditioner temporarily in order to draw extra water out of the air. Be sure to turn off air circulation within the car to bring in fresh air from outside. Are your windows still foggy? Open your windows slightly, if possible, to bring in more fresh air.
Top Tip: Try keeping a sock filled with car litter near your windshield overnight. This will absorb extra moisture in the car keeping your windows from fogging up!
4. Let the engine run for 30 seconds.
Keep your engine running for around 30-60 seconds before hitting the road. That’s all it takes in most vehicles that are 30 years old or newer. If it’s extremely cold out and your vehicle is covered in ice or snow you may need to give it a minute or two longer to warm up.
5. Start slowly and take it easy!
A long period of idling (leaving a vehicle's engine running while the vehicle is not in motion.) your car can be bad for your engine.
It will help to remember to start slowly and take it easy on the gas pedal for about 5-15 minutes when driving in the winter months. Otherwise, you could stress out your engine before it’s had time to reach its normal performance levels.
Any concerns? Come down to your local Eurofit Autocentre for a FREE health check.
At Eurofit Autocentres our team of qualified technicians understand the importance of vehicle maintenance. The condition of your vehicle is important to us which is why we offer a free no obligation health check. If you feel like your vehicle may need some attention our technicians will take a look and put your mind at rest.
Common signs and causes of vehicle health failure
- Broken headlights
- Worn brake pads
- Under inflated or over inflated tyres
- Old battery or crust around the terminals
- Low fluid levels
- Broken or damaged windscreen wipers
- Avoiding routine checks
What will we check?
Eurofit Autocentres offer a complimentary Health Check which includes a visual inspection on
- lights,
- brakes,
- tyres,
- battery,
- fluid levels,
- windscreen wipers and
- anti-freeze condition and strength.
- We even top up your screen wash for you if required!
Our free health check is ideal before long-distance driving. If there are any works to be done our expert technicians will provide you with an upfront written quotation.