FROSTY WINTERS AND SNOW-COVERED CARS

When winter is around the corner, we all prepare ourselves for the chilly mornings and frosty nights. We stock up the wood for the fireplace, take out the woollen clothes, blankets, quilts, and all such things. Imagine waking up to a snowing morning, stepping out of your house, only to see your car covered in snow. And the first thought that strikes your mind is how tedious a chore it would be to get rid of the ice and prepare your car for running on the road.

Taking out even a few minutes on a busy morning to clean your car might seem like costing too much, and we all want to take some shortcut to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Not de-icing your car strictly means going against the law and leading to paying a hefty amount as fine.

So to save you from feeling the blues of de-icing your car on a winter morning, here is a complete guide on how to de-ice your car to chill you out.

1. TURN ON YOUR ENGINE

Ignite your engine and turn it on to use it to start melting the ice on your windows. The fans should be pointing towards the windows, and the temperature should be appropriately adjusted. Use the heater button of your car if it is present at full blast since hot air captures moisture.

2. NEVER LEAVE THE CAR UNATTENDED

Not many of us would be aware of the fact that leaving your car outside with its engines turned on is going against the law and, if caught, makes you compensate for the same in terms of a fine. It is said that cold weather is a car thief’s friend. If you leave your car unattended with keys turned on, the chances of it getting stolen are quite high. In such a case, your insurance company is not liable to pay any cover for your stolen car because of an irresponsible, insensible thing you did. So it is okay to turn on the engines and leave the car standing like that but never leave it unattended.

3. REMOVE THE ICE, IF ANY

For clearing the front grille of your car, use a brush to wipe out all the snow that is present. One of the marvellous inventions of technology is a de-icer which, after being sprayed upon the car windows, shows its magic within a few minutes and removes all the ice. De-icer is easily available in any of the supermarkets.

4. SAY NO TO BOILING WATER

If you think that pouring a jug full of hot water over the snow-covered windscreens are the easiest way out, then you’re terribly mistaken there. Instead of doing any good, suddenly pouring boiling water over cold windows can lead to visible cracks on the window.

5. PRECAUTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

To prevent ice from forming layers over your window, soak a towel in a salt-water solution and spread it on your windscreens. This will act as a shield and protect your windows from being covered in ice and will eventually save you from the early morning hassle.

6. BE PATIENT

Wait patiently till the time all the ice has been removed off the windows, and it is as clear as glass. Hanging in there for a few minutes might save you from any hazards that might arise due to the snowy winters.

BE-WINTER READY

Always remember, it is important to have a clear view from all sides while driving. So do not ever compromise on the time it takes to de-ice your car. Along with that, using winter tyres with deep tread cuts is a must in frosty weather and snow-camouflaged roads. Visit Jackson MOT to compare prices of the winter tyres in Northampton from leading brands of the industry.

Happy winters!

5 Top Tips to Help You Pass the MOT Test in One Go

 MOT tests can be strenuous. People are bound by the law to take it, and yet many car owners in the UK do not how to pass the MOT at one go. 2018 saw some changes in its regulatory pointers and technicalities. One major question which people often ask is which areas they need to bother about, and which areas can be shrugged off for later.

MOT testing is intensely rigorous, and rightly so. It does not take the brains of a rocket scientist to figure out the ways to convey to the tester that you are ready to hit the roads. Here’s a helping hand!

5 Tips to pass your first MOT with flying colours –

1. Pay attention to the mirrors

Something as elementary as a broken mirror can make you fail the MOT Northampton or any other place for that matter. Sadly but significantly, most drivers do not pay too much attention to broken mirrors. Always remember to check not only the front and rear windshield but even the mirrors and reflective surfaces inside.

Often, people are not aware when their side-view mirrors suffer damage. The key to passing the MOT lies in paying attention to the minute details. If there is even slight chipping of a mirror’s surface, a replacement is necessary.

2. Inspect tyres properly

The devil, it is said, lies in the details. You may have spent significant time making sure your car’s tyres are well-aligned, and the pressure is optimal. However, some very basic errors often remain. For example, a tyre with its outer surface damaged will never pass a more thorough inspection.

To avoid failures, it is best to have a cursory visual lookover of the tyres. Do you notice something lodged on the surface, like rusted metal or chipped stones? You will need to take them out and ensure that the tyres look like new, even if they are ageing. For best results, take the help of professional service technicians at stations like Jacksons MOT Centre. They can help you with your MOT as well as with services such as wheel alignment.

3. Check external lights

You will notice if your vehicle’s front lights are blown. But what about smaller lights, the ones on the side? Not too many would notice if one of their vehicle’s indicator lights went bust. Before you go in for an MOT, check for any loose wiring or bulbs that need replacements.

4. Give the wiper blades a look

Wiper blades are an indispensable part of your vehicle. Unfortunately, they come in for use only occasionally. It also means, conversely, that by that time you notice something awry, it may be too late. The next time you go for a periodic checkup of your vehicle’s tyres Northampton, have the technicians there take a good hard look overall.

5. Mind the license plates

License plates bear the brunt of uncaring weather, jolts and shocks, and harm from other drivers to boot. A cracked plate will cost you the test. Ensure that they are in perfect working condition once every 3 months.

Hopefully, these 5 tips will help you sail through the test, with minimum fuss and with maximum savings, both in monetary penalties and time.

Tips to Help You Store Tyres the Right Way!

Do you keep an alternate set of tyres in stock?

If yes, then you must pay attention towards their maintenance. However, it’s common that car owners like you do not spare much thought on how they are storing those spare tyres in the garage.

Storing tyres the right way is not something which is very difficult to do. A little care towards them can make those tyres run a few extra miles for you and save you some money in the long run as well.

What is the right way of storing spare tyres?

1. Keeping them clean

That’s a necessary first step. Do NOT store tyres while they still have dirt and grime all over them.

During their normal use, tyres in Northampton or anywhere else in the UK collect brake dust and mud. Storing dirty tyres will lead to latent tyre damage. So, before storing those away, ensure to clean them using some mild soap, tyre brush, and water. You can either cleanse them while they are mounted on the rims or after dismounting them. Either way, do not use any tyre gloss when you plan to store them for a while.

2. Using airtight bags

Once you’re done with the cleaning, put those tyres in large black plastic bags. You will be better off if you ensure that the bags have limited air before you seal them. You can go the extra mile and use a vacuum cleaner to draw out air before sealing them with tape.

3. Keep them upright

Keeping your car tyres upright will put less stress on their structural rigidity. Experts at Jackson’s MOT Centre suggest avoiding stacking tyres on high racks. They also suggest stacking winter tyres inNorthampton on a dry plank.

4. Avoiding the UV rays

When the tyres are not in use, it becomes necessary to keep them away from the sun rays. Since black tyres absorb heat faster, they get overheated when kept under the sun. Thus, both the heat and the UV rays cause tyre breakdown.

5. Strictly avoid hot gases

It is always better to keep tyres away from machines that generate hot gases. Equipment such as furnaces, central vacuums, or basement pump near your stored tyres is a huge no.

Instead of storing just the tyres, if you’re keeping the whole vehicle in the garage for a while, give your tyres a vacation from their duty. Make sure you always take the tyres off the car before you store them. The weight of your car can cause severe damage to those tyres. Dismounting them will relieve them from the pressure and ensure proper functionality when you mount them again.

With this comprehensive guide on how to store your car tyres, you can keep them in good condition for years. Save the expenses of buying a new set of tyres and make the best of every single set over the years.