Winter is not an easy season for all drivers, but for beginners it is a real challenge. Driving discomfort is created by a short light period, long winding and engine warming up. Many who are unsure of their driving skills put their car in the garage before spring and rely on public transport. The rest, accustomed to a warm car, relying on their experience and luck, continue to operate the car.

Statistics confirm that in winter, not only novice drivers, but also professionals of "steering wheel" get into accidents more often. The likelihood of road collisions is significantly increased due to adverse weather conditions. However, it can be reduced within certain limits if you know the individual characteristics of the vehicle's behavior in winter conditions, work out management skills and take all the necessary measures to prepare the transport for the winter period of operation.

Before preparing the car for the winter, you need to decide for yourself the issues that can be resolved even during the purchase of the car. For example, cars can be equipped with various additional and general safety features of the driver and passenger. Therefore, when choosing a car, it is necessary to provide for the conditions for its operation and the presence of functional systems corresponding to them.

In winter conditions, a good assistant for the driver is the prevention of locking of the braking system during hard braking, as well as the EBD system, which distributes the braking force to the wheels, and ESP, which ensures the vehicle's directional stability on slippery roads. In addition, there is no need to save on general safety devices, such as side and active head restraints, belt pretensioners, child seats, which serve to save human life in extreme situations.

General preparation

preparing the car for winter

The preparation of the car for winter operation must be combined with the planned maintenance of the car or periodic technical inspection, which will save money and get along with one-time dismantling work. The list of works should include the following inspection and preventive work:

• inspection and adjustment of the brake system in order to set the simultaneous and equal braking force of the wheels, replacement of brake fluid;
• installation on all 4 wheels with a sufficient tread pattern, checking and setting the nominal tire pressure, determined for the winter period;
• check, if necessary, replace the battery;
• checking the performance of the ignition system, generator and relay-regulator;
• repair of the windshield within the driver's field of view;
• serviceability check and adjustment of main headlights, installation of fog lights;
• inspection and maintenance of windscreen wipers and glass washers, pouring antifreeze liquid into the washer reservoir;
• inspection and maintenance of the suspension system and steering;
• flushing the crankcase and changing the oil for a winter grade;
• if possible, install a heater, which will greatly facilitate starting the engine after spending the night in the parking lot in the winter cold.

It must be remembered that even the ideal operation of all vehicle systems does not provide a complete guarantee of safety in difficult road conditions. However, the prepared car will behave predictably on slippery roads, which can be taken into account in the emerging traffic situation and adequately react by the controls. In contrast, a car unprepared for winter with inappropriate tires and an unregulated braking system will turn into uncontrolled movement at each maneuver, increasing the likelihood of a collision.

Defective headlights, windshield wipers, cracks in the windshield in snow or fog conditions significantly impair the visibility of the road and obstacles, which also adversely affects driving safety. Thus, the safety of driving a car in winter conditions largely depends on careful preparation of the car in the pre-season.

Winter tires

Studless winter tires are divided into two types: European type and Scandinavian.

The function of winter tires is to provide good grip on the smooth and slippery surface of a snowy, icy, wet slurry winter road. On the market for automotive "rubber" you can see a large selection of winter tires from various manufacturers, which gives rise to many questions and disputes regarding each brand offered. To understand them, you need to know by what signs the tires differ:

1. according to their purpose, tires are distinguished between summer, winter and all-season;
2. according to the tread pattern, they can be diagonal and radial;
3. in composition, they are divided into tubeless and tube tires;
4. according to the design of the tread, they are without and with thorns;
5. in addition, they can differ in size, composition of rubber material, cord construction, tread pattern and sipes, etc.

Tire specialists point out that there are no better tires, there are ones that are best suited for a given car model. At the same time, not only the car brand itself, its technical characteristics are important, but much depends on the conditions, season of operation, driving style, vehicle load.

All passenger cars have radial tires. Diagonal tires are designed for heavy equipment. Tubeless tires are considered safer compared to tube tires, since in the event of a puncture, they do not release air immediately, but gradually. This prevents the machine from abruptly dodging towards the punctured wheel. Therefore, all modern passenger cars are equipped with tubeless tires.

Winter tires differ from summer ones in a more complex tread pattern (a large number of sipes) and a softer rubber compound that does not harden at subzero temperatures. With reduced air pressure in the tires, the tread sipes firmly press against the smooth surface of the ice road, squeezing out the remaining moisture and air, and stick to it like vacuum suction cups, providing the necessary tire grip.

The use of such "sticky" tires in summer is impractical, as they create additional resistance to movement on hot asphalt, increasing fuel consumption. In addition, expensive winter tires on asphalt wear out quickly. The hard rubber of summer tires "dubs" in the cold and cannot cling to the smooth ice surface of the winter road, turning into skis, therefore professionals call such motorists who ride summer tires in winter suicides.

To speed up and facilitate the process of "changing" the car to seasonal tires, which is done at least twice a year, it makes sense to keep a complete set of assembled wheels with disks in the garage. All-season tires designed for year-round use, in their properties, occupy an intermediate position between winter and summer tires. In winter they are inferior to winter tires, and in summer to summer tires. They can be used for their intended purpose in climatic zones where the temperature during the year does not fall below +5 0 C. In Russia, such a region can only be the Crimea, in the northern regions "all-season" in winter is unacceptable.

When you need spiked tires

Spike shapes on winter studded tires. The last two types have increased grip on ice.

You cannot compare with each other winter tires with and without studs, as they are designed for different surfaces of winter roads. The metal spikes effectively dig into the snow crust rolled by the wheels on the roads, which forms mainly on country roads on frosty days after snowfalls, providing fast braking and shortening the braking distance of cars. This is their main advantage. Spikes will also help you out when driving uphill on a snowy road.

At the same time, they have the following disadvantages:

• in a city where all roads are cleaned with snow-removing equipment, on clean asphalt they are not only ineffective, but also spoil the roadway and wear out intensively themselves, fly out of their seats, posing a threat to the following vehicles;
• studs make the wheels significantly heavier, creating an additional load on the car's suspension, accelerating their wear;
• studded tires are significantly more expensive than conventional winter tires;
• their use requires the installation of a special “Spikes” sign on the rear window to warn the next driver behind about the shortened braking distance of his car. Otherwise, you will have to repair the dented rear bumper at your own expense.

Video: Winter studded tire test. results

Thus, in order to decide on the purchase of "studded tires", you need to consider the following factors:

1. the intensity of snowfall in your area;
2. how often icy roads occur;
3. how the city service works to clean roads from snow and ice;

It is clear that ordinary winter tires are more suitable for running a small car in winter in Moscow or St. Petersburg, but for an SUV, which is often used for trips out of town, it is better to purchase tires with spikes. The nuances associated with the difference in tread patterns, manufacturing companies and other features of winter tires that are not of fundamental importance can be found out from any tire shop seller.

I was late with this article. I see. But, nevertheless, better later than never. Moreover, I began to prepare this material at the beginning of autumn, in order to have time to publish it early, before the "start" of the winter period. Did not have time. Something went wrong, then there was not enough time, then there was no mood, then ... Well, in general, there were always reasons for the delay and various excuses. But the goal was set and, ultimately, achieved! And nobody canceled the next winter))). Therefore, I invite you to read and evaluate my work - article " Preparing your car for the winter season". And it does not matter that winter is already in full swing, snow has piled up and serious frosts have turned on. The main thing is that it is interesting, understandable and informative. I hope that the content of the article on this page is will help You competently and thoroughly prepare your car for the winter period.

The first point, preparing the car for winter! And it will be, of course, about winter tires! This point is the very first and most important, because seasonal shoes are not only your safety on the road, but also all other road users. Therefore, you need to prepare winter tires for your car in advance. The ideal option is to have two sets (winter and summer) of tires on the disks. It is clear that it is expensive. But, on the other hand, it is convenient, safe and there is no dependence on the tire workshop (I think everyone knows about the queues that form on day X near these workshops). And so - grace: there is time, desire, or the average daily air temperature approached the figure of +5 - you, once and changed your car. And they did it on their own, and at a time convenient for you. Something like this ... Reasoning. And, the main thing is to have winter tires without fail. Though on disks, though not, you can ride all year round in the winter, but if only in the winter season you can wear shoes for the season!

Item number two: battery. That's who suffers from frost in the first place. And he should be given special attention. Therefore, before winter begins, you should check the condition of your car's battery. Before checking, we ask ourselves - How old is the battery that is on my car? If the answer to this question contains numbers 3, 4 and more, then you should prepare for the worst. Since 3-4 years for a battery is a serious age. And it will be difficult for him to survive the winter at that age. But, we are in no hurry to get upset, suddenly you are lucky))). Get upset, you still have time - after checking the battery. In order to check the battery and find out in what condition it is, you will need a multimeter and a hydrometer. If there are no such pribluds available and there is no desire to buy them, and there is no possibility, then to check the battery you should contact an auto electrician or a battery seller (these guys, as a rule, are willing to check, since it does not take much time and a plus, potential the client needs to go to the meeting).

So, we start checking the battery with an external examination. First of all pay attention to the terminals - they should be free of oxidation and white deposits. If there is, then be sure to clean them. If the terminals are stretched or cracked and they do not tightly crimp the battery contacts, they should be replaced.

Go ahead. Most modern batteries have a test window. We look into it, if we see a green color, then this is already good, encouraging. If it is white or black, it means that there is a problem with the battery on your car - the battery is discharged or there is no required electrolyte level in it. But, regardless of the color of the window, we continue the test further. We unscrew the plugs from the battery. We look into each can. Determine the electrolyte level. The honeycomb in each jar should be filled with electrolyte. To determine the optimal level, battery manufacturers, for the most part, provide certain marks, probes on the battery case (inside and outside), which will allow you to accurately determine the liquid level in the battery. If you did not find any marks or probes, then you can try to roughly estimate the amount of electrolyte - ideally, the liquid should cover the cells of the battery with a layer of 10-15 mm.

After the level has been determined, it's time to pick up the hydrometer and measure the density and state of the electrolyte in each jar. The density of the electrolyte must be at least 1.27. Yes, I almost missed it - measurements should be taken at an ambient temperature of at least +15 degrees (the optimal temperature at which the hydrometer will show the most accurate data is +20 degrees). The electrolyte itself in the flask must be clean and transparent. If the density is lower, the battery needs to be charged. If the electrolyte, in one of the cans, is gray or black, this will indicate the destruction of the plates in the battery. A battery in which at least one bank is in the process of destruction will be constantly discharged. And this process usually leads to the purchase of a new battery.

Further, it is worth checking what charge does the generator give... After all, the operation of the generator directly affects the condition and service life of the battery. We connect a multimeter to the battery. We look at the readings. If they are less than 12.3-12.4 V, this is bad, the battery is discharged. But, it is too early to say who is to blame - the generator or the battery itself. We start the engine, check the readings again. They should be between 13.5-14.7V... We turn on consumers (high beam, stove fan) and give the engine a speed of 2500-3000 rpm. Once again, we check the indicators of the multimeter - the charge issued by the generator should not be lower than 13.5 V... If, at idle or under load, the multimeter readings are below or above the indicated numbers, then the correct solution in this case would be to contact an auto electrician. For more accurate diagnostics and, if necessary, for generator repair.

Point three. Starter. If now, when you try to start the car engine, you hear clicks, cuts and / or some other extraneous sounds, then I can say with 90% confidence that in winter at -10 and below, they will disappear. Usually, it happens that frost quickly and finally kills a tired starter. And even a new and heavy-duty battery will not help to start the engine at this time. Therefore, if there are any problems with the starter, then it is better to solve them in advance and during the warmer season.

Point four. Candles and high voltage wires (armored wires)... These guys can also seriously affect engine starting in winter frosts. Therefore, spark plugs have traveled 10-15,000 km, and high-voltage wires 40-50,000 km, then they should be checked without fail and, based on the results, decide whether to change or leave.

Item number five. Before the arrival of winter, it will not be superfluous to carry out a planned oil change in the engine. With the obligatory replacement of oil and fuel filters. Clean oil will make it easier to start a cold engine. And the fuel filter is able to collect not only small particles of debris, but also water. But water tends to freeze in the cold. What happens if water freezes in the fuel filter? It is easy to guess that in this case it will be impossible for the fuel to reach its destination and the car will not start. And this is another reason for frustration. Therefore, it is better to replace the fuel filter..

Number six is \u200b\u200bcoolant. Everyone knows that the coolant in a car should be changed at regular intervals? Hope that's all. But, in any case, let me remind you that antifreeze or antifreeze in the cooling system should be changed: after 3 years of operation (blue or green antifreeze, usually class G11) and after 5 years (red antifreeze of class G12 and G13). Plus, the replacement should be carried out if the coolant has changed its original color (it has become cloudy, a sediment has appeared in the expansion tank, has turned into a brown or black liquid). Also, before the onset of winter, it is necessary to replace the coolant, to which, for whatever reason, water was added. Therefore, I advise you to monitor the condition and procedure for replacing the coolant in your car. And do not be lazy once again to open the expansion tank cover (we do this only on a cooled engine) and check the condition and density (using a hydrometer) of antifreeze / antifreeze. It is imperative to do a check, since the lower the density, the more chances that in severe frosts, the liquid in the system will simply freeze. That is, it is better to replace antifreeze with a density below 30... I will also add that the density of the coolant should be measured at an air temperature not lower than +15 degrees. Otherwise, the hydrometer readings will be far from accurate. Based on the above, we check, measure and replace the coolant in the warm season! And it is easier for you, and the devices show more accurately))).

The seventh point. We check the condition and level of the brake fluid in the reservoir of the master brake cylinder... If the brake fluid has not been changed for a long time, or upon examination, you noticed that a sediment appeared in the tank, the fluid darkened, then the correct solution would be to completely replace the working fluid in the brake system. As soon as you notice that the brake fluid level is below the MAX mark, I strongly recommend that you carry out an unscheduled technical inspection of your car. The purpose of the inspection is search for traces of brake fluid leakage... We inspect: tubes, brake hoses, brake cylinders. Didn't you find any tracks? Fine. Then the reason for the decrease in the level of brake fluid in the reservoir may be the wear of the front and / or rear brake pads. When were the pads changed? If the answer is “I don’t know” or “I don’t remember,” then we remove the wheels and check. All OK? If so, great. You can just add brakes to the tank. If not, not everything is in order - the pads are significantly worn out, there are traces of brake fluid leakage. We try to fix the problem immediately. Since, firstly, these are the brakes of your car, and they must be in good working order. And, secondly, winter will still reveal all the shortcomings to which you turned a blind eye.

The eighth point is also about liquid.Namely - windshield washer fluid. Before the onset of cold weather, do not forget to select and pump out water or summer fluid from the washer reservoir. And pour non-freezing... Otherwise, the tank can survive the cold, but the motor will most likely be covered with a copper basin. And what will follow from this? Right. We will wipe the windshield with snow and prepare, albeit a small amount of money, to buy a new motor in the washer reservoir.

Point Nine. Lubrication of trunk and door locks... We lubricate the secrets (larvae) of the locks in advance. For these purposes, you can buy a special fluid or get by with brake fluid.

Point ten - the last: the trunk. More precisely - a list of necessary things that should be in the trunk of your car in winter. We open, look. What should be there? I suggest: towing rope, brush and scraper, lighting wires and shovel (perhaps not the same as in the photo, now special snow shovels with a short handle are being sold, which are still more convenient to carry in the trunk than standard ones, but such a shovel will go without fish). Yes, the arsenal is decent, I agree. And, perhaps ( not even, not so - I hope) that it will not be useful to you (well, except for a brush for removing snow from a car). After all, you thoroughly prepared your iron horse for the winter frosts ?! But, to come to the aid of your neighbor is a holy cause. Do you agree? And everyone has a brother, godfather, friend who does not fill his head with various batteries, starters and other trifles. He has your number on his phone. And he will very much count on help. This is where you come in handy - wires, towing rope, shovel)))

Of course, everything cannot be foreseen. Always and at any time, various breakdowns and unpleasant surprises surface. But, I believe that if you try to prepare your car in the fall as described above, then you will be able to meet and survive the winter with a minimum of problems, unpleasant surprises and arrivals to the service station.

When using an article or photos, an active direct hyperlink to the site www.!

The winter period in our country is a real test - both for the driver and for the car. It is impossible to treat this condescendingly, frost, snow and other "delights" do not forgive mistakes, if in the city everything can be solved quickly (we call a tow truck and service), then on the highway you can literally freeze to death (stand on the highway for an hour at - 35 degrees)! Therefore, we are preparing for war, today there are useful tips for both dummies and experienced drivers, as usual there will be a video version at the end ...

At the very beginning, I want to say a few words about rubber, that's all they write, you must definitely buy a winter one and put it on. Silly advice, because now it is controlled at the legislative level, no matter what you should have, but it should be! In my opinion, this is correct, because the summer one is simply not adapted for winter driving.

What problems do we need to solve:

• So that the car always starts without problems
• I drove normally (no excesses)
• Safety

So friends, I will tell you a few really important points in my opinion that will help you get through the winter without any major problems.

Battery, generator, leakage current

This is our all, if you cannot start your car in the morning or on leaving your home, hello a shuttle bus or metro. In the summer, even a "half-dead" battery will work normally, the oil is liquid, the power unit is warm, a couple of times "turned" and everything started. But in winter this is completely different. How many people suffer in the morning in the parking lot. The oil thickens, the temperatures are critically low and all this "business" needs to be turned on the battery, they grow, and therefore only a prepared battery can cope with this task.

If you have not changed it for 5-6 years, did not carry out maintenance, in the mornings, even in the fall (when there is still a plus in the yard), it happens that the engine does not start - THEN YOU SHOULD BE CHANGE AND BUY NEW.

If it is more or less fresh, then you need to carry out prevention:

• If the serviced - you need to unscrew the plugs, check (if necessary, add it to the level), (it should be 1.27 g, cm3), (12.7V, this is 100% charging). Recharge if necessary
• If unattended - both the housing and the terminals must be cleaned. Next, we measure the voltage, if it is different from 12.7V, we recharge it. It is also advisable to go and check it out.

By generator ... Often the battery suffers greatly from the generator, you need to prepare and check it too. The thing is that from high mileage, it can either undercharge or recharge the battery. The whole problem may be in the brushes, as well as the relay-regulator, the information is extensive, I have already disclosed it, you can

Leakage current ... If you do not set the alarm correctly or buy some kind of Chinese device, they can gradually (and sometimes a lot) drain energy from your battery, this must be checked before winter. We read -

In my opinion, this is the second most important thing in our question, the battery must be prepared for the winter season.

Oil and oil filter

If you have it fresh (for example, you changed it in October, November and drove 500 - 1000 km), then you do not need to change it. But if the mileage is already from 5000 km, I would change it (despite the fact that the manufacturer recommends after 15,000 km) - WHY? YES simply because worn-out oil (especially in traffic jams, where) loses its properties, it can no longer properly lubricate and protect the engine cylinders. At low temperatures, it also thickens faster, which worsens lubrication and increases the possibility of "scuffing" and provokes difficult starts.

Also the oil filter - from long work, it impairs the filtering ability, all because a lot of dirt settles on its walls.

MORALITY. Change oil and filter before winter, this will have a beneficial effect on winter starts and there will be less wear and tear

Antifreeze (TOSOL), pump and thermostat

The next stage of preparation is the coolant. Over time, it can also lose its characteristics; in severe frosts, it may begin to crystallize. Therefore, if your mileage is already 50,000 and you have never changed it, I recommend that you do so.

One more point, cars driven from abroad , now their number is decreasing, BUT MEETING. So their temperature threshold for antifreeze can be much lower than ours, for example, "-25" degrees. A friend of mine drove a VOLTSWAGEN from Europe and at "-35", his radiator burst, the inspector said that instead of antifreeze there was just some kind of porridge. One could add concentrate, but who knew ...

PUMP and THERMOSTAT , this is another scourge (especially old VAZs, with foreign cars still much less common), check them in warm weather, do not delay until winter. Otherwise, you will ride in a cold car, the thermostat will not open, the engine will overheat, and there will be frost in the cabin.

MORALITY. Change the "chiller" (if you have been riding for a long time), check the thermostat and pump, preferably before winter.

Gasoline, water and dirt in the tank

Perhaps I'll start with the dirt and moisture in the tank. FRIENDS this is very important! WHY? YES, everything is simple, whatever one may say, moisture is formed in the tank (rain, snow, condensation), and dirt, dust and so on also get there. Inside the tank we also have a fuel filter, which has a mesh, it keeps all these "charms". BUT in winter it clogs up and often freezes, fuel pumping deteriorates significantly, and sometimes stops altogether in severe frosts. Many disassemble half a motor to find the reason, but it is, as usual, commonplace.

SO ... If you have a high mileage, rinse - clean the tank, at least at a positive temperature, fill it with a "moisture remover". Let him bring her out, it will never be superfluous.

ABOUT GASOLINE ... The most important question is? Many people ride - in winter. Others notice that it starts better at 92 in winter! BUT WHY? The thing is that now all gasolines have additives in the form of alcohols and ethers, in order to bring to the required octane number, a certain volume must be added.

What is the myth - Low-octane gasolines light up with a sharp flash, but do not burn for so long, but high-octane gasolines light up not so sharply (if exaggerated, it is harder) - BUT BURN longer (pushing the piston longer). And what do we need for winter? YES so that the ignition is immediate and sharp, so that the motor starts to run faster. This is why 92 will launch faster than 95.

BUT in practice this is not always the case. If you refuel on serious brands (which we have enough in our country), there is such a concept of VVP (saturated vapor pressure). If you do not go into the wilds, summer and winter gasoline are different, in summer the pressure of such vapors is about 80 kPa, but winter should be about 90 - 100 kPa. This is what contributes to an improved launch.

WHAT TO PUMP? YES, what the manufacturer indicated to you is the best option.

BRAKES

I already wrote about what is needed in time. BUT now it's not about her, yet she will not freeze even at -35 degrees. BUT water in it can provoke wear of the pistons of the calipers. What follows from this is that when braking, perhaps one of them will wedge.

If in the summer it is not so critical, then in the winter the roads are in ice and snow and if the car is driving when braking, then you definitely need to revive the calipers, or change them to new ones, otherwise it’s corny to fly off the track!

Brushes, washer reservoir, anti-freeze

All this may seem trivial and unimportant, however, as practice shows, your life or pedestrians whom you simply cannot see because of the dirty windshield may depend on it.

It's not a secret for anyone now that the roads of cities are flooded with what kind of "slurry" (sand-salt mixture), because of this they never freeze even in a mild frost, down to -10 degrees. BUT it adds dirt thoroughly.

As a result, we need to clean this dirt, at sub-zero temperatures, for this we need a liquid that does not freeze and at "-25", the tank must be prepared and, if necessary, replaced (on our old VAZ, it often bursts).

Well, and brushes, it is advisable to buy winter ones, on which snow will adhere to a minimum (if suddenly it went). I think this is also very important.

Engine insulation

Of course, the south and middle zone of Russia never do this, all because even temperatures of -20 degrees can be tolerated normally. But in the north, it is advisable to prepare the engine compartment, that is, close the radiator grill and (only non-flammable, this is important). This will prevent the engine from cooling down quickly, and it will move more comfortably, it will be warm inside.

Silicone (and similar) lubricants

We often wash the car, in winter it should be done even more often to wash off the salt and sand of the roads. However, after you have driven out into the cold, the doors can quickly freeze to the car body, and the locks and windows can freeze. To prevent this from happening, buy silicone grease that is applied to seals or keyholes. Thus, we get rid of freezing and freezing.

In my opinion, these are very important points, they will help you to get through the winter normally. There are a few more (less important, as I think, points) I will list them, maybe someone will come in handy:

• Jump leads or

With the onset of autumn, many drivers, especially inexperienced ones, have the question of how to prepare the car for winter.

Although winter is a figurative concept, because in many regions of Russia snow falls already in September, and melts already in May, so it would be more correct to say by the autumn-spring mode of car operation.

For a driver, even an experienced one, winter is a difficult driving period, which can bring the most unpredictable surprises on the road.

It is in winter that the car really shows what it is capable of, and in order to minimize unpleasant problems on the road and not tempt fate, you need to properly prepare the car for winter. We will talk about how to do this further.

Main activities

Preparing the car for winter must be done in advance, as it can take more than one day and, as a rule, includes:

1. Engine preparation, which may include changing oil and coolant, checking drive belts, replacing spark plugs;
2. Battery preparation;
3. Preparation of brakes;
4. Body treatment;
5. Replacing the windshield washer fluid;
6. Salon stove preparation;
7. Checking the antifreeze heater.

If necessary, other activities can be carried out, but this is decided individually for each car.

Choosing winter tires

When preparing your car for winter, it is very important to pay attention to the choice of good winter tires.

Why summer tires cannot be used.

Summer tires are not intended for driving a car at temperatures below plus 5-7 degrees C.

The chemical composition of such rubber in the cold changes its structure, which is why the latter simply dubs.

Elasticity is lost, the contact of the tire with the road decreases, the friction force goes down, and this significantly affects the likelihood of a skid on the road and an increase in the braking distance.

All-season tires, is it worth it?

You need to understand that all-season tires were created for European countries, where winters are milder than in Russia. These are Germany, France, Spain and other countries of the European Union.

Therefore, the presence of such tires in Russia on a car in winter does not give any effect; their use, along with summer tires, is not safe.

All-season tires are designated All Seasons - "All seasons" or Any Weather - "For any weather."

Back to winter tires.

Having good winter tires on a car is, first of all, the safety of the driver and passengers. Every car owner needs to understand this when he plans to start preparing the car for winter.

You can understand that winter tires are in front of you thanks to special patterns of snowflakes and clouds, as well as inscriptions like Mud + Snow or Winter. The first is translated as snow + mud, the second is winter.

Table of characteristics of winter tires 205/55 / \u200b\u200bR16.

A special type of rubber - Studded.

This type of tire is an inherent question of the rationality of their use.

In the city, studded tires increase the stopping distance, and also more contributes to the occurrence of a skid.

But one cannot think that the usual winter classics cannot be used outside the cities. This is an erroneous opinion, modern classic winter tires outside the city do not behave badly either, you just need to drive more carefully.

What is forbidden to do.

In winter, do not put winter tires on only one drive axle. There is such a practice for summer tires, it will not work in winter. If you still dare, then winter drift is guaranteed to you.

Storage of tires.

When replacing summer tires with winter ones, do not forget to organize proper storage of the former.

Therefore, when preparing the car for winter, it is imperative to service the battery, make a KTC, in extreme cases, repair or purchase a new one.

Preparing the brakes

Brakes are always important, without them it is impossible to drive a car, especially in winter.

When preparing the car for winter, be sure to make sure that the wheels have the same braking distances and that the car does not skid when braking.

If in summer the skid may not be big, then in winter the car can fly into a ditch.

Different braking distances indicate different wear of the brake pads, which should be replaced with new ones.

If the brake fluid is more than two years old, replace it with a new one, since your braking efficiency has already been reduced by at least 20%, and in winter this figure will increase significantly.

Pay attention to the brake hoses, they need to be changed at least once every five years.

By the way, emergency braking on a dry road looks like this,

on snow or ice, everything will be much more deplorable if the brakes do not work correctly or are faulty.

Body preparation

If you want your car to serve for a long time, be sure to carry out anti-corrosion treatment.

Some modern cars, especially foreign cars, have already carried out anti-corrosion treatment of the body in the form of galvanizing.

In winter, this is very important, since the use of various chemicals and salt on the roads by utilities on the roads to break ice in winter leads to a quick corroded car body.

Such work is carried out not every year, but every five years, and then, if necessary, repeated again, but with more liquid formulations.

Therefore, if this is the first winter for your car and the body is not galvanized, then its anti-corrosion treatment is required.

It is better to carry out such work in car services, since the anti-corrosion treatment of the body requires the observance of certain technologies and the use of high-quality materials.

Moreover, car services constantly monitor new developments and, as a rule, use new effective anti-corrosion compounds.

It will cost from $ 200, depending on the car brand and the anti-corrosion compounds used.

Windscreen wipers

Winter weather is not predictable, therefore, it is always necessary to keep the windshield wipers in good working order, especially since, according to traffic rules, traffic in case of breakage is prohibited.

By winter, it is better to install new wipers and replace the summer fluid in the washer barrel with the winter one.

Frozen summer fluid can damage the hoses, not to mention the layman's pump, so it needs to be replaced with.

Lack of blowing the front windows in winter can cause them to fog up, therefore blowing in winter should always function.

If you have a car with high mileage, be sure to look into the expansion tank of the cooling system before the winter season. The cloudy or brown antifreeze must be drained, the system must be flushed and a new compound must be refilled. This procedure involves the removal of air locks, and it is better to carry it out at a service station.

Transmission and chassis

In automatic transmissions equipped with dipsticks, it is worth checking the oil level (this must be done with the engine running). Think back to the last time you changed your oil. If the car has passed more than 60,000 km and the oil is still "factory", change it without hesitation. And at the same time, ask the mechanics to inspect the drive wheel drives, hinges with anthers and shock absorbers: everything should be intact and not have oil stains.

If you have an all-wheel drive car, which you drive hunting and fishing in summer, often wade rivers or just frolic on the road, you need to pay special attention to viewing from below. And be sure to change the oil in the cross-axle gearboxes: it is very likely that instead of lubrication there is a water emulsion.

Tires and wheels

Keep in mind: there are no all-season tires for the central regions of our country and cannot be. That is, in winter you need to ride on winter tires: studded or frictional. If there is a suitable place for storing wheels, it is better to buy winter tires immediately with rims, so as not to mess with tire fitting every time. When installing assembled wheels, only check the balancing weights - they should be in place. If you didn't have time to change your car and suddenly froze, remember that it is better to go to work in a crowded minibus than to get into an accident due to tires.