8 Simple Winter Car Care Tips from Jersey Auto Body

Winter is just around the corner. For many drivers, that also means the challenges of winter car ownership are just around the corner, too, like salted streets, icy roads, freezing temperatures and heavy snow. How can you make sure your car is well cared for during the difficult winter months? We've listed eight simple car care tips that can go a long way toward making sure your car stays in great shape all winter long.

Lighting

One major hazard with winter driving is that the sun sets earlier in the day, which means there's less daylight, especially on your commute home. As a result, you'll want to do everything you possibly can to make sure all of your vehicle's lights are in excellent shape, providing the brightest possible illumination they can. If a bulb is out, fix it before winter starts, and if there's snow covering any exterior light, make sure you remove it before setting off to drive anywhere. If your headlights are foggy or yellow, consider replacing them or look into an easy restoration kit.

Battery

It's often more difficult for a battery to operate in cold weather than it is for a battery to operate in warm weather. As a result, a battery that's merely weak during the summer could turn into a dead battery during the winter. Our advice is to have a volt test performed on your battery before winter starts to make sure it's still in good working order. If it isn't, buy a new battery as soon as possible so you'll never have to worry about being stranded or left in a cold parking lot with a car that won't start.

Coolant

Coolant, also known as antifreeze, is tremendously important to your car, as it keeps the engine from freezing in cold temperatures. Before you head into winter, make sure your car isn't low on coolant and that there aren't any leaks in your vehicle's engine that could cause coolant to drain out. Many mechanics recommend drivers use a 50/50-mix of coolant and water in their radiators, which usually results in a lower engine freezing point than just coolant.

Gasoline and Washer Fluid

You might be wondering what gasoline and washer fluid could possibly have in common. The answer is that they're two automotive items you should try to keep full during the winter. You should try to keep your gas tank full for several reasons, like the fact that a full tank may prevent accumulated water from freezing inside your fuel pump and can help you stay warm by allowing the engine to stay running in case you get stuck. Meanwhile, a full windshield-washer reservoir is tremendously important, as messy road debris from a snowstorm can sometimes necessitate constant window washing to see where you're going.

Tires

"All-wheel drive is confidence-inspiring when you're accelerating, but it doesn't help you when you're braking and turning," says Woody Rogers, director of product information for Tire Rack. "Winter tires are a must in areas where the temperature regularly drops below 45 degrees," Rogers adds, noting that winter tires are more capable of staying flexible at low temperatures. This means that they can provide improved traction when you're trying to stop and turn on cold pavement, even if there's no snow on the ground.

Tire Pressure

It's incredibly important to keep track of your tire pressure as temperatures get colder. This is because tire pressure can drop along with the air temperature, losing up to one pound per square inch with every 10-degree drop in air temperature. Driving around with low tire pressure could mean premature tire wear or potential tread separation, which could lead to a major accident. Also, your car handles less predictably with underinflated tires. If you check your tire pressure and find that one or more of your tires are low on air, fill them at a gas station air pump and don't forget to let out a little air as temperatures start to climb again in the spring.

Defroster and Climate Control

Before winter gets into full swing, be sure to check your car's window defroster and its climate control system to make sure both items are still working properly. Their purpose is obvious: The climate control system will help keep you warm in the winter (and can help keep your windows from fogging up), while the defroster will keep your windows from icing up. Both items are crucial to maintaining comfort and safety throughout the winter.

Survival Kit

Although this isn't a car care tip as much as a winter preparedness tip, we suggest considering a survival kit for your vehicle if you want to really maximize your vehicle's readiness for winter. While it might sound ridiculous for some urban drivers, motorists in rural areas might find themselves stuck on a deserted road with heavy snow falling and few vehicles around for miles. If there's even some possibility you'll end up on a road like this during the winter, a survival kit is a good idea. Select one that's stocked with a blanket, a first-aid kit, a knife, a flashlight, jumper cables and a cellphone charger that works in your vehicle's cigarette lighter. We also suggest keeping a shovel in your vehicle's trunk and some sort of de-icer spray handy, so you can easily access the engine or trunk in case they're frozen shut.

source: https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/8-simple-winter-car-care-tips-246739

Jersey Auto Body - 2004 Nissan Titan Before and After Series

Take a look at this 2004 Nissan Titan. This vehicle came to us with some rust damage on the back left panels. Watch as we bring this truck back to life!

If you are in need of any type of auto body work, please give us a call for a free estimate.
856-783-1540 or visit our website at http://jerseyautobody.com

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THE 23 BEST GIFTS FOR CAR LOVERS THAT'LL GET THEIR HEARTS RACING

Automotive fans can be tricky to shop for if you're not into cars or an actual gearhead yourself. Not to worry! Here are 23 of the coolest and useful gifts any car enthusiast will love.

http://www.bestproducts.com/cars/g2115/gifts-for-car-lovers/

Protecting Your Car Paint From Winter Damage

Winter is just around the corner, and protecting your car against corrosion and rust through these months is essential if you want to keep it in good condition.

After buying or renting a property, a car is usually the second-most expensive purchase you'll make. We spend thousands buying them, and hundreds per year maintaining them. Protecting you car's paintwork is a close second to regular mechanical maintenance, as in either case you can end up with a hefty bill should they end up damaged through lack of care.

Winter is an especially-damaging time if you live in countries where it means weeks or months of snow and ice. Consider the many ways us car owners already try to conserve our vehicle's exteriors: we use products like Hammerite Waxoyl or Dinitrol to coat the underbody, polish, wax, and sealant to protect the paintwork and wheels, and even tyre shine to protect the rubber around them.

So, you've done your best to prep your pride and joy against the harsh elements - or have you?

If, like most, your vehicle suffers from a few paint chips, or even a rash from regular motorway use, throughout wintertime these can go from being an almost insignificant mar in the surface, to full-blown bubbled paint. How?

In many countries, salt spray or grit is applied liberally to the roads, which then clings to your car. This can then severely corrode and damage any bare metal on the exterior, which includes those previously insignificant paint chips.

Another damaging effect can be water expanding in the cold weather. Under previously cracked or chipped paintwork, this turns into ice. If that water gets under even the top layer of paintwork and then freezes, it expands rapidly, pushing up and popping out the paint, leaving a nasty bubble for further road salt to enter and corrode.

Should this happen, the bodywork will need that area of paint removing, the corrosion dealt with, and then a re-spray - a costly and time-consuming job and certainly not something most of us relish around this time of the year.

So, what's the answer? Use the touch-up kit that came with your car and has sat in the glovebox for five years? Not unless you want the chip to look just as bad, and in a hue only slightly resembling your car's paint.

Well, what is the answer to repairing stone chips effectively? A Chipex paint system, that's what. The aforementioned traditional touch-up paint kit always looks awful and also means applying a lacquer afterwards too. It never matches the colour correctly and is obvious under any light.

On the other hand, Chipex kits are hand-made to the exact manufacturer's colour forumlations, come pre-mixed with clear-coat lacquer, and merges almost perfectly with the surrounding paint surface, leaving an unbelievably professional finish.

It's such a good system that the esteemed Morgan Motor Company - who are world-renowned for their hand-crafted cars - has chosen to use Chipex as its official supplier. A real testament to the quality of the product!

The Chipex system has been tested and reviewed by many magazines, websites, and car clubs - the examples of which are here -including: GTPorsche,  The Sunday Times, Octane, the MG Car Club, the MX-5 Owners Club, and AutoExpress.

The Benefits of Using the Chipex Paint Repair System

There are several benefits to using the Chipex system to repair the stone chips and scratches on your car's paintwork: it is cost-effective, quick and easy to apply (with simple instructions included), the colour is 100% matched (guaranteed) which keeps your car looking its best, and most importantly for wintertime, it prevents the chip or scratch from becoming rusted,  and therefore avoiding high re-spray costs in future.

So, when considering what products to buy to ensure your car is protected throughout the upcoming winter season, make sure to use Chipex to keep those nasty shone chips and scratches from rusting and corroding your paintwork.

http://www.chipex.com/blog/protecting-paint-winter-damage/