Winter. Perhaps the biggest challenge for most car owners, at least in Sweden. Every winter you seem to have forgotten how it works, and you stand there confused and frustrated with a car that won't start and a snow brush you can't find. But take it easy! Here we have collected five tips that will make your life as a car owner in a snowy Sweden much more pleasant!
1. Get your winter gear out on time!
Make sure to find the snow brush, ice scraper and any engine heater cable now.
Starting to look for snow brushes early in the morning when you have time to spare and your car is covered in snow is a boring start to the day. For example, you can make it a habit to look for these on the same day you change to winter tires.
2. Test run the fuel heater
If your car is equipped with a fuel heater, it's time to test drive it as soon as it starts to get cool outside. Does it feel a little cold in the car when you get in the morning? Time to test it!
Detecting any faults well in advance before the worst of the cold hits will likely save you time, stress and perhaps even money.
3. Engine heater & Cabin heater
A good tip regarding electric engine and passenger compartment heaters is to run them for an hour before starting the car at zero-degree outside temperatures.
After that, you can add one hour of operating time per 10 degrees below zero — that is, 2 hours of operation at -10 and 3 hours at -20 and so on.
This will give the engine enough time to warm up before you start it, and you will avoid unnecessary wear and tear on engine parts, and fuel consumption will also be reduced somewhat.
4. Warm up properly
Here is a tip for those of you who use a fuel-powered parking heater. (Also called diesel heater or petrol heater).
Feel free to drive the car for the same amount of time as you had the parking heater running before you started the car.
This way, the car's battery has more time to recharge between trips. Has the heater been running for 20 minutes before you started the car? Then drive for the same amount of time once you're on the road!
If you often drive short distances (you may only have a 10-minute commute to work, but have to run the parking heater for 20 minutes before starting), you can try taking a slightly longer trip with the car sometime a week when you have time, or see the next tip…
On some car models, you also cannot start the parking heater if you have less than 1/4 of fuel left in the tank. Check with your workshop or dealer if you are unsure about your particular car model.
5. Trickle charge the battery
A fully charged battery will handle cold weather and cold starts much better than a battery that is almost discharged.
It's a good idea to charge your battery every now and then, preferably once a month. This way, you won't just be left with a car that won't start, you'll also extend the life of the battery.
You can also, if your car has an electric engine heater, buy a so-called maintenance charger. This charges the battery while the engine is warming up, via the engine heater cable.
Are you looking for a new car just in time for winter? Check out what cars we have in stock here!
Phone: 0920-23 00 88
E-mail: intresse@niemibil.se
Maja Johansson, Niemi Bil Luleå
