Tag Archive for Winter

Winter Car Care Guide

13th November 2015 / / No comments
Winter Car Care
Oh, hello Abigail. Power cuts, schools closed and ferries cancelled. We think it’s safe to say, that after a good run, winter has finally arrived. And with it comes the need to run through the routine winter checks to ensure you keep motoring safely over the winter months.

Winter Checks

When conducting your winter check, pay attention to:

Tyres: Up to 25% off Selected Tyres

A complete new set of winter tyres (where the rubber is optimized to stay flexible during cold snaps as opposed to regular tyres which turn hard and slippery) might sound expensive. However, in reality, if you spend a lot of time on the road during the winter months it’s a worthwhile investment. And besides, while you’re driving around on the winter tyres, the regular set isn’t being used and worn down. Even if you don’t require winter tyres, it might be worth considering changing your tyres if you haven’t done so for a few years.

Battery: Up to 30% off Batteries

While it’s always advisable to have a professional check your battery, there are a few ways even a novice can carry out a routine check and maintenance. Look out for corrosion on posts and cable connections and scrape away where necessary. Give the surfaces a clean and re-tighten all connections. If you can remove the battery caps check the fluid level monthly. If you haven’t replaced the battery in the last three years, you should consider doing so.

Wiper Blades: Up to 20% off Wiper Blades

Rubber-cladded wiper blades are best suited for scraping ice from the windscreen. In addition to this, ensure you have refilled your windshield washer reservoir with wiper solvent and keep plenty on hand. You can really go through it in large quantities during the winter months.

Replenish Fluid Levels: 

Be rigorous about changing your car’s fluids and filters during the winter months. Your car’s older engine will thank you for it! Remember to change the oil and oil filter every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Use the recommended oil viscosity range for winter. 5W-30 motor oil flows quicker in cold weather than 20W-50. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend 5W-30 oil for year-round protection.

Tyre and Snow Sock Guide


Fitting your snow socks is easy, once you have the correct size. To calculate your snow sock size, you will need the width, profile and diameter of your tyres. On the side of each tyre, you will see a sting of letters and numbers as above. Simply note the width, profile and size.

Our snow socks are sold in four sizes – S, M, L and XL.
S size
M size
L size
XL size

Category: Car Articles, Motoring Tips, Safety / Tags: , , , , , ,

Car Battery Maintenance

5th November 2015 / / No comments
Dead Battery

You know the scenario…its early morning and its dark, cold and wet outside. You wrap up, pull the overcoat tight, put the head down and scuttle for the car. Safely ensconced, you put the key in and turn…nothing! You go again. There’s a brief spark of life but after some spluttering, the car returns to its’ vegetated state. Looks like you’re going to be late to work.

Winter is not your car batteries friend. Why? Your car battery is essentially a chemically filled canister – the problem with batteries in the colder months is that those chemicals act slower when the temperature drops and subsequently fewer electrons are produced. Without these electrons the starter motor has less energy to get itself going!

There are a number of ways of keeping your battery in optimal shape to prevent it from stalling during the colder winter months.

 

BATTERY MAINTENANCE

  • First things first, get yourself some BOOSTER CABLES. You will use them at some stage either on your battery or someone else’s (learn how to jump start your battery HERE if you’ve never done so before).
  • Invest in a good BATTERY CHARGER: It will end up saving you money and hassle in the long term!
  • Keep it clean: Especially around the terminals and cables (remove signs of corrosion, dirt and oxidation etc.) You can use a screwdriver or pliers to scrape away any dirt. If the build-up of grime can’t be removed so easily, bring the car to a mechanic and have them take care of it.
  • Avoid Short Trips: Starting the car in cold temperatures is particularly taxing on the battery (actually this is true in any temperature). Ergo, the less you start the car, the less work the battery has to do. Of course, the battery does need to be started up from time to time to hold a charge, so perhaps you can do a number of small errands in one go thus extending the car journey, and minimising the number of start up’s, or walk / cycle when possible.
  • Disconnect: If you are going to be away for an extended period of time, or perhaps you for whatever reason won’t be driving for a number of weeks, you can disconnect the battery. This will prevent things like the car’s clock from draining energy.
  • If your battery is in storage for some time, then a SOLAR POWER PANEL is a good investment for keeping it charged.
  • Battery Blanket: If there’s space around the battery you could insulate it. If the battery tends to be idle for any extended period of time this is recommended.
  • Minimise use of accessories when starting car!
  • Heat it up: Should you find yourself needing to jumpstart your battery, you can reduce the stress on the battery by heating it up first. Strick the car in neutral and push it into the sunlight (yes, we know, that’s not exactly a consistent option here).

 

car-battery-diagnostic-replacement-sunshine-coast

 

REPLACE OLDER BATTERIES

  • A batteries age is a key factor in how it holds up during the winter months. The older the battery, the more likely it is to seize up in colder weather conditions. It is generally recommended that you replace the battery every 3-5 years.
  • Some batteries have a 4 or 5-digit shipping date code engraved. The first digit from the left are generally the most important. The letter stands for the month of the year (A = January; B = February etc). The second digit from the left is the year that the battery was shipped from the factory (0 = 2010, 1 = 2011, 2 = 2012 etc).
  • You can find a suitable battery for your vehicle HERE.
Category: Car Articles, Knowledge Base, Motoring Tips / Tags: , , , , , ,

Time to Replace Your Wiper Blades?

2nd October 2015 / / No comments
Time to replace your wiper blades?

Visibility is key to safe driving, especially here in Ireland. A well maintained set of wiper blades are essential not only when facing the wet weather conditions, but also with regards to the continued cleanliness of your windscreen.

It is important to not wait too long to replace worn blades. A torn wiper blade can allow the wiper arm to rub against the glass, which can potentially ruin the windshield.

 

How Often Should You Replace Wiper Blades?

The wear depends of the temperature and use but it is generally recommended to replace your wiper blades twice a year:

  • Autumn: the heat after summer accelerates the wear. Replace those wiper blades before winter comes.
  • Spring: the bad weather will decrease the efficiency of your wiper blades. Replace ahead of the summer.

 

Damaged Blades: Warning Sings

If you notice one of the following, it’s time to replace your wiper blades:

  • Your wiper blades leave tracks / haze on the windscreen.
  • Wiper blades slide / scrape badly.
  • Wiper blades are noisy / squeaky.
  • Wiper blades skip across the windshield caused by a curve in the rubber

 

Wiper Blades: Maintenance

  • It’s advisable to give the rubber blades a wipe down every month. This will remove any debris, grime or loose bits of rubber. Use Alcohol wipes are recommended for this.
  • You can increase the lifespan of the blades by keeping your windshield clean. Wash your windshields with alcohol to get all of the oil residue from the road off your windscreen. Also, fix any chipped segments on the windscreen – these cut wiper blades.
  • During the winter months, defrost the windscreen before switching on the wiper blades.

 

Find Your Wiper Blades Quickly

With our tools and your registration number, we can find the specific wiper for your car.

Just head to motorparts.ie. Be sure to check the product notes and images provided to ensure they match your current wiper blades.

Category: Buyers-Guide, Knowledge Base, Safety, Uncategorised / Tags: , , ,

Winter Driving Safety Tips

26th November 2014 / / No comments

Winter-car

Baton down the hatches because it’s about to get chilly! Forecasters have warned that Ireland is facing its coldest winter in years, with sub-zero temperatures, polar gales and heavy snowfall expected to sweep across the country over December, January and February.

That’s obviously going to impact on driving conditions and your car. With that in mind it’s worth asking yourself whether you’re prepared for any winter emergencies. We’ve prepared a checklist for both practical and essential items to have in your car should the winter conditions get the best of your vehicle.

 

Winter Driving Safety  – Practicals

 

Blanket / Gloves: Should your car break down in the back of beyond, you might want to conserve fuel and battery power (if you still have any that is). Keep a blanket and gloves tucked away in the boot and stay warm while you wait for help to arrive.

Shovel: Even a small folding shovel will do the trick if you get wedged in by snow.

Wind-up phone charger: If the battery in your car and phone is dead, and you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere, a wind-up charger might just turn out to be one of the soundest purchases you ever made.

 

Winter Driving Safety  – Essentials

 

Warning Lights: Poor visibility during the winter months make road-side break downs that bit more hazardous. A Warning Triangle at least increases your visibility when pulled over.

Snow Socks: Give your car extra grip in snow and ice. Light and easy to fit. Can be kept in the car when not in use. Available in 5 sizes, these snow socks fit hundreds of different tyres. Fits on the cars drive wheels.

De-Icer: Essential and self-explanatory. Can also be used in emergencies to de-frost frozen car parts.

Ice Scraper: Stating the obvious…

Jump Leads: Battery failure is the most common cause of breakdowns and the likelihood of that happening increases during the winter months. Be prepared.

Hi-Vis Vest: In a scenario where you might be required to carry out some road-side repairs having a Hi-Vis vest is essential, especially when doing so in difficult-to-see winter conditions.

Torch: Essential if you need to get under the hood in the dark.

Screen Wash: As well as removing dirt, grime and insect deposits, Screen Wash also helps prevent freezing.

 

Improving Your Cars Winter Performance

 

winter_car

Winter Tyres: A complete new set of winter tyres (where the rubber is optimized to stay flexible during cold snaps as opposed to regular tyres which turn hard and slippery) might sound expensive. However, in reality, if you spend a lot of time on the road during the winter months it’s a worthwhile investment. And besides, while you’re driving around on the winter tyres, the regular set isn’t being used and worn down.

 

Check your battery: While it’s always advisable to have a professional check your battery, there are a few ways even a novice can carry out a routine check and maintenance. Look out for corrosion on posts and cable connections and scrape away where necessary. Give the surfaces a clean and retighten all connections. If you can remove the battery caps check the fluid level monthly.

 

Wiper Blades / Fluid Levels: Rubber cladded wiper blades are best suited for scraping ice from the windscreen. In addition to this, ensure you have refilled your windshield washer reservoir with wiper solvent and keep plenty on hand. You can really go through it in large quantities during the winter months.

 

Bulbs / Lighting:  Replace any fading or burnt out bulbs while also regularly removing grime from the lenses.

 

Brakes: Finally, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, check your brakes.

 

Category: Car Articles, Motoring Tips / Tags: , , ,
 
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