Weather warnings

27 January 2004: The current wintry weather has prompted RAC Ireland to give advice to motorists so they're not caught out by the cold snaps or damp conditions.

The advice includes checking battery condition, tyres, engine fluids and windscreen wipers, and also fuel.

The organisation says recent wintry weather caught out many motorists who had not ensured that their vehicles were ready for winter and left many forced to call for breakdown assistance.

In wintery weather conditions those who do have to travel should make sure that they are prepared for any eventuality before they set out and follow this advice:

- Plan your journey and where possible use major routes, which may have been gritted/salted

- Consider telling someone of your departure time, route, destination and estimated time of arrival

- If you take medication ensure you have extra supplies if necessary

- Take a mobile phone with you and remember to make sure it is fully charged

- Before setting out tune into local radio for information on local routes

- Use a windscreen scraper or a de- icer to remove ice from every window on your vehicle.

- Do not use warm water as this may cause the windscreen to crack. Carry a key de- icer with you to clear your lock

- Use the vehicle's air conditioning to help speed up the demisting of your windscreen

As vehicles have become more reliable and more technically advanced, motorists are spending less and less time on their cars - falsely believing that the checks that were once needed are now no longer required.

However, the most common breakdown faults RAC patrols attend to have remained virtually unchanged for the last 10 years. They include flat batteries, seized engines, lockouts and running out of fuel. Many of these breakdowns could easily have been avoided.

To help to avoid a breakdown in the next bout of wintry weather, RAC patrols advise motorists to carry out a few simple checks:-

Battery - If you are having problems starting the engine get the battery checked out because there might be an electrical fault or it might be time to replace the battery

A battery's life, particularly in winter, is a tough one with everything from the lights, the wipers, the demister, the heater and no doubt the radio being used during the journey. On short journeys (less than 15 miles) the engine does not have time to replace the power drained, imposing a much greater strain on the battery.

When motorists arrive home they should get into the habit of turning everything off before switching off the engine. Many drivers only turn off their lights, so when they switch on the engine in the morning the power is dispersed to the heater, demister, radio and wipers rather than just to start the engine. This could be enough to drain the battery and leave them with a vehicle that won’t start.

Tyres - Check the condition of the tyres for correct pressure and legal tread depth. The greater the depth, the more efficient the tyre is in wet weather and snow

Engine - Check the oil and coolant system levels, and also that the anti-freeze is the correct concentration

Windows - Replace worn or split front and rear windscreen wiper blades to ensure clear vision when driving in poor weather conditions - ensure your washer bottle is topped up and contains additive to prevent freezing. Use the vehicle’s air conditioning to help speed up the demisting of your windscreen

Fuel - Check you have enough fuel for your journey. Your engine will work harder in the winter weather and use more fuel. Motorists who leave it until the last possible moment to refuel may find themselves running out of fuel earlier than anticipated.

Keys – Carry a spare in your wallet/purse and a lock de-icer to unfreeze frozen door locks. Remember to replace your key fob battery to maintain operating performance.

©2004 irishcar.com