Galmatic: Women Workshopping Their Wheels

It’s the last month of winter, the windy and wet month of August and like you, your car might be feeling a little worse for wear. Car carpets are often heavily soiled and covered up by wet umbrellas and bags, and have you noticed that you are always that little bit late and always in a rush? Make life a little easier for yourself and save some time with our winter car tips – your car will love you for it!

Baby it’s cold outside – and I can’t see a thing!
On those cold and rainy days there is nothing worse than a misty car windscreen that you cannot see out of.

Why does the windscreen fog up?
Put simply, the window is cold and heavy with moisture and when you jump in with your warm breath, it quickly cools down creating more moisture which condenses on the nearest cold surface it can find: your car windows.

What can you do to solve this problem?
Turn on the air conditioner onto the demist cycle as this will work to remove the water vapour. Set the air conditioning onto warm and get toasty at the same time.

Stay fuel efficient
Using the air conditioner in your car reduces fuel efficiency, so once the windscreen is demisted turn the air conditioning off.

Window regulations
A clear view from your front and rear screens and all other windows in your car is essential; especially during times of poor visibility such as dawn, dusk, rain and fog.

When does the windscreen need to be replaced?
Ideally windscreens should be scratch and chip free, however there are certain rules pertaining to the condition of your windscreen.
In NSW your vehicle is only allowed a maximum of two of the following defects within the driver’s side of the front windscreen extending to the centre of the windscreen.

A hairline crack up to 30mm long
A crack that starts from the edge of the windscreen in wards up to 75mm long
A ‘bull’s-eye’ crack up to 16 mm in diameter (that’s the one that looks like a gunshot)

My 1958 Holden still has the original windscreen and paint (poor love is begging for a little face lift), so with care windscreens are good for years.

Cleaning
Outside windows – keep the wiper blades soft, like all rubber things they deteriorate quickly in the elements so change them often (yearly if you remember). You can wait for your next service, however Repco have a great deal at the moment where they will fit the wipers for free if you buy a new pair from them.

Old wipers will scratch the windscreen as will turning them on when the windscreen is filthy. Make sure you turn the wiper fluid on first. With an old car like mine, you have to poor the water on by hand!

Inside and Out – You have probably heard that newspaper is the best for cleaning glass as it is lint free, however awful on the hands. We use cloth nappies at our garage – brings the windows up a treat and no news print!

Tips for driving in the rain
We have some great driving in the rain tips in the Galmatic Handbook, but thought that it was a good idea to give you a few more now that we are entering the rainy winter months. For more basic tips refer to you Galmatic Handbook page 33.

What makes driving in the rain more dangerous?
•    A wet road causes your tyres to lose traction, making skidding more likely, especially when braking
•    It is harder to see the road ahead of you as visibility decreases
•    Headlights appear dimmer
Tips for safer driving
•    Do not use cruise control in the wet. Your foot will be away from the pedals, your focus will not be on braking and accelerating and if you start to skid the car may actually accelerate.
•    Be extremely careful if it hasn’t rained in quite some time. Engine oil and petrol can build up overtime. The first few hours of rain are the most dangerous, as continuous rainfall will eventually wash away the oil.
•    Don’t attempt to cross running water, try an alternate route or turn around and go back the way you came.
•    After you cross a puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water on your rotors.
•    Don’t follow the car in front of you too closely. If they hit a pothole or deep water you will have time to react.
•    On those cold and rainy days there is nothing worse than a misty car windscreen that you cannot see out of.

Keeping your car carpet clean
Winter is also the perfect time for parties which often mean lots of food and drinking to keep warm. Here are some great tips to make sure that you can clean up any party that might happen in the car!

Vomit – Vomit is acidic so neutralise it with a mixture of water and baking soda. Remove lumpy vomit with a paper towel and then mix the water and baking soda into a paste and rub into the stain, vacuum up the remainder.

Alcohol – Wash immediately with cold water as allowing the alcohol to sit for too long may change the colour of your carpet – never drink and drive

Blood – do not use hot water as this will set the stain. Make a paste of laundry powder and cold water and rub into the stain. Blot with paper towel and vacuum remainder.

General stains – Vacuum carpet. Dampen a rag with cold water and detergent and rub over your car carpets and follow with a dry cloth. Leave car windows and doors open to ensure the carpet is thoroughly dry. Do not soak the carpet as this will give it a mouldy smell.

Wet Umbrellas – Give the umbrella a shake before you fold it up. If you’re going to keep the umbrella in the car, give it a wipe down with a cloth before you throw it into the back.

It’s often not until a rainy day comes along that you notice your windscreen wipers are scratchy or not cleaning your windscreen properly. If you’re not due for a car service for a while, then use this guide to change your blades.

1.    Purchase the right wiper blades for your type of vehicle. You can purchase them from either a general car care store or from a car dealership
2.    Stand in front of your windscreen and gently lift the wiper arm away from the windscreen
3.    On the front of the arm you will see a lever known as the ‘release lever’. Press on this lever, slide the blade down and out of the hook in the end
4.    Slide in the new blade and ensure it is secure
5.    Place the wiper arm back onto the windscreen and repeat on the other side

For more car care information, check out the Galmatic website.

– Eleni Mitakos