In this article, Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, shares ways drivers you – AND your car – can stay warm behind the wheel without breaking the bank.
On frosty cold mornings, many drivers will wake up extra early to whack the heating up in their car.
Whilst this will not consume a significant amount of fuel, it can actually shorten the life of your engine.
After having your vehicle in the cold overnight and then warming it up, this can cause extra fuel can go into the combustion chamber, which can leak onto your cylinder walls.
Too much fuel on your cylinder walls can, in fact, dissolve the oil that keeps the cylinders lubricated, leading to damage to crucial components.
Instead of leaving your car to heat first thing in the morning, it is advised you keep the vehicle warm overnight, taking the strain off the vehicle and making mornings less stressful.
So, here are my five things drivers can do the night before to make icy cold mornings that bit more bearable.
Park your car in an insulated garage
Whilst not everyone has the luxury of a garage, for those that do, make the most of it!
Keeping your vehicle in an insulated space overnight will keep the vehicle from reaching freezing temperatures.
Even if the garage is uninsulated, your car will stay warmer than it will out in the open.
An alternative method of insulation is a car cover blanket.
Whilst it not only will from scratches caused by bikes, bins, or treacherous weather conditions, it will also reduce the chance of windows frosting over.
Use the recirculation button
Whilst people can assume the recirculation button is only used the circulate cold air around the vehicle, it can also help to circulate hot air too.
The air recirculation button works by cutting off the outside air to the inside of the car, helping to recirculate air inside your vehicle.
This effectively will be a catalyst for the hot air circulating around the vehicle when the car’s heater is on, helping to heat it quicker.
Heated blankets
Again, if you are lucky enough to have a garage, place some heated blankets across the vehicle’s interior the night before.
A cheap electric blanket (costing around £14) costs approximately 3p, an hour to run, equalling around £1.37 if used for seven hours a day.
With this in mind, placing blankets across the seats will help produce heat inside the vehicle and minimise the defrosting process in the morning.
You can also buy electric blankets that actually plug straight into your car’s cigarette lighter terminal, to keep you toasty until your car warms up.
Stock up on hand warming packets
Especially for those with children, stock up on hand warmers that are completely self-efficient and will keep hands warm during the drive.
You can activate your hand warming packets around 10-15 minutes before getting into the vehicle and place them on the seats before the kids get in.
Whilst slightly heating the car interior, they will, more importantly, keep little hands cold during the cold journey.
Invest in heated car seat covers
You can actually buy heated covers for your seats.
They include a thermostat that, like how any thermostat would work, will heat the seat to an ideal temperature before then turning off.
When the seat begins to cool down, it will then restart again.
These are pretty cost-effective accessories to have, as well as protecting your sets from any dirty hands, accidental spills, crumbs, stains, dirt etc.
Other reading:
In a previous article on That’s Farming, he looked at the legal implications of leaving aggressive notes on vehicles, which you can read.
