Get the jump start on foul weather: have the car winterproofed
It was every Christmas shopper’s worst nightmare.
The car was wedged into a packed car park full of festive goodies, a restless baby and a mother anxious to be driven to a family dinner for which we were running late. I turned the key in the ignition – and it puttered pathetically, red lights flashing. The car battery was dead.
Luckily, I had breakdown assistance on my insurance policy and jump leads. But breakdown assistance usually takes at least an hour. And the only way to get a jump start where I was parked was from one of two cars directly in front, whose drivers were off shopping.
I was ringing breakdown assist when a woman got into one of the two cars that could save us.
I ran towards her brandishing my leads asking for a jump start. She looked at me like I was crazy so I fell back on my catch-all plea for sympathy these days: ‘We have a baby!’ and she reluctantly popped her bonnet as requested, but looked increasingly alarmed as I rummaged underneath.
Alas, the battery was on the wrong side, too far for my three metre leads to reach and I had to let her go, much to her relief. Thankfully, the space was taken by a young guy with a hatchback who instantly grasped the situation, offered to help, and manoeuvred his car close enough to get us jump started and on our way. I’ll never give out about ‘boy racers’ again!
The experience was a timely reminder of how drivers need to prepare for the winter.
The chance of your car breaking down will increase next month as colder weather puts an extra strain on vehicles. Call-outs to emergency breakdown services are expected to rise 20% in December compared to this month – and one in 20 motorists suffer a problem with their car.
Over half of these call-outs will be for a flat battery, a problem that’s much more likely in colder weather.
So make sure you have a good set of jump leads – and the thicker and longer the better.
Don’t buy the cheapest set, such as Halfords’ €18 pair, which have cables 10mm thick, three metres long and are suitable only for petrol cars of 1.2L or less.
Your car will invariably end up trying to get a jump start from a massive 4x4 whose battery terminals are just out of reach!
I also found those thin cables often don’t get enough power across because it can be hard to get a good connection with awkwardly placed terminal clamps. Halfords have two other three-metre jump lead options with thicker cables but I would
recommend the 4.5 metre cable that’s a chunky 35mm thick. It also costs a hefty €42 but I would gladly have paid that when stuck in that car park with the other terminals just out of reach.
Another tip is not to be shy about asking for help. Most drivers will oblige.
Now is the time to get your battery tested. Many car parts retailers will do this for free (including Halfords).
You could also do it yourself with a simple battery tester. Halfords sell a bulb, fuse and battery tester for just €8.40, which seems good value. Another option is to just get a charger that incorporates a tester, so you can actually do something about it if your battery falls flat.
If the reading is below 12 volts, consider buying a new good quality battery – costing at least €70.
Motorists should also check oil, water and tyre pressure to prepare for the winter.
With plunging temperatures it is also important to ensure the radiator is topped up, not just with water but also the right amount of antifreeze fluid.
If you still do not feel confident dealing with these issues, invest €20 in a Haynes’ manual for your vehicle and look at tutorials on social media websites such as YouTube for extra assistance.
But even motorists who look after their vehicles run into trouble.
Many insurance policies offer breakdown assist, and it’s well worth having. Check if yours has it and note down the number to call if you need assistance.
Otherwise you can get breakdown cover from the AA, costing from €8.65 a month.