European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A thursday october 16. 19b6 the stars and stripes Page 13 some cold facts and advice along the Way car winterizing time draws near the summer is gone autumn holds Sway and Winter lies directly ahead like it or not. And As we Don t live i California or Florida alas it s Lime to write the annual gel your car ready for Winter article. Although in May seem a bit Early the Lime log marked on winterizing is right now. So you won t be freezing yourself Blu while performing some of the necessities like a Good car washing and waxing for starters. Much of the winterizing work is of a do it yourself nature and some in Ponse is involved too but that s life. Fortunately the Modem automobile no longer requires the maintenance once demanded for Winter driving but it s still Nec Essary to give your car a thorough Check because Winter driving demands in european be Lough. The Winter season also brings additional safety hazards so an inspection of your car s safety related equipment also makes Good sense. For those who have arrived in Europe from warmer climates and perhaps face a first Wimer driving experience Don t Lei i worry you. Driving in Winter in t All that difficult and except for storms can be pleasant if your car is in Good shape on Point of this article. When your car is in Good condition you have Confidence in it and Confidence is important in Winter driving. Wilh a Well prepared car and a knowledge of some Basic Winter driving techniques things should go smoothly. Now let s look Al the ear before we make some Imler driving suggestions. To avoid the no. I problem in Winter the no Start miseries you engine must be in a Good slate of tune. Some expense will be involved Here unless you re a Good backyard Mechanic but the outlay for thorough tuneup or inspection is Well Worth it. If engine components Are not properly maintained even a new or Wel charged Battery can quickly Wear Down. This occurs because the voltage required to Start a car increases when it has cracked ignition Ca Bles worn spark plugs and All the rest. The experts say that a dead Battery " Winter i usually a symptom of disease and not the cause. Regarding the gallery itself make cer Tain thai the cables and Battery terminals Are clean and lightened Down. If in doubt Aboul your Atlary. Have it checked. One recommendation if your car won t Start after Silling overnight in wet or foggy conditions Ihen use one of the moisture dispelling products that come in a pressurized can. The stuff dries out engine electrics quickly so one squirt could solve you problems. Keep a can in the trunk during Winter months. And speaking of canned products buy a can of de icer for opening Frozen door locks. The de icer also work son windshields and windows. Now for some questions of wine Priori tics. As you will Sec you can carry out Mostof these checks yourself. Is the Cooling system of and is there enough Antifreeze in it to provide the Nec Essary Protection if in doubt about the strength of the Antifreeze have in checked. Is the Radiator clean and leak free and Are the various hoses in Good condition and clamped Down tighl7 is the exhaust system in Good Condi Tion and free of leaks Check carefully. Thesis important because of potential Carbon monoxide leaks. What about the Windshield wiper Blades if they Don l sweep clean them. Your vision in Winter of Enovia to Cope win   Ood idea to keep an extra bottle in uie a a Psi i. %. Ivy to 7 x it s nearly time for the Winter driving season so get ready for it. Trunk. Also make certain to have a plasticine scraper and a whisk Broom for Clearing ice and Snow. All of these items Are Inex pensive yet vital to Winter  brakes should be in first rate Condi Tion Wilh no pull to right or left. The Heater defroster systems Are essential to both safety and Comfort in Imler. Be certain they operate properly. Lights must operate Al maximum efficiency and if your car is equipped Wilh fog lights so much the Buller. In heavy weather clean . Now let s look at driving in Winter conditions in Europe. The wheels arc locked you can t steer. Most skids Are caused by going Loo fast in a curve or braking too hard. Even a Loo Enthus Maslic downshift on an icy curve can spark a skid so if your car has a stick shift make the downshift before in luring the curve this applies in All weather conditions by the Way. If you should skid steer into the skid. Uneasy Way to remember is if the Back of the car is skidding left turn the wheel left. If skidding right turn right. In every Case be prepared to Corral. When a front wheel drive car gels into a front wheel skid reduce acceleration but be especially Alert in the Early morn ing and late evening when Road icing inmost like a occur. Icy stretches Are most Likely to be found on and under Bridges on the High sections of roads at the lops of Hills in posed to wind in deep valleys and in for ests and on roads near Rivers lakes and along foggy areas. In heavy fog., slow Down and switch on All necessary lights keeping the head lights on Low beam. Lower your window slightly for venting. Keep your  pass Only Wilh extreme Cane. If even in the slightest doubt never pass if driving info for a Long Lime Tak use common  another thing to re member is  although full concentration is necessary on Slippery roads try not to be Overly tense. On Slick icy rods accelerate As gently a possible because hard acceleration practically guarantees a slide or spin. The same applies to hard braking. Once under Way remain in the highest gear possible to prevent wheel spin. Speed should be strictly limited and Normal safety distances Between the car in front doubled or even tripled. When planning a Slop slow much sooner than you would on dry pavement always braking gently. Stopping on ice and snowman require 3 to 12 times More distance than on a dry Road. This is an example of where common sense prevails. After All it s relatively easy to drive fast on Snow and ice bul it s impossible to Slop quickly. But if you have gone too fast and the wheels lock up under braking provoking a slide pump the brakes once or twice Quick repeating action to free the we is and provide some steering control. When the car regains ils course it s always easy to write Aboul skid correction but driving out of a skid is another thing. The Best idea is to find a deserted area and go out and practice skids on the first snowy Day. A gravel surface will also serve the purpose. You la learn a lot and it s fun  stuck in Snow Don t abuse an automatic transmission by shift rocking rapidly Al High engine revs. This can bum out the transmission bands. In esl Rumely cold weather Don t race the engine after starting because the engine pans Are not fully lubricated. Take it easy allow the engine to warm up Only a m mute or two then drive off slowly and maintain moderate Road Speed until the engine is thoroughly warmed up. Those Are the basics a lot to remember perhaps bul an annual review is always a Good idea. The various Auto clubs in Europe mean while offer some additional tips thai Are especially relevant to the european  Are a few of the most important ones Cui 1 us Toul a Fovall for kw1 Down keep your distance and use your  keep Alert for autumn leaves. Even when it s not raining leaves retain moisture and can create a Slippery Road surface. When driving on a wet Road there s always a Strong possibility hat ice May lie ahead. How do you spot in the Best Way to recognize this condition is by surface reflection. While on a wet Road in Winter he surface will reflect or even glitter in some instances. Bul that Dull Patch you Sec ahead is Black ice so gel offline Gas fasl once on an icy Section do not accelerate Brake gear Down or make a sudden change in steering direction. Keep a Safe distance from other cars. Finally the european Auto clubs say. The Best advice for driving in Europe Dur ing the wintertime is the same Asil would be in the Stales slow Down and div with cure. And if the weather is really impossible take a Streetcar or a train and for get about  Randy Barnett tires for Winter a matter of Choice the subject of tires is a special one where winterizing is concerned and it s one thai has no fined definitions. While some people swear by Snow tires and have them mounted in Early autumn others consistency go though a Winter season Wilh Normal radial ply lires Good tread is vital and with chains stored in the trunk just in  another approach involves All weather tires All Weathers becoming in creasing popular in both Europe and Theta s All weather is dial designed for year around use Are Good for relatively High Speed cruising up to 100 Raph and they Wear  Snow tires or Winter tires Are Ideal in heavy Snow they can be tire some on Long Winter drives Over dry High Speed european Road  tires Are noisy not designed Lor sustained High Speed cruising porsche Bow Mercedes and Jaguar owner take not and Wear fast because of their soil compound construction. Still if one lives in Snow country or does a lot of skiing it s obvious Tost win Ter lire Are the Best Way to  Natier which approach you take it s a Good idea to have a my of chains int be trunk and know How to mount them before heading for the ski areas. On most Mountain roads in Europe authorities Stop cars in critical areas unless they Are Chain  if you should opt for Snow lires you should buy a set of four Many euro Pean countries require four and inert car makers highly recommend four in Germany Usa eur plated car own ers Are allowed to get by Wilh just two Snow tines but they must be mounted on the wheels that kick out the Power on the rear wheels of a rear wheel drive car and on the front of i front wheel drive car. And the same proce Dure goes for chains.