Winter can play hell with the finish of your car. How best to look after that oh so tricky paintwork? Turtle Wax may just have the answer:

With winter just around the corner and temperatures set to plummet, against the backdrop of ever-increasing motoring costs, Turtle Wax, the UK’s leading car care brand, is urging motorists not to neglect their cars in an attempt to save money, but instead to prepare them for the winter in an affordable way.

Vicky Jones, EMEA operational marketing manager at Turtle Wax comments: “Drivers are trying to cut costs of driving and maintenance due to the ever increasing price of petrol and insurance. But with winter just around the corner and experts predicting prolonged sub-zero conditions and extreme snowfall, preparing your car correctly for winter is more important than ever.”

“Worringly, motorists have admitted to not checking oil levels and tyre tread, in recent months, in an attempt to save money* but taking these kinds of risks when a harsh winter is on the horizon, could be extremely dangerous and end up costing the motorist more in the long run.”

Last year Councils began adopting a new ‘brine solution’ – a mixture of salt and water – as an alternative to grit for de-icing roads. This solution sticks to the road more effectively, but carries a higher risk of increasing paintwork corrosion. That, coupled with the continuous freezing and thawing due to intense heat from car heaters or hot water during the winter season, can increase rust on paintwork and expand chips on windscreens into larger cracks.

Vicky explains: “The impact of grit on paintwork can be fairly minimal, however, a ‘brine solution’ in combination with oxygen will potentially corrode paintwork. The salt increases the electrical conductivity of the water, accelerating the oxidation process, highlighting “rusting” on chips and scratches, which are not always evident in the paintwork.”

“To minimise the risk of damage, Turtle Wax advises the use of a durable polish which provides a protective coat defending the paintwork, combined with regular washes to remove surface salt especially around wheel arches and sills, this will help combat the problem and prevent unnecessary damage.”

“It’s also worth noting that for as little as £5.99, drivers can protect their car against the winter elements by using a long lasting liquid wax such as Turtle Wax Original Car Wax Liquid – use after washing with Turtle Wax Zip Wax Super Concentrated Wash & Wax to ensure a clean and properly prepared surface. Saving money on car care in the short term means that motorists are living in a false economy. Taking the time to protect your vehicle and completing a basic maintenance check before the cold weather sets could save hundreds of pounds in repair bills in the long run.”

It’s essential that you check your tyre pressures regularly and this especially applies to winter. If you’re getting near to the tread wear markers and you see cracking on a tyre, this is not a good sign. You might well notice some deformation too if the tyre is old. All this means you could well be losing pressure and grip.

Check your tyres regularly and if you notice any of the above, consider a replacement. You may not be able to afford a set of winter and summer tyres, but technology has come a long way. You can get all weather tyres which will be an excellent replacement to old and worn rubber.

Remember, the four contact patches that keep your car on the road are the things that ensure you accelerate, brake and turn as you should, so anything that is undue in their condition will cause you problems and potentially cost you your life (and that of anyone else travelling in your vehicle). Stay safe and keep your tyres in tip top condition.

There’s recently been some press coverage over issues around ownership of new vehicles fitted with a diesel particulate filter, or DPF. It stops the nasty black smoky stuff from pouring out of the exhaust of your diesel powered car. It seems that some owners of said diesels are feeling a little mis-sold, as they are finding that their car is malfunctioning due to the DPF not regenerating. What does this mean I hear you ask?

How the DPF works
A diesel particular filter is a trap that captures ‘soot’ from the exhaust process. This is so that engines have lower emissions in order to comply with the ‘Euro 5′ standard. A diesel vehicle fitted with one is therefore better for the environment, but, depending on how you drive, it may not be better for you.

Why does it go wrong?
The diesel particulate filter can ‘regenerate’, or clean itself, but this process will not initiate if the required temperature is not reached. When the DPF temperature remains too low, the DPF can become clogged up and then performance can tail off – leading to greater emissions and potentially a drop in performance. A total lack of regeneration can also ultimately lead to DPF failure (a new DPF can cost around £1,000). Any car fitted with a DPF can be affected, not just brand new vehicles.

How can I initiate regeneration of the DPF?
The simplest way to do this is to stay in lower gears for longer and use the full rev range of your car. Perhaps ten minutes of vigorous driving should be enough to complete the regeneration process, though as with most other things mechanical this is not an exact science. Be mindful that a good motorway run in sixth gear may not be enough to regenerate the DPF if the revs remain extremely low (this will apply if you have a very tall geared car). Another suggestion is to get to speeds above 40 miles per hour and keep your car there in the power band for some minutes of driving. As always, I recommend reading your vehicle manual thoroughly for further information.

Is a diesel engined car with a DPF for me?
This question can only be answered by you. If you drive a relatively low number of miles per week and they are over very short distances, you may well be better with a small economical petrol unit or a hybrid/electric. If you still choose the diesel, you’ll have to take it for good runs to clean the DPF, which you might find a pain if that’s the only reason you’re taking the car on the journey. Alternatively, if you do a mixed run of driving and regularly give the car a run, there’s no reason why a DPF fitted diesel vehicle shouldn’t be perfect for you.

The bottom line
When you’re buying the car, check thoroughly with the seller exactly what kind of engine it has, what running requirements there are and what sort of driving style/conditions it is made for. Don’t luck out and buy something not suitable for your purposes.

Wouldn’t you just love to whizz around the Italian city of Lucca as the lads are doing here? If so, which of the 3 hot hatches would you choose between the Fiat 500 Abarth, The Renaultsport Clio and the Citroen DS3 Racing? My money would be on the Fiat 500 Abarth, it is the only italian of the bunch after all!

In one of the closest final events of the 2011 motoring calendar, the BTCC boys really took it to the wire. A number of names were in contention coming in to the final race, including Matt Neal, Mat Jackson, Gordon Shedden and the ever present Jason Plato. Neal won the opening race, with Shedden taking the second. This all but ended Plato’s championship possibility due to a lack of required points in race 1.

Neal secured the title in the final race of the day, finishing in eighth, two places ahead of his team mate Shedden.Neal added the 2011 championship to his previous titles in 2005 and 2006 – also in Hondas and with the same Team Dynamics squad. The race was won by Tom Chilton’s Team Aon Ford Focus ahead of 2010 Champion Jason Plato’s Silverline Chevrolet Cruze and Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning Racing SEAT Leon.

Well done to Matt Neal and the team for a great final push. Thanks again go to all the BTCC 2011 guys for making it such a great season. Respect always goes out to Tom Chilton for being such a great guy. Roll on the 2012 season!

Car Articles has previously covered the issue of apparent handbrake failure in some makes of Vauxhall car in two separate articles, namely here – http://www.cararticles.co.uk/uk-vauxhall-hit-by-renewed-faulty-handbrake-alarm.html and here – http://www.cararticles.co.uk/uk-vauxhall-handbrake-problem-part-2.html

It looks as though some of you may be getting some satisfaction, though granted this is some years on from the original complaint. Mandy in particular has stated that Vauxhall has bought the car back from her. Without knowing the full details of what has taken place, it would be an assumption to state that this is an admission of guilt on their behalf.

As a bookend to these two features, how many of you have received satisfaction and how many of you are still fuming? Perhaps more significantly, how many of you would buy a Vauxhall again?

Poor weather is on the way. This includes wind, rain and there’s a forecast for snow this month too (I know, after this sunny reprieve as well!). Cars do not simply maintain themselves. With that in mind, here are five things I’d recommend checking regularly as we come into poorer weather and darker nights:

1) Tyres – check the tread depth, pressure and for any damage such as cracks or bulging. Remember, this is what keeps you on the road so pay attention!

2) Oil – check the level of oil and what sort of temperatures it functions in. You may need to have it replaced for oil that functions better in lower temperatures or you might just need a refill. You don’t want to run out and end stranded with possible engine damage.

3) Coolant – coolant also works as anti-freeze, making sure that a freeze doesn’t stop your car. Make sure you have a suitable level of it!

4) Lights – all of your lights should be in a good working order, this is especially important as the nights grow darker sooner.

5) Wipers and fluid – you’ll find that winter kicks all manner of muck onto your windscreen. Make sure your wipers in tip top shape. They shouldn’t be squeaking or moving oddly. Fluid is also extremely important. You’ll regret it when going through a muddy puddle and you can’t clear the gunge off your windscreen.

Follow these five tips to have a somewhat more hassle free time during your winter driving.