Tires in Winter

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:03:14 +0000

Tire pressure is especially important during the winter. Traction is often at a minimum due to wet or snowy conditions. It is critical to have properly inflated tires, as this guarantees the best possible contact between the tire and the road.

Because of wintertime lower temperatures, the air pressure in a cold tire will drop. Why? Because air is a gas, and gas contracts when it cools. Keep this in mind if you are checking tire pressures.

Generally, for every 5-degree Celsius change in ambient temperature, your tire’s inflation pressure will change by about 1 psi (up with higher temperatures and down with lower temperatures).

Have your tires inspected.

Check Antifreeze Mixture

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:52:33 +0000

The ideal mixture of antifreeze (coolant) and water inside your vehicle’s radiator is 50:50

If the mixture deviates from this norm, then hot and cold-weather performance can be compromised.

If you were to put pure water in your vehicle’s radiator, it would freeze at 0 degrees Celsius. If you combine the water with an equal amount of antifreeze, the new mixture won’t freeze until -36 degrees Celsius!

Have the composition of your radiator’s mixture tested. If the mixture is off, have the coolant replaced with the correct ratio of water to antifreeze.

Nixon Automotive » Winterizing your BMW

Tires in Winter

Check Antifreeze Mixture