Winter driving solutions from Capitol Volkswagen

Winter driving solutions

Make sure that you are not caught out this year by the extreme cold conditions that have brought large parts of the UK to a standstill in the last few years. The last Autumn and Winter brought five months of temperatures below 7°C and this is also the temperature that your normal tyres become less effective than Winter tyres.

Regular tyres are exactly what your Volkswagen needs for most of the time, but crucially, when temperatures fall below 7°C your tyres will start to under perform. You can improve your cars grip, handling and critically, stopping distances by fitting your car with Winter tyres.

At Capitol Volkswagen we have a number of products available including winter tyres that could help you stay mobile this year.

Winter tyres

What are they?
Winter tyres are fitted directly to your existing wheels.

What are the benefits?

• - Superior compounds engineered for temperatures below 7°C.
• - Improved traction for acceleration, braking and steering over summer tyres.
• - Can be used continuously from October to March.
• - Increase summer tyre life, wear on summer tyres can be up to 20 percent greater in colder temperatures.
• - Can be driven on snow, ice and tarmac.
• - A legal requirement in some European countries

When should they be used?
Winter tyres are more effective than summer tyres when temperatures dip below 7°C. In the UK, this can be from October to March, especially as most people are driving to and from work in the early mornings and late afternoons when temperatures are lower than the daily average.

Complete wheels and tyres

What are they?
Entire alloy wheels and winter tyres.

• - Complete winter wheels have all the benefits of winter tyres but are simpler and quicker to fit. Volkswagen has sourced genuine complete winter wheels and tyres from the factory.
• - hese special alloy wheels have a high-quality surface coating that protects them against corrosion caused by snow, slush, and gritting salt.
• - These wheels are fitted with premium quality tyres.
• - You will receive the Volkswagen genuine complete wheels fully assembled, balanced, with centre caps at great prices.

What are the benefits?

• - Superior compounds, more engineered to temperatures below 7°C
• - Improved traction for acceleration, braking and steering over summer tyres
• - Can be used continuously from October to March
• - Increase summer tyre life: wear on summer tyres can be up to 20 per cent greater in colder temperatures
• - Can be driven on snow, ice and tarmac
• - A legal requirement in some European countries
• - Easy to fit in October and remove in March. Customer has the option to change wheels themselves
• - If work completed at a Retailer, customer could benefit from express visual health check of their car, tyre pressure, tread and ensuring each wheel is torqued to the manufacturer's specification for safety

Snow socks

What are they?
Snow socks are a durable fabric sock that fits over the wheel to enable traction on icy and snow-covered roads.
What are the benefits?

• - Improved traction for driving, braking and cornering: 98% as efficient as snow chains.
• - Easy to fit.
• - Low-cost alternative to winter tyres and snow chains.
• - Lightweight and compact, can be kept in the glovebox.
• - Two-year warranty.

When should they be used?
They should only be used on snowy and icy roads and should be removed before driving on tarmac. When they are used, the car must be driven as slowly and smoothly as possible, and no faster than 30mph.

Special care must be taken if snow socks are not fitted to all four wheels, as traction for wheels without snow socks will be less than those fitted with snow socks.

Excessive wheel slipping or spin, harsh and sudden braking and excessive driving speed could all lead to premature wear and potential failure of snow socks.

We recommend that customers practice fitting snow socks before there is a real need for them to do so.

Snow socks should always be removed when the vehicle is parked to stop the material sticking to the snow or ice.

Snow chains

What are they?
Self-tensioning chains that fit over the wheel to enable better grip on ice- and snow-covered road

What are the benefits?

• - Improved traction for driving, braking and cornering
• - Easy to fit
• - Automatic tensioning system, the chains tighten around the wheel when driving and slacken off when the car stops
• - Legal requirement in some countries

When should they be used?

Snow chains are designed for use only on snow and ice-covered roads and not tarmac. When they are used, the car must be driven as smoothly and slowly as possible, and no faster than 30 mph.
Driving on tarmac or partially cleared roads, excessive wheel slipping or spin, harsh and sudden braking, and excessive driving speed may all lead to premature wear and failure of snow chains.

Special care must be taken if snow chains are not fitted to all four wheels, as traction for wheels without snow chains will be less than those fitted with snow chains.

We recommend that customers practice fitting snow chains before there is a real need for them to do so.

After fitting, always check that there is sufficient clearance around the tyres and that the chains do not obstruct the suspension, steering or bodywork.

Contact Capitol Volkswagen today and discuss your requirements with one of our skilled Service Advisors.