See clearly through winter

It may look pretty on trees but frost is a nuisance for drivers. It's there early on a cold winter's morning and late on a cold winter's night. You want to get in your car and drive off but the windscreen is opaque. Worse, you may not be able to get the key in the door lock.

As winter approaches, you should be prepared to unfreeze door locks and defrost the windows. It's also a good idea to carry a set of spare bulbs as required in France and many other countries. You may need to remove some trim to get at the bulb holder - see your car's handbook, or your Haynes Owners Workshop Manual, for details. Headlight bulbs on some newer cars must be replaced by a garage - again, check your handbook or your manual.

These are simple tasks, which Haynes would classify with a single spanner symbol.

There are many 'single spanner rated' DIY tasks covered by Haynes Manuals. Haynes is the world's leading publisher of automotive repair manuals and is renowned for teaching millions of car owners how to carry out routine maintenance and repairs. Haynes publishes manuals for more than 500 cars and vans as well as useful glovebox guides such as Your Car and Driving Abroad

For more advice on model-specific procedures, please refer to the appropriate Haynes Service and Repair Manual. Haynes Manuals are available from this website and all good car accessory retailers and bookshops including: Halfords, Motor World and WH Smith. Please use our comprehensive Stockist Locator in the left margin of this page.

Here's how to deal with Jack Frost  

1. Equip yourself with de-icer sprays and a couple of good window scrapers. Keep one set in the car for when you are out and another set at home for the mornings.
2. Consider buying an all-weather windscreen shield. It will protect your vehicle's windscreen from frost and can be used in the summer to shade the interior from bright sunlight.
3. Don't bother putting a blanket or newspaper on the windscreen - if it rains or snows in the night, you'll end up with a soggy mess.
4. Don't leave the engine running while stationary to defrost the windscreen - this wastes fuel and can increase engine wear.
5. You can use warm but not boiling water poured over the windows to defrost them. Watch out though, it could freeze on the ground and form an ice slick.
6. A good way to defrost a car, and warm the interior until the heater takes over, is to place a small electric fan heater inside for a few minutes. Make sure you connect it safely though - use an extension lead intended for outdoor use, protected by an RCD (earth trip).
7. Lift wiper blades carefully away from the windscreen and rear window, so that they are not frozen in place.
8. To unfreeze a door lock, warm the key gently before inserting it - place it on a radiator or use a lighter flame. Alternatively, spray a little de-icer into the lock.
9. Be careful about using windscreen washers on a cold screen - the liquid may freeze. On some cars, the wipers are automatically activated with the windscreen washers. If the washer jets have frozen, the wipers will scrape across a dry windscreen. Spray a little de-icer on the jets, or carefully clear the nozzles with a pin before you drive off.
10.  Don't forget to defrost the exterior mirrors. There's normally no need to defrost headlamps or light units - they get warm enough once switched on - but do brush away any accumulated snow.

Now here's a tip, similar to the many useful Haynes Hints in the Haynes Owners Workshop Manuals. Make things easier for the battery by not switching on lights, the heater blower or the heated rear window until the engine is running. When you finish your journey, switch off the electrical accessories before stopping the engine.