As temperatures go down, the wind slowly increases its phase, the clocks go back and you switch on your headlights every time you get in your car. It can only mean one thing that winter is coming. But is your car ready for winter? Most people visit a garage in Watford to do car service so that they can drive their car smoothly during the winter.
We all know that maintaining your car well enough is not only a good habit from a safety point of view, but it also makes more sense from a financial perspective. We often tell our readers how a little care and attention to your car can maintain your car’s performance and bring you many happy years of service from your vehicle.
Good maintenance is important for driving your car smoothly without any issues during winter. In the run-up to winter and then during the coldest part of the season, your car must be in good condition to handle the extreme temperatures.
Modern cars are safer, better and more strongly designed than ever before, but the newest, up-to-date cars are still suffering during extreme winter months if they are not properly maintained.
Extreme cold, snow, ice and rain can impact the car components. As temperatures drop, the car parts can crack, shrink, seize up or fail. Most of the time during winter batteries are more likely to go flat, which is the reason why most electric car issues are of low range during the winter. In winter tyres are more likely to deflate or puncture and important fluids are more likely to freeze over when the temperature rises.
That means the chance of being parked at the side of the road can increase at the time of year when most people ignore driving their cars.
Some inspection and planning on your car earlier on, before winter arrives and the temperature begins dropping can be a better decision. Here is our simple guide to getting your vehicle reading for winter.
7 Checks To Ready Your Car For Winter
Fuel
Running out of fuel is not a good feel to have, especially in the middle of the road on a dark, snowy night is not only highly inconvenient, but it’s dangerous too. During the winter months never let your fuel tank go below a quarter and do not wait for low fuel warning lights to appear. Ensure you always have sufficient petrol or diesel in your fuel tank.
Oil
A car will not perform well without essential oil but it is quite shocking to see many drivers who never check the oil level in their engine. Car manufacturers provide a dipstick to easily check how much engine oil is remaining in your car and it only takes a few minutes to check it.
The dipstick is designed in a manner that there are upper and lower limits on it. Ensure your dipstick showing toward the higher end and if necessary top it up. But don’t overfill it because it can also damage the car engine.
Battery
In winter there is an immense amount of pressure on the batteries with more strain on them to turn on a freezing engine in the morning while other parts through for power to help them work. So it’s not unusual that batteries suffer and fail at this time of the year.
The car batteries are designed to last four to five years, if your car battery is getting old, you should replace it with a new one, especially if your car engine struggles to turn on, and your headlights appear dimmer or the battery warning light appears.
Antifreeze
Antifreeze is an engine coolant that is mixed with water to stop water in your engine’s cooling system from freezing during cold winter months. It is not suitable for the summer season.
If coolant struggling to circulate through the engine, it can cause serious damage. Ensure to top up coolant regularly in any season. If you haven’t topped up for more than three years, it should be drained and replaced.
Brakes
Whether you are driving on wet or icy roads in dark conditions and poor weather all require brakes that are in top condition. Anything that affects branking performance could be putting yourself and others at risk.
If you notice your car brakes are making unusual noises such as grinding, squeaking or other noises, or if the car is pulling to one side or your braking distance is too long than usual then you need to check your brakes by a mechanic. If you haven’t driven your car for a while, or too much driving in extreme weather conditions, could be the reason your brake discs have seized up.
Tyres
Driving your car with worn or damaged tyres is not safe for yourself and the passengers sitting with you. It is also not legal to drive your vehicle with worn-out tyres in the UK, and you could get a heavy fine or penalty points on your driving licence. In the UK, tyres must have a minimum tread depth limit of 1.6mm and below which is not legal.
When you check our tyre tread depth, also look for any damage signs of cuts or bulges in the tyre sidewall or inside where you can’t see easily as well as the outside.
Lights
Driving your car without light at night is like running without eyes. You will use your headlights more during the winter months even in the daylight, compared to summer, so it is important to have all the lights checked if they are working properly. Turn on all the lights once to check if all lights are turned on and if you find any faulty lights then replace them immediately.
Clean all your lights and indicators regularly as dirt and grime can stick to them and reduce their effectiveness. If you don’t have time to do all these then you can visit a garage to perform a car service in Watford to ready your car for the winter.
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