Keeping your vehicle well maintained is important all year round, but even more so in winter. For example, worn tyres won't hold the road in wet conditions as well as those with a good, deep tread.

Make sure all exterior lights are working correctly and that windscreen wiper blades are in good condition. Check the oil, coolant and washer fluid levels. And, don't leave home on that long trip over lonely country roads without enough fuel for the journey.

The following checks will help ensure your vehicle is ready for winter:

Note: Before carrying out these checks, make sure your vehicle is cold and parked on a flat, level surface.

 

Whilst many of these checks you can do yourself, there may be other issues you can't see without expert mechanical advice, so if in doubt call us today and speak to one of our technicians. 

 

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  Car Battery -Remember, if your car has not been used for a period of time, the battery may need charging before you come to use it.

  A car or van battery can fail at any time of year however it's far more likely in the colder months.
  Whilst the ability for the battery to hold charge decreases, the load required for components such as lights and heaters increases making it a lot harder for the battery to recharge whilst driving. 
   

1. Coolant - Always ensure that coolant is between the minimum and maximum markers. It is also important that there is sufficient anti-freeze in the coolant. If you're uncertain, we would check this free of charge as part of our free winter check. Anti-freeze is cheap but damage from a frozen engine can be very expensive to put right.
    

2. Tyres - Check tyre condition to see if there is adequate tread. The legal limit for cars is just 1.6mm however in wet or icy road conditions 3mm would be a safer minimum. Look for damage such as splits or bulges and always maintain the check the pressure. This can all be checked free of charge as part of our free winter health checks.
    

3. Wiper blades - check wiper blades for damage and replace if necessary. When wiper blades become frozen to glass it is very easy to damage them when freeing them up.
    

4. Screenwash - Make sure you have enough screenwash and that the concentration is suitable for cold conditions. Not all screenwash is the same so keep an eye out for the temperature it protects down to. You should be looking for protection down to down to -10 degrees C. If you don't use a good quality screenwash there is a danger your washer pump could freeze which can lead to the fuse blowing. Often the wipers run on the same electrical circuit so any blown fuses can cause bigger fault.