How To Get Your Car Ready For Winter

As it tends to do quicker than we’d like each year, winter is approaching, and this means a whole different landscape for you and your car to navigate. Wet and cold weather affects not only the way that we drive, but the way in which we look after our cars too, as they can be sensitive to the drop in temperature. 

So how do you get your car ready for winter? 

Get reacquainted with your tyres

Your tyres will have surface water, icy conditions, and a fair few potholes to contend with over the winter, so it’s important to make sure they’re ready for the challenges ahead. If you want to maintain ultimate grip, opt for winter tyres as the colder weather approaches, getting them swapped with your regular tyres by a professional. 

Regardless of whether you opt for winter tyres or not, you should ensure that all your tyres are correctly inflated to your car’s recommended PSI, and that they are well within the legal tread depth, which is 1.6mm. If they’re a little too close for comfort, we’d recommend replacement before the weather gets bad. 

Top up your car’s fluids

Regular checks of the fluid levels in your car should be frequent for you, and they’re as important in the winter as they are at other times of the year. Check your engine oil using the dipstick, and top up your screenwash so that you’re ready to clean your windscreen in a flash. 

When it comes to your coolant, you can actually top it up with 50% antifreeze, keeping things moving when temperatures drop below 0 degrees. 

Be aware of your battery health

Nobody wants to attempt to start the car on a cold or raining morning and hear that dreaded turn-over sound that indicates a flat car battery! If you’ve noticed that your car takes its time to get going, or you believe that your battery has had good innings and will soon need replacement, it’s time to head to a repair centre for a check at least. 

A car battery should last for around 5 years, so use this as a rule of thumb when you’re working out how long your current car battery has been in operation. 

Check your lights

Before the nights draw in and the weather takes a turn, take the time to check that all your lights are working. This check should not only include your headlights and sidelights, but also your indicators, brake lights, and your fog lights too. 

When you’re sure that your bulbs and the associated electrics are all functioning correctly, it’s good practice to give lenses a clean, ensure there’s no damage to them while you do so. 

With less daylight and almost certainly bad weather at some stage, being seen by other road users is everything — give yourself and your car the best chance of being seen, and of seeing the rest of the road. 

Make sure that your brakes are in good health

Winter weather means potentially slippery road surfaces, due to either rain, snow or ice, and longer stopping distances. If you know that your brakes have outstanding advisories, or you begin to notice any unusual noises or impaired brake performance, or your car starts to veer to one side, head to your local service centre ASAP. They will be able to diagnose the problem and arrange the necessary brake part replacement so that you can stop when you need to this winter. 

Keep the right equipment on hand

Ensure that you have an antifreeze or an ice scraper (ideally, both) so that you can clear your windscreen when it’s frosty. Don’t forget, it’s illegal to drive while your view from the windscreen is even partially obscured, so don’t be tempted to drive away before you’ve completely defrosted.