If you’ve not got the time to prepare your car for winter, then you can ask an expert to do it for you. Carry extra bulbs in case of a failure, but do try and learn how to replace the bulbs when it's convenient, because when one does blow it'll almost certainly be in the dark and possibly in cold and wet weather, too, not an ideal time to learn about your car. It's best to keep your lights on in all sorts of weather, because it helps you to be seen. Salt and dirt can quickly build-up, reducing the effectiveness of the lights and reducing your visibility to other road users. The days are shorter and the weather is worse during the winter months, so maintenance of your exterior lights is an important aspect of any winter car checklist.Ĭheck and clean your lights regularly. Screen wash has a lower freezing temperature than water alone, so you shouldn’t end up with frozen washer jets, although they can still become blocked if there's a particularly heavy frost or freezing rain gets into them. You can buy screenwash either ready-mixed or as a concentrate, which you’ll need to mix with water. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, open the windscreen washer bottle under the bonnet, and make sure that it is topped up. Assuming your wipers are in good shape, there’s still a high risk of them smearing grime across the windscreen if your screen wash bottle is empty. Winter weather is frequently wet, and this draws all the dirt and road salt from the road surface, so you’ll spend lots of time using your windscreen wipers. Replace the antifreeze in the car’s system and replace the cap. You can then read the freezing point of the antifreeze using the scale inside the tester. To use it, unscrew the coolant reservoir cap under the bonnet (ensuring the engine is cold first), lower the tube into the coolant and squeeze the rubber bulb on the end to suck some antifreeze inside the tester. To test the effectiveness of your antifreeze, an antifreeze tester can be brought from your local car spares shop. Check antifreezeĪntifreeze, as its name suggests, stops the water in the engine’s cooling system from freezing. You should always refer to the owner’s manual. This can be complex, not least because car batteries are heavy. If you're skilled enough and it's accessible, you could remove the battery and charge it indoors. If you can’t start your car, but have access to a 12-volt power supply in another car, then you can use a set of jump leads. There are dozens of combinations on offer, so make sure you get the correct one for your car. If the battery struggles to provide enough power to start your car, the chances are it's on its way out.Ĭar battery prices vary, and models fitted with stop-start systems need a heavier-duty battery that can cost much more than the standard type, depending on the size, type and the electrical current produced. If you haven't changed your car battery recently, then it could be tired, and the cold weather could amplify the problem. The lower temperatures already make it harder for an engine to turn over, but unfortunately, as any EV driver will tell you, cold weather also has a negative impact on a battery’s power output. Check your car batteryĬold and damp weather can put a strain on your car's 12-volt battery. That said, there are a few points where a bit of extra winter attention wouldn't go amiss. Winter car maintenance checklistĭespite the added urgency of keeping your car well maintained during the winter, most of the checks are the same ones you would perform during the rest of the year. We’ve also included some recommended purchases where applicable. We’ve included everything from the quick, easy tasks that take no time at all but can make all the difference, such as washer fluid and lighting checks, right up to more serious jobs, including fitting winter tyres. Winter car checklist: driving kit and best buys
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