Looking After your Car in winter
We all know that you need to take extra care during the winter months to make sure that your car is running on top form and to prevent any unnecessary damage. It’s important to make regular health checks to not only ensure the safety of your vehicle but also to save some money too.
Get a service
If your car is due a service, then it’s worth getting it booked in now before the cold weather hits. Many vehicle-related problems that motorists experience during winter could have easily been prevented by undertaking regular servicing and maintenance checks.
Also, it might be worth checking out your local garages to see if they offer discounted or free winter car checks. Halfords offer this service for free if you want to book your car in for a once over.
Battery
As your battery will be used a lot more during winter with the increased use of lights, demister and heater, ensuring that it’s working correctly should be your number one priority.
Most car batteries have a life span of five years so it’s important to get it checked out straight away if you’re noticing any issues. You don’t want to get caught out during a long journey and have to have your car recovered.
Engine
Anyone who drives a car will know how important it is to make sure that your oil is always topped up. If your car hasn’t been driven in a while, there’s a chance that oil will have dripped down to the bottom of the drain pan, leaving your cylinders dry. There is an easy way to resolve this problem and that is to ‘fog the engine’. This basically means using a specially formulated spray containing petroleum that will keep your engine lubricated and prevent corrosion.
The best way to do this is to start the engine, remove the air filter and spray into the air intake of each cylinder. Once you have done this, leave the engine on for a further 10 seconds and turn it off. Finally, remove the spark plugs and spray your fog oil into each cylinder before replacing them.
Tyres
It’s always good to keep an eye on your tyres to make sure that there are no signs of wear and tear as well any damage caused by potholes or debris from the road. Don’t forget to test your tyre pressure either. Low pressure will not only shorten the life of the tyre, but can decrease your fuel efficiently meaning you will be spending more cash at the garage.
Ensure your tread depth is at least 1.6mm, which is the legal requirement on UK roads. A simple way of checking is by doing the 20p test. Insert a 20 pence piece into your tread and if your tyre comes above the outer band of the coin, then it’s above the legal limit.
Antifreeze
A common mistake most people make is to top their coolant with water during winter rather than anti-freeze. Engine coolant should always be a 50/50 mix to ensure that it doesn’t freeze in the cold weather. If this happens, then there is a chance that the engine can overheat leaving you with a big repair bill.
Visibility
With daylight hours being considerably reduced, the car’s lights will be used more frequently. Making sure that all the bulbs are working and replacing any that aren’t will help keep yourself and other road users safe. Also, giving them a bit of a clean as well will increase visibility and can be done relatively easily.
If you have any chips in your windscreen, have these looked at now, as the cold weather can cause them to spread and crack further. Check that all windscreens are clean inside and out with the screen wash fully topped up.
Bodywork
Salt corrosion can be one of the more expensive issues to get fixed at a garage if you don’t take preventative measures. When dealing with minor corrosion, give the area a good clean with warm soapy water or try using a bit of white vinegar on an old tea towel to give it a good wipe down. Either one of these two ways will work and help stop the damage spreading.
If the corrosion is more severe then you may have to take a trip to your local hardware shop to buy some rust and corrosion remover. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the product and this may save you a costly trip to the mechanic.
An easy way to remember to keep on top of your car’s health is FLOWER. Before setting off, check:
>> Fuel
>> Lights
>> Oil
>> Water
>> Electrics
>> Rubber
