Car prep for winter: six suggestions

With the nights drawing in and the freshness on a morning becoming more noticeable, now is absolutely the time to be considering what you can do to ensure you and your car are both ready for the winter months.

1. Service

Prevention is always better than the cure. If your car is getting older or out of warranty, we would highly recommend you taking it to a local mechanic to have a service. If one is due in winter, have it early, so it is ready for winter. Doing this can allow you to have any potential problems fixed sooner rather than later, reducing the likelihood of having to spend more money on the issues, too.

• Antifreeze

That morning frost can creep up on us without us really realizing it. While you’re thinking about it, put antifreeze into your engine coolant. A 50:50 ratio of water and antifreeze is recommended. Taking action now will mean your car is definitely ready for winter and reduces the risk of freezing, which can lead to costly repairs. It is also advisable to use antifreeze within your screen wash, ensuring that your windscreen washers work properly, and you will be more easily able to clear any grime possibly limiting your vision.

• Remote car starter

Mornings can be a pain when the sun hasn’t yet come out to melt some of the ice and the engine takes ages to heat up before driving off. Investing in a remote car starter can help alleviate some of these worries. Having this technology means that you can start your car from a distance, allowing your car to heat up both inside the vehicle and within the engine, ensuring that you are ready to set off, reducing the possibility of having winter issues.

• Tyres

Tyres that are too worn and with low pressure can spell disaster for both you and your car, particularly in icy conditions. Tyres are essential for both successful braking and steering of your vehicle. Not keeping yours in good condition will be a problem, potentially impacting others as well as yourself. You may even wish to change from summer to winter tyres. Head over to a nearby tyre store who will be able to measure up the tread as well as recommend what would work best on your car.

• Lights

Substandard lights can prevent you from seeing and being seen during the winter, potentially leading to an accident. Always remove ice and dirt from your lights on a regular basis. Additionally, as soon as a bulb starts to dim or stops working altogether, replace it.

• Prepare an SOS kit

Despite all your good intentions, there can still be problems with your car or even on the route you are taking, particularly on long car journeys. It is always best to have an SOS kit in your vehicle in case of emergencies. We recommend having a wind-up torch, hi-vis vest, blanket, snack bars and bottled water just in case. Of course, this is in addition to the standard warning triangle and spare tyre and accessories that you should carry as standard.