As a driving instructor, it is very important that my car is kept in tip top condition at all times. Vehicle breakdowns more than double during the winter months, so it’s worth spending some time checking your car’s basic components that are potentially affected by the cold and dampness. These are my top 5 things to do to help achieve trouble free and safe driving this winter.
Checking the car battery
If the car battery feels like its struggling to start the car, its probably on the way out and a good time to think about getting it tested, or replaced before it lets you down completely. You can purchase a portable battery charger for as little as £40 and once its charged up can be kept in the car for extra piece of mind.\
Check you have anti-freeze
If the water in the car\’s cooling system freezes it can cause major issues which will need expensive repairs – If your car is frequently serviced, this will be one of the things the garage will check, but if unsure, use an anti-freeze tester to check the level, making sure the engine is cold before you unscrew the coolant reservoir cap.
Keep the screenwash topped up
You are more likely to use your windscreen wipers in winter, especially if grit is used on the road, so keep the washer bottle topped up with fresh water and screen wash which will prevent the water from freezing.
Check and clean the lights
A drop in temperature can easily affect car bulbs, especially with the shorter days you are more likely to be driving in the dark and using the lights for longer periods – check all the lights are working and keep them clean. It\’s a good idea to find out where your fog light switches are and check they are working too.
Check your tyres
Checking the tread depth of your tyres is very important. The legal limit in the UK is 1.6mm, but having more than this depth can dramatically improve braking distances and general driving safety. Keep an eye on tyre pressures as well.
So, your winter checklist is:
- Check your battery
- Check you have anti-freeze
- Screenwash topped-up
- Clean and check your car’s lights
- Check your car’s tyre pressure and tread