Car Winter Checklist to prepare your car for Winter
Monday 3rd December 2018
Winter is coming, and with it comes increased chances of delays and breakdowns. By taking the time to prepare now, you can reduce the amount of inconvenience and time spent in the freezing cold later.
Here's our 8 point checklist to ensure you're fully prepared for freezing temperatures, slippery roads and increased delays.
1. Get your car serviced
Make sure your car is in top working condition by getting it serviced to catch any issues before they potentially cause a breakdown. Here at Formula One Autocentres, we offer a Master Car Service or a Short Car Service for all sizes of engine, for all makes and models of vehicle.
We also offer a free 10-point Winter Safety Check including free screen wash top-up with any online purchase. Our 10-point Winter Safety Check includes checks to your tyres, battery, antifreeze coolant and wipers and washers, ensuring you're winter-ready.
2. Check your tyres
The winter season often leaves cars lacking grip due to wet or frosty roads. Your tyres are essential for both steering and braking. We recommend checking your tyres pressures and tread depth:
- For tyre pressure, use your car manual to find the correct pressure for your model.
- For tread depth, we recommend at least 3mm.
If you're looking to make a more substantial change, you might consider getting a set of winter tyres fitted, which offer more grip and evacuate water much faster than their summer counterparts.
At Formula One Autocentres, you can find and buy tyres online or come and see us at your local centre.
3. Check your battery
Your car battery becomes more essential over winter, when you tend to use more electricity on lights, heating and window wipers. The last place you want to be is outside in freezing temperatures with a car that won't start and no way to get to work.
Luckily, we offer a battery inspection free of charge so why not bring your car to your local Formula One Autocentre to get it checked out?
4. Top up engine coolant with antifreeze
When working properly, coolant cools down the engine via the car radiator. If coolant levels get too low, the engine can overheat which can cause serious damage. Over time, engine coolant becomes diluted when ideally it should be a 50/50 mixture of coolant and antifreeze.
To save yourself a hefty repair bill at the worst time possible, you should check coolant levels and top up if required.
5. Clean your lights
Visibility is important over Winter. You'll be glad to have well-functioning lights on dark and wet nights. You should check your lights, indicators, full beam headlights and fog lights. If you notice that they appear 'foggy', it's worth giving them a clean.
6. Wash your windscreen and wipers
De-icing and de-misting your windscreen can take up valuable time in the morning over winter. We recently covered how to de-mist your windscreen faster using your air conditioning. Another thing you can do to speed up this process is to ensure your windscreen is clean inside and out, which will help limit the amount it mists up.
7. Check your breakdown cover
If you do end up stranded, you'll want to know that someone is on the way to help you. Gain peace of mind by ensuring you're covered by a good breakdown policy.
8. Arm yourself with the essentials
Make your winter journeys more comfortable by stocking up on the essentials to help save some time. Some items we'd recommend keeping in your vehicle over the winter months include:
- Ice scraper and de-icer
- Shovel
- Jump cables
- Gloves
- Blanket
- Torch
- First aid kit
- Snacks and drink
If you don't have the time or motoring confidence to make these checks yourself, simply call in to your local Formula One Autocentre and we'll happily help. We offer a free 10-point Winter Safety Check including free screen wash top-up with any online purchase.
