How to prepare your car for wetter weather

Friday 5th March 2021

With April showers fast approaching, how can you best prepare your vehicle for the change in season? It’s one thing preparing for wintery conditions, but wet slippery surfaces need to be considered just as carefully. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to ensure your vehicle is as best prepared as possible for driving in wet conditions.

Tips to prepare your vehicle for wet weather driving

Tyres

Preparing your tyres for driving in wet conditions is important for keeping you safe on the roads. Some of the things you can do to prepare your tyres include:

• Tyre pressure – is your tyre pressure correct? Or perhaps you’re unsure what your tyre pressure should be? Learn more about tyre pressure from Formula One Autocentres.
• Tyre tread depth – it’s also important to ensure that your tyres meet the legal minimum requirement for tyre tread depth (1.6mm). Learn how to check your tyre tread depth now.

Windscreen

• Wipers – one of the most important ways to prepare your car for wetter weather is to ensure your wipers blades are working correctly. Learn how to tell when your wiper blades need replacing from our guide.
• Screen wash/water – ensure your screen wash and wiper fluid is topped up, ready to wash away streaks left by rainfall.
• Cracks – notice any cracks or chips in your windscreen? It’s important to get this looked into immediately – as cracks or chips can increase from road impact – but especially in the wet and cold weather, as this can cause your chip or crack to expand.
• Inside – keeping your windscreen clean on the inside is also a challenge in wetter weather. Condensation can appear on the inside of your windscreen and if you wipe it yourself rather than letting the heaters dry it, this can leave smudges and smears which affect your visibility. Clean your windscreen every week or so, and a top tip is to use newspaper to remove the streaks which are left from glass cleaning products!

Interior

Of course, wet weather can also bring lots of mud and water into your vehicle – so it might be worth investing in some protective mats and seat covers!

• Protective seat covers – this will mean that, despite how wet you’ve got on your walk to the car, you can protect your seats with a protective seat cover – allowing your seats’ material to stay dry and intact.
• Protective rain and mud mats – don’t worry about footwear bringing in mud and water; with protective rain and mud mats, you can keep your car clean and tidy – despite the wet conditions outside.

Battery

The damp and cold can often have detrimental effects on car batteries – as well as the added strain from the heaters. If your battery is old, it’s wise to consider replacing this when preparing for wetter weather. Learn how to tell signs of a dead car battery, and visit our car batteries section to learn more about replacing a car battery locally.

Now your vehicle is prepared for the wet weather, ensure you’re ready to tackle driving in the rain. Find out top tips from our informative guide on how to combat driving in wet conditions.  

Alternatively, for the ultimate preparation for the upcoming season, book your vehicle in for a car service at your local Formula One Autocentre.