With changes in temperature and road conditions the number of breakdowns and repairs naturally increase throughout the winter months. With winter well and truly set in, we wanted to share some maintenance tips to ensure your car and alloys are prepared for what the winter weather could throw at us.
Now it may seem obvious to have your service done when it’s due, but if it’s not far off we’d recommend getting it done ASAP before the winter as a lot of things that could go wrong due to temperature changes can be detected or resolved within your service. Now is also a great time to take advantage of the free or discounted winter car checks that most garages offer.
During the winter months people often make the mistake of topping up their engine coolant with water, leading to the antifreeze getting over-diluted and freezing during very cold temperatures. At this time of year engine coolant needs to be a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze.
*Not only can too much water lead to freezing, but also the engine over-heating and a very large repair bill as a result!
Your cars tyres are key to both steering and braking so it is essential that they are in road-worthy condition. It’s always important to ensure your pressures and tread depth are of the correct limit which is legally recommended as a minimum 1.6mm as this provides better grip.
Depending on your driving conditions some people even change their tyres throughout the year for winter and summer tyres however this isn’t imperative and good quality tyres are suitable to do their job all year round. This is only really necessary if you’re likely to encounter increase snow, slush or ice.
Now is the time to give your windscreen a thorough clean, including topping up your washer fluid with antifreeze. During these months it’s likely you’ll be using your washers more frequently so it’s important to ensure they will leave your windscreen clear and visible rather than just spreading more dirt and grime across the screen.
This is also the time to check you don’t have any small chips, or get those that you’ve been putting off repaired as these can grow significantly in the colder weather, causing dangerous and sometimes illegal driving conditions.
There’s nothing quite like winter when it comes to leaving your alloy wheels looking dull and lifeless. Even worse, with all the gritters on the road and harsh weather, winter is the time you’re more likely to end up with scratched alloys, corroded wheels and more. So, when it comes to protecting those wheels to keep them in top condition for the colder season, snow, ice and all, we compiled our top tips in a guide here.
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