Preparing your car for winter

Preparing your vehicle

You passed the driving test in summer and this is your first winter as a driving.

A pre-winter check or service is essential if you want to avoid problems during the winter. I have listed some of the items you should pay attention to:

Cooling System:

Most cooling systems specify that anti-freeze should be used all year round as a corrosion inhibitor, however it is a good idea to check the strength of the coolant at the start of the winter. How are your hoses? If your car is more than a couple of years old check for perished hoses and minor leaks.

Ignition system:

Electronic ignition is now fitted to many vehicles, however, damp can still cause problems. Make sure that all ignition circuit contacts are clean and spray the system with an ignition sealer (moisture repellent).

Check that your battery is topped up and healthy ... Be kind to your battery in winter by minimising the load placed on it ...

Don't over use the starter motor, short bursts with long pauses between ... Switch off all auxiliary equipment when starting the car ... Switch of the screen de-misters when the windows are clear ... And so on ...

Air intake:

Check to see if your air intake has a winter position, if so, make the appropriate adjustment.

Tyres:

Trying to squeeze the last five-hundred miles out of a set of tyres can be counter-productive in winter. You want as much grip as possible when the snow comes (at least 3mm of tread). Plus, of course, changing a tyre in the snow is no fun!

Lights:

You should carry a spare set of light bulbs all year round (police patrol officers love to stop vehicles with defective lights!), however, this is probably more important in winter when your lights are getting extra use. Make sure that you have wash leathers and/or rags to keep your lights clean in the winter (snow can build up around lights, check to ensure that they are clear and clean as often as possible).

Brakes:

It may seem obvious to state that brakes should be in good order, however, your wheels will lock earlier on ice than in other situations and so even the slightest problems (with wheel cylinders, etc.) can cause major skids in winter.

Windscreen washers:

These are less likely to freeze up if the system is clean. Keep a supply of screen-wash additive in the car, this prevents the washer-bottle contents from freezing. Don't use engine anti-freeze in screen washers, apart from smearing your screen it may well strip your paintwork!

Wiper blades:

These will have to work harder in winter so make sure that they are in good condition (well used wiper blades rarely last more than 12 months in our climate).

Visit my website  www.travis-drive.co.uk

James@Travis School of Motoring

Safe Driving For Life