How to Keep Your Car Roadworthy This Winter

We embrace the winter months differently. While some of us gleefully welcome winter, others fret at the approach of the colder months. Car owners are a part of the latter category.

Car owners often worry about keeping their vehicles roadworthy throughout the cold winter months, which is understandable. Colder temperatures negatively affect different parts of the car, especially if not taken care of properly.

This piece highlights key tips to keep your car roadworthy this winter:

Replace battery

The most vulnerable car component to cold is the battery. Batteries experience low performance in cold temperatures, which is common with older batteries. Unfortunately, your car can’t run without a functional battery.

Hence, it makes sense to replace your battery, especially if it is old. Although makes and models have different recommendations for how often to change a car battery, it is generally recommended to replace your car’s battery that is three to five years old, especially when winter is approaching.

Check the Lights

Since winter is accompanied by fog and other adverse weather conditions, your lights have significant roles to play during winter. While your lights light up your paths, they also make your car visible to other road users to prevent collisions. Hence, it is important to ensure they are in excellent condition.

The car lights to check to keep your car roadworthy during winter include the headlights, rear lights, and fog lights, ensuring that they function properly. Replace any blown bulbs.

Tyres

The tyres are the only parts that have contact with the road, and they deserve proper preparation for winter use.

Stopping distance increases since roads are covered with ice and snow during winter, and this can be hazardous if you go on low thread-depth tyres.

Tyres are legally demanded to have a minimum thread depth of 1.6mm, but you want to raise the bar for the winter.

You don’t want to neglect your spare wheel in this check too.

Check Brakes

Your brakes are your best friend during the winter months. While stopping distance increases, the fallen tree branches, pets, and even cyclists make functional brakes necessary during winter. If you notice any unusual noise or behavior with your brakes, you want to take them to a repair workshop for a check and possibly a repair.

Another important tip for brakes during winter is to reduce your driving speed. Also, if your car has been parked for days, you want to set off slowly, as the calipers or discs might have frozen up.

Clean Windows and Light

Car cleaning is an important car maintenance routine but more essential during winter. This time, you are giving the windows and lights a thorough cleaning.

Cleaning your car during the winter helps aid visibility and prevents damage to your car’s body since it removes road salt and grit.

Washing your car regularly during winter is essential if you have previously worked on the metal part.

Check Wipers

The wipers are appreciated in winter to clear sleet, rain, and snow residue on your windscreen.

Check if your windscreen wipers are in excellent condition. The blade is a major part to check as it is prone to fraying. If you notice any faults, it is best to fix them before winter finally hits. Also, regularly clean your wipers with a clean cloth to remove road elements that can scratch the windscreen and even decrease the wipers’ lifespan.

Gauge Fluid Levels

When preparing your car for roadworthiness in winter, keep an eye on fluid levels, ensuring they are gauged. Important fluids to maintain during winter include engine oil, coolant, and brake fluid. If any of these goes below its gauge level, fill it up. Also, if you have parked your car for an extended period, you want to replace these fluids, as they are likely to have lost value.

Invite a Specialist

If you have parked your car for a long time and need it to take you around in the winter, you will need more than checking the wiper and tyres. Cars that have been parked for an extended time are prone to hidden faults that need the service of a pro to identify.

Hence, you need to contact an auto specialist to give your car a check. A specialty mechanic will help check your car and make recommendations to ensure it is prepared for winter.

Do you need a car specialist in your area to examine your vehicle for roadworthiness? A quick search on our Mobrage app will match you with auto mechanics near you.

Download the Mobrage app on Apple Store or Google Play Store for easy access to nearby auto mechanics.  You can also download the Mobrage App on our website.