Prepping your vehicle for winter
Preparing your car for winter may not even cross your mind, we’re a bit lucky that we don’t have too severe weather in the U.K to worry about, but it’s good practice just in case we do have a bad spell, here is our best tip for taking care of your paint over winter.
1.Check your tyres:
It is important to check your tyres, in all seasons not just winter, to ensure that you have enough tread to drive your vehicle legally. The legal limit for tyre treads is 1.6mm, however, the more you have, the easier it is for controlling steering and braking. We would recommend checking your tyres once a month.
2.Keep a close eye on your window wipers:
Checking your wipers is a very important thing to do because the last thing you want is wipers that don’t work properly in extreme weather conditions. Not only will the rubbers help remove the rain, snow, dust etc. but it will also stop the metal blades from scratching your glass.
3.Clean your windows, properly:
Having clean windows is vital because who likes to look through (or in!) dirty windows? Find yourself a good glass cleaner, like our Aurora glass cleaner, that will not only clean well, but will also not leave streaks behind. We would advise staying away from modern glass cleaners which claim to have “hydrophobic” or “beading” effects. These types of products are great for a little while, but once dirt starts sticking to it, your visibility will become very poor. Glass, when cleaned, will automatically produce a slight beading effect anyway without these products.
4.Keep on top of your screen wash:
You don’t need us to tell you, however, it is paramount that your vehicle screen wash is always topped up. Try to avoid cheap, ready to use supermarket ones as these can have very little alcohols in them, so when it comes to winter, they can freeze up and won’t come out. Our screen washes have a high percentage of these alcohols in them to not only help with the cleaning power, but to stop them from freezing.
5.Check the battery:
When the weather turns and gets colder, it can have an effect on your vehicle’s performance. Colder weather will have an impact on your vehicle’s battery, especially if you have had the same battery in it for some time. Home battery tests can be purchased from most motor retailers, as well as online. These give a good indication on how much “juice” is left in there. We recommend you ensure all controls are off (AC, heating, radio, heated seats etc.) and you warm the car up (turn the key a few times, not all the way that the engine starts) before starting your engine, and to carry jump leads in your boot just in case you need a jump start if broken down.
6.Check on your antifreeze:
Antifreeze does pretty much what is says it does. It stops the water in your engine’s cooling system from freezing. Antifreeze can be purchased from most supermarkets, along with your typical garage and motor shop. The antifreeze holding bottle is typically located underneath your bonnet next to your engine. If you are stuck or unsure where to locate it, always check your vehicles user manual.
