If you’re someone who takes pride in your vehicle, you’ll know that winter can be a challenging time for your vehicle. Whether it’s the increased risk of accidents, dodgy road surfaces or the cold wreaking havoc on your engine, winter can bring with it a set of unique challenges every driver needs to prepare for.
Thankfully, we’re here to help you do just that! In this blog post, we’ll provide an essential checklist to ensure you keep your vehicle protected from the harsh conditions of the cold season.
Glow Plugs
Do you own a diesel car? Then one of the most crucial parts of winter vehicle maintenance is to check your glow plugs to ensure they’re up to the challenge of starting your vehicle during winter.
You see, diesel engines rely on glow plugs to start, particularly in cold weather. These plugs preheat the air in the combustion chamber to help with the ignition.
To ensure your diesel engine starts without issues during winter, check your glow plugs or get a professional to look at them. Any faulty plugs should be promptly replaced to avoid potential starting issues in chilly conditions.
Battery Check
Like glow plugs, batteries can struggle in winter. That’s because the cold temperatures reduce a battery's efficiency, making it more difficult to power your vehicle.
This makes checking your battery an essential part of vehicle maintenance, so start by inspecting the battery terminals for corrosion and ensure they are securely connected. For older batteries, it’s advisable to have them tested or replaced.
Keep on Top of Oil And Fuel Levels
Oil plays a vital role in lubricating your engine’s parts, which is even more crucial in winter when it can become thicker. So be sure to check your oil levels regularly and top up whenever necessary.
Additionally, consider topping up with a lower-viscosity oil to ensure it flows smoothly and doesn’t get clogged up, while you should also keep your fuel tank well-filled to prevent condensation as this can lead to fuel line freezing.
Brake Inspection
As we all know, winter is the most dangerous condition for driving, with icy roads, harsh weather and poor visibility all making this a potentially treacherous time to drive.
Brakes are the most important safety component of any vehicle and their performance is critical, especially in winter. Regularly inspecting your brake pads, discs and brake fluid levels is imperative, especially when the cold snap sets in.
If you notice any squeaking, grinding or a lack of response from your brakes, this needs to be addressed right away without delay. You don’t want to be driving down an icy road at 40mph, only to discover your brakes don't respond when you try to stop!
Antifreeze Top-Up
Antifreeze prevents the radiator from freezing and protects against any corrosion to your parts, highlighting the need to check your levels regularly and top up when needed.
Additionally, you need to ensure the antifreeze concentration is in line with the manufacturer's recommendations as this also helps regulate engine temperature, ensuring your vehicle performs optimally, despite the challenging conditions.
Tyre Check
If you were ever in doubt about the importance of having good tyres on your vehicle, research has shown that around 25 per cent of all accidents are caused by a lack of tread.
Tyres are basically your car's connection to the road, so with slippy, icy surfaces, it’s easy to see why having poor tread can create a serious safety hazard.
As well as your tread, you should also check the tyre pressure regularly, as cold temperatures can cause pressure fluctuations. Moreover, underinflated tyres reduce traction, as well as decrease fuel efficiency, so there are multiple reasons why you keep checking them in winter.
Paint Protection
Winter creates a whole host of risks for your vehicle’s paintwork. Grit that’s spread to prevent roads from icing over can bounce up and leave blemishes on your bodywork, as can stones and debris.
If your vehicle ends up full of scratches and chips then this is sure to ruin the aesthetic of your vehicle. Therefore, it’s crucial to protect your paintwork, especially in the colder months when conditions worsen
One way to do that is with a car paint protection film (PPF), which is basically a transparent and durable layer composed of polyurethane or polymer applied to your vehicle's surface. This film serves as a protective shield, safeguarding your car's paint from the wear and tear it may otherwise accumulate while you’re on the road.
Vulnerable areas such as the front bumper, hood or your side mirrors are particularly likely to experience damage, so protecting these areas is always wise. This transparent layer will act as armour against debris, scratches and grit, preserving your car’s delicate paint and protecting its aesthetic beauty.
Other ways to protect your car’s paintwork include regularly cleaning your vehicle to remove accumulated dirt, salt and tar, and waxing post-wash to provide a nice sheen and provide a barrier against moisture and irritants that can dull your paint.
Additionally, if your vehicle does incur any chips or scratches then be sure to address these promptly. A car detailing service can help restore and enhance your paintwork, removing swirl marks, light scratches and defects to return your paintwork to its former glory.
So that rounds off our winter maintenance checklist. Winter produces some uniquely challenging conditions for motorists. But if you follow the guidance you’ve read in this post, your vehicle should be ready for whatever winter can throw at it.
We offer a range of services to help keep your car protected this winter. For detailing or PPF, speak to us today.
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