During the winter months, it is important to keep your car well maintained. You need to be doing regular checks to ensure that you are not only keeping your cars value, but that you are being vigilant about your own driving safety.
If you have a family, you want to ensure their safety when they travel around with you. Just knowing that you have done everything you can to keep your car in great condition will give you great relief. It is also a good way to ensure that your car holds its value!
If for any reason your car has to go to the garage to have maintenance done, you could always treat yourself to an exotic car rental for a couple of days.
Whether you car is brand new, or second hand, here are some of the top things to look out for when you start preparing to maintain your car this winter.
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1 – Cold weather and car batteries don’t mix. You should have the battery and the charging system checked so that you don’t find yourself in any last minute trouble on a cold winter’s day.
2 – Check your lights. This is an important part of winter driving as the nights get dark very quickly. Make sure that you keep some spare bulbs in at all times and save yourself the hassle of doing repairs at the last minute.
3 – Heating systems. There is nothing worse than getting into a cold car. Insure that your heaters and heated seats are working, not only for your warmth but to stop the screen fogging up and causing visibility problems for you as a driver.
4 – Brakes. This is absolutely vital for winter. Roads will be icy and dangerous so you need to ensure that your brakes are in perfect condition. Have these checked regularly throughout the winter months to avoid any road accidents?
5 – Tyres. Grip is important in this cold weather so you should be making sure that your tyres are durable and that you have the tyre pressure and tread depth checked. With bump, cold and unsafe winter roads you should ensure that your tyre pressure is checked at least once per week.
6 – Exhaust checks. Have your exhaust checked during winter to prevent any dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. This could prove fatal when you are driving with you car windows down on a permanent basis to avoid the cold air.
7 – Screen de-icer. Make sure that you keep plenty of winter essentials in your car for when the weather gets cold and frosty. Snowfall can take a long time to clear, so don’t forget to allow time in your journey for this as well.
If you are in any doubt at all, it is worth going to your local mechanic who can check your car over for you and recommend all of the top products and information. No-one wants to get injured and with Christmas being such a busy time for everyone, accidents are possible.