As the weather starts to turn cooler and the darker nights and mornings are on the horizon, you know that colder weather is on its way. This is a sign that it is time to prepare your car for the upcoming autumnal season.
Treat Autumn as a time to prepare your car for the harsh chill that winter months bring. Cold weather makes it more difficult for your tyres to maintain grip and makes the windshield more defenceless against cracks.
Here at Bodymek, we give you our top tips for preparing your car for Autumn.
Check your windscreen wipers
Your wipers need to be replaced every 6 months to a year. Older wipers will tend to make less contact with your window and may squeak as they’re going and only end up smearing your window. In that case, you’re actually decreasing visibility instead of improving it.
Test your heater
If you find that your heater is not working properly, you will want to make sure you address those issues before you have to deal with cold and freezing temperatures. Also be sure to make sure your defroster is working correctly.
Lights
The dark nights are getting closer so make sure you stay visible. Walk around your car and double-check the headlights, brake lights, indicators, parking lights, and emergency flashers are all working efficiently. Ensure they are clean and replace any broken bulbs.
Brakes and tyres
Icy or wet roads require good stopping power, and that comes from good brakes and tyres. If your tyres are worn or past the required tread depth, they will need to be changed. Also, be sure to keep on top of your tyre pressure as the cold weather causes the pressure to drop. The required pressure can be found in your car manual.
Check your fluids
The amount of fluids you need to check in your car may seem daunting but if you keep on top of them, it’s not as bad as you think. Ensure that you regularly check your engine oil, washer fluid, transmission, brake, and power steering fluids. Make sure they are all above the minimum level and refill if necessary.
Be prepared
Take the opportunity to check or install your car’s emergency kit with some cold-weather gear. You will want to make sure you have a warm coat, a cheap, lightweight jacket, gloves, a warm hat, a change of socks, and a blanket.
A few bottles of water is also a good idea, as are some non-perishable cereal bars. This is also the time to make sure that you have an ice scraper, to deal with the sudden arrival of bad weather.
Battery check
There is nothing worse than getting in your car to only find out that you can’t go anywhere because it won’t start. You don’t want to be stranded with a dead battery when the temperatures a sub zero, so as a precaution and in preparation for the colder months, have your battery tested.
Summertime temperatures can zap a battery of lots of its energy and when the colder weather sets in, the weakness of the battery can be exposed.
We are always on hand to give you any advice you may require. If you would like to book your car in for a service and once over, please feel free to email or phone us and we will be happy to book your car in.
