It may be a depressing thought, but as the kids go back to school in September; Winter and all it’s hassles really is only a few weeks away. It may be unfortunate in the extreme to have a breakdown in summer, but it can be thoroughly life threatening in winter.

The good news is that you can do a few simple checks yourself to ensure that you cut your risks to an absolute minimum. You can also make a few simple steps to acclimatize your vehicle to the coming winter weather, and in so doing you’ll make your winter driving a good deal safer and less stressful.

To begin with make sure you have your servicing done & up to date according to the manufacturer’s schedule. Most of the checks we’re going to do ourselves should be carried out during the service, but remember, especially with service intervals lengthening, a clean bill of health on the day the car was serviced doesn’t mean things can’t worsen to critical levels before the next service.

Tyres are one of the most critical safety components of your vehicle, and they are fairly straightforward to check. First of all check the tyre pressures. Remember that even without leakage, your tyre pressures will fall as the temperatures fall. This is because the air inside the tyre shrinks as it becomes cooler. Next you need to check the tyre tread depth, whilst you may get away with wearing your tyres right down to the legal limit in summer, you really need the tread in winter in order to give you grip through the rainwater and snow. At the same time, check the tyre tread and walls for cracks, cuts and anything that may be piercing them.

Finally, you may want to consider having a set of additional rims fitted with winter tyres, and fitting those at the end of September. You are permitted Winter Tyres in the UK, as long as they don’t have spikes. These tyres have specifically designed tread that pumps away the water, snow and mud, so they really help you even in mild but wet winters such as we often have in the UK.

Next take a look at your Windscreen Wipers. These too are critical for safety and easy to check. Just lift the Windscreen Wipers away from the windscreen, and wipe the blades clean with a soft damp cloth., look for cracks, cuts and tearing, in particular on traditional Windscreen Wipers, where the blade is held by the feet of the frame. Also check the joints in the wiperblade frame & make sure they are free, but not loose or worn. If you have Flatblade Wipers, you won’t have any joints to worry about.

Consider fitting Silicone Windscreen Wipers. These stay flexible right down to -60°C, and don’t allow ice to stick to them as much as rubber.

Check your windscreen for minute chips or cracks. These can be repaired quite economically, or even free if you have comprehensive insurance. If you ignore them, water can get in & then freeze, causing the screen to crack.

Under the bonnet check the water hoses for cracks & leaks. A good tell tale for coolant leakages is the fluorescent dye that’s part of antifreeze. If you see traces of this, get the problem sorted now. After you’ve done that, have the coolant antifreeze concentration checked. Most garages & many car shops will do that for free.

Have a good look at the drive belts for cracks and wear. A good check for the generator belt is to switch on all the vehicle lights, heated screen & other electrical equipment, then let the vehicle idle for a few seconds before blipping the throttle. If the belt is loose or worn, you’ll hear a screech.

On Petrol vehicles, have a good look at the ignition leads, ensure they are clean & without splits. Check the connectors at both ends of the ignition leads for cleanliness & cracks. A good test for ignition system condition is to open the bonnet after dark & run the engine at idle whilst you look for any sparks. Sparks tracking along a surface may be due to cracks, dirt, or just poor insulation.

Finally check your service schedule. If it specifies that your vehicle needs a Cam Belt or Timing Belt replacing, check your Service Invoices and make sure it has been done according to schedule. If in doubt, get it done. Cam Belts lose their flexibility as temperatures fall, and a breakage can cause catastrophic engine damage.

Filed under: Cars

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