How to Take Care of your Car in the Winter

Winter is the most treacherous time of year to run a car regularly, and it’s crucial that you run checks and keep well-equipped for any eventuality. Your car will likely have the handle the cold, rain, snow and ice, to give you the best chance of lasting through the winter without major repairs or accidents. Here is the ultimate guide to car care during the winter.

Keeping Everything Topped-Up

Winter car care starts with ensuring that every depletable resource is firmly topped-up. This includes checking if oil levels are within the marked range of your car’s dipstick, antifreeze which keeps your car’s internals from freezing, and of course, fuel.

Car battery care in winter is also essential, as a faulty or flat battery that hasn’t been tested is the number one cause of breakdowns according to the RAC and Green Flag. It’s vital to test your car’s battery before leaving the house. If the engine is starting slower than usual, or there’s a red battery on the dashboard, it’s probably time to change over the battery.

As a more general point to keeping track of your car’s conditions, pay attention to any dashboard warning lights that may show up, and learn what each symbol means. It could prevent you from serious damage further down the line.

Checking Your Tyres

It is imperative that your tyres are in top condition to make driving in the winter as safe as possible. Worn-down tyres are dangerous at the best of times, but in winter, where roads can be icy, snowy or rainy, your stopping distance will be increased massively. However, checking over your tyres is a three-step process that involves monitoring tyre tread, pressure and damage.

Checking the tyre tread is done using a tread depth gauge inserted into a groove of the tyre across multiple sections. New tyres have around 8-9mm of tread depth, but if it falls below 1.6mm this is not only severely lacking in necessary grip but is illegal in the UK. If this is the case, you should replace your tyres immediately. At LK Performance, our free vehicle fitment checker means you simply enter your model and our store will only show tyres that fit your car, so you can easily purchase a new pair and have them fitted for free at our state-of-the-art fitting centre.

Underinflated tyres cause slugging handling, and should be monitored using a reliable and accurate tyre pressure gauge. Find what your car’s recommended PSI rate is, remove the end cap of the tyre’s air valve and press the gauge down quickly and firmly into the valve until the hissing sound of escaping air stops. Your pressure gauge will display a reading of your tyre’s PSI and BAR, to which you should adjust the tyre pressure accordingly by either letting air out by squeezing the air valve or increasing the pressure with an air compressor, which can be found in most petrol stations.

Finally, always be on the lookout for any unusual bulges, wear or other damage. If something does appear, contact a nearby mechanic. LK Performance’s tyre check service uses expert mechanics and bleeding-edge technology to precisely examine each tyre so you can drive away confident that your tyres can withstand the winter.

For more detailed information, take a look at our blog on how to prepare your tyres for winter.

Checking Your Brakes

Your brakes are the most vital part of your car to check on. They always need to be in tip-top condition, especially in the winter to ensure your stopping distance is not compromised. If using the brakes makes them squeal or generate other unusual noises or sensations, this is a sign to get them checked, and if you haven’t used your car in a few days in cold weather, set off gently in case the discs, callipers or handbrake have frozen up.

Maintaining Visibility

It’s important to be able to see where you are travelling to, so make sure to maintain clarity of your visibility through the headlights and windshield. Cleaning your headlight is as simple as wiping it with a cloth, and a quick check of the performance of the wiper blades and windscreen wash levels under the hood should be just as plain sailing. If you do have problems with your wiper blade performance, contact a nearby mechanic.

Extra Essential Winter Equipment

Anything can happen on the roads and you don’t want to be underprepared, so here is our winter car care kit in case of emergencies:

• Ice scraper and de-icer - to remove ice from windshield
• Warning triangle - to pre-warn oncoming traffic of your presence up ahead
• Warm clothing and a blanket, rug or sleeping bag - in case you’re stuck
• Practical footwear like wellies - in case you’re stuck in a rural area
• Torch and batteries - in case you’re stuck in the dark
• Mobile phone and charger - to call breakdown recovery
• Shovel - to clear out snow