Sep 5, 2019
With less than 100 days to Christmas, it means that winter is just around the corner!
These cold days can have a huge impact on your car, causing it to not run probably or even causing you a hefty bill that you weren’t expecting.
So, to help save your bank account, MyCarNeedsA.com have created this short and sweet checklist to ensure your car is ready for the cold months ahead!
Your engine needs lubrication to help keep your gears running smoothly. However, during the cold months, it can cause the oil to thicken and reduce its ability to move through the engine and its different parts. So, ensure that you have fresh oil in your car to ensure things are running smoothly.
Some mechanics agree that switching to synthetic oil (if it’s appropriate for your car) is more beneficial in the colder months. This is because synthetic oil flows freer at lower temperatures, meaning it doesn’t need any time to warm up. This results in providing your car with instant lubrication for your engine and it’s parts.
If you don’t want to switch fully to synthetic oil, then you can try a blend: this consists of synthetic oil coupled with naturally occurring oil.
Before making any switches we recommend that you check with a trusted mechanic or your vehicle manufacturer to determine what’s the right move for you.
Not only can the heat from the summer have an impact on your car’s battery, but so can the cold weather. It will slow down the chemical reaction that needs to occur when starting your car and increase the amount of current that needs to go to the battery.
This can be evident when you are trying to start your car in the morning and it just won’t go; this is because your battery is dead.
We recommend testing your battery and charging system before this happens and let you get ahead of the problem. Also, check your battery cables and terminals for any cracks and make sure that your fluid is filled to the top of the cap.
Making sure that you are able to see when driving is also going to be a top priority, no matter what number is on the thermostat. In the winter, however, the weather can have an impact on what you can see.
You need to make sure that all of your lights are working; if any of your lights are dim or have a yellow tone to them, then you need to replace your bulbs and clean your lenses.
Keeping your windscreen can be a difficult task in the winter, so make sure that your windscreen wipers are able to hack the job! Most windscreen wipers are only effective for six months - one year, so it’s probably more than likely that you will need to replace them. We recommend switching them to winter blades as they are a bit more durable and are able to withstand the snow and ice.
Also a little trick; fill your windshield washer with a bit of deicing fluid to help you out on those cold mornings!
Engine coolant, also known as antifreeze is one of the most important fluids in the cold winter months. This is because the fluid is responsible for cooling the engine system down.
Most people top up their engine coolant with water, however, with winter closely approaching, it’s vital that you don’t do this: because the water will freeze during the cold water and result in your engine overheating.
Ethylene glycol or propylene glycol can be found in antifreeze (depending on the brand you get) and it’s responsible for the prevention of water freezing, expanding and causing your engine to overheat; as stated above, if you have topped up your engine coolant with water, you can either use an antifreeze tester or take your car to a trusted mechanic and measure the strength of the antifreeze.
The test will tell you the lowest temperature that your engine is protected from freezing. If the temperature isn’t low enough then you may need to replace it altogether.
The winter weather always has tricks up its sleeves, so it’s best to be prepared for any case scenario.
To be ready for the unexpected you should pack an emergency kit in your car just in case.
We recommend packing some blankets, de-icing and first aid kit, flashlight, snacks and everything you need to change your tyre with.
There are so many things that you need to check up on including your belts, tyres and even the exterior of your car.
We recommend looking into the above elements but it’s also not a bad idea to get full service on your car to make sure that everything is up to standard.
At MyCarNeedsA.com we find the best, cheapest deal for you! It’s super easy: all you need to do is enter your registration number and a few details about yourself and we do the rest for you!
