Car Winter Service Checklist

You may need to purchase a number of products to get your car ready for winter if you haven’t already. Make sure you’re sufficiently stocked up on things like washer fluid, in-car chargers so you can communicate in the event of an emergency, first aid kits, wellington boots, printed routes or sat nav facilities, shovels, blankets, torches, batteries, de-icer, a hazard warning triangle, a tow rope, hi-vis clothing and ice scrapers. If particularly bad weather is expected, you will also need waterproofs, warm winter clothes and accessories like hats and scarves and hot drinks.

One of the most essential things you need to do is check your car battery before you head anywhere. If your battery seems to be struggling to activate your car, you should think about replacing it immediately. If you have the right equipment and vast maintenance experience, you may well wish to test your battery yourself, but if this is not the case, it’s wise to visit a specialist if you are having problems with it or suspect it is reaching the end of its days. If you cannot start your car with the battery, you may need to jump start it with jump leads. You may be able to remove your battery from the car and charge it indoors, but you will need to follow the instruction manual to the letter.

It’s also wise to invest in an antifreeze tester so you can see if your antifreeze is working. Make sure your screen wash bottle isn’t in danger of running empty as you will use your wipers frequently in the winter. You can either purchase ready-mixed screen wash or opt for concentrated wash that needs to be mixed with water.

In the winter, you will need to not only check but clean your lights on a regular basis. Salt and dirt builds up quickly at this time of year, which can lead to insufficient visibility. Make sure you transport extra bulbs with you in case a failure does occur. It’s also advisable to purchase winter tyres that provide better grip in wet and wintery conditions. Although winter tyres can be pricey, the level of extra safety they provide can be worth its weight in gold. If you don’t buy winter tyres, make sure the tread depth of your tyres is substantially more than the legal limit of 1.6mm to make braking and steering more efficient.

At Ace Breakdown, we can come to your assistance if you break down in the winter in Bolton and Greater Manchester. Most problems can be fixed at the roadside, but courtesy cars can also be provided. Talk to us today if you need free accident recovery services – just call 01204 53 43 33.