How to get your car ready for winter

Winter

How to get your car ready for winter

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Check your screenwash bottle and top up regularly. A lot of dirt and grime ends up on the windscreen during the winter months so having plenty of screenwash will help to maintain your view. Use a mixture of at least 50% undiluted screenwash in your bottle to prevent the liquid freezing.

You should also make sure your windscreen wipers are in good working order. It can be difficult to see when driving in conditions such as snow and fog. Don’t make your journey any harder than it already is this winter by having a dirty windscreen that you can’t clear due to damaged wipers.

Lights

It feels like it gets dark as soon as we wake up when it’s winter, so properly-functioning headlights, brake lights, fog lights, and indicators are absolutely essential.

Check all your lights are working and clean them regularly. Dirt can easily build up on your headlights, hindering your vision of the road and potential hazards.

Ensure that you replace blown bulbs as soon as possible. Not only is this an instant MOT fail but other road users may not be able to see you clearly in wintry conditions.

Tyres

The weather throughout the winter days tends to cycle between really cold and moderate. This variation in temperature causes the rubber in tyres to expand and contract which, in turn, can lead to the rubber splitting or changes in tyre pressure.

For this reason, it’s crucial to check your tyres every few weeks in winter.

Adequate tread is critical to help tyres grip cold icy roads and to avoid aquaplaning. We recommend making sure you have at least 3mm of tread on all your tyres – the more tread you have, the shorter your stopping distance will be on cold, wet, or icy roads. If you do a lot of winter driving, consider fitting all-season or winter tyres for added grip and control in the snow.

Coolant levels

Coolant is stored in a bottle near the engine and is usually a bright pink or blue colour – check your vehicle handbook if you are having trouble finding it.

Coolant, also known as antifreeze, protects your engine from extreme cold temperatures by raising the freezing point of the fluids within. If the fluids in your engine were to freeze and expand, the engine block could crack, causing serious and costly damage.

We advise that you check your coolant level regularly and top up if necessary.

Battery

if your car battery is more than 5 years old, have it checked regularly to ensure it carries on working effectively.

Batteries naturally lose their charging capability over time but during the winter, the cold takes its toll and a fully charged battery is weakened by about 35%. Batteries are the number 1 cause of breakdowns, so if you’ve been having trouble starting the car lately, get your battery checked before winter really hits.

… Before you set off on any kind of winter trip, whether it be a long drive to visit the grandparents on the other side of the country, or just popping down the road to the shops, stash a few essential items in your car now so that you are prepared for any eventuality. Here’s a handy checklist:

Phone charger
Ice scraper & screenwash
Warm clothes like gloves & blankets to keep warm if you get stuck waiting at the side of the road
Wet weather gear like wellies & an umbrella in case you need to leave your vehicle
Snow shovel & rock salt to manage snow around tyres if you get stuck
Bottled water and non-perishable snacks
Visibility aids like hi-vis jacket and a warning triangle
Car jack & locking wheel nut key should you need to change a tyre
Torch and batteries
First-aid kit
Jump leads
Vehicle handbook
Map

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Winter

Preparing your car for the winter

It’s that time of year again! The weather may not yet have thrown its worst at us, but as the last year has shown with the “Beast from the East” followed by an unprecedented long, hot summer, we need to be prepared for anything!

At the start of the autumn this means getting your car ready for winter driving.

The checklist includes making sure it has an annual service. Many of the problems caused by the cold can be prevented if you do this.

Battery: the average life of a battery is about five years, and the battery comes under additional strain not only from the cold weather but from heavier use of lights, heater and blower.

Tyres: a good tread is essential for efficient braking and steering, so they need to be at the correct pressure as well as having sufficient depth of tread.

Antifreeze: engine coolant should be a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze and this can easily become diluted if you have topped up the system with water over the year. Don’t forget the screen wash – a good quality 50% mix of screen wash will reduce the chance of freezing when it is particularly icy.

Windscreen and wipers: give the windscreen a thorough clean both inside and out. Any smears can cause visibility problems when light shines on them. Wipers will get heavier use during the winter so make sure the wiper blades are in good condition with no nicks and tears.

Lights: these, too, need to be cleaned.

Underseal: when the roads are gritted in icy conditions many don’t realise that the grit contains salt. This can cause damage to the car’s bodywork, so you should also check for scratches and dents in the paintwork to ensure it is not vulnerable to damp getting through to the metal and setting up the conditions for rust to develop.

If you are driving in the winter the advice is to carry a winter emergency breakdown kit with you. This should contain a shovel, blanket, warm coat, torch and for long journeys a hot drink in a flask and a fully topped-up mobile phone.

If you want to avoid all the winter check hassle, you can always rent a vehicle from us. While we can’t supply a personalised winter breakdown kit we do make sure that all our vehicles have been properly checked and prepared for winter driving.

Blog Safety Winter Winter Driving

Preparing your car for the winter

Winter

Preparing your car for the winter

It’s that time of year again! The weather may not yet have thrown its worst at us, but as the last year has shown with the “Beast from the East” followed by an unprecedented long, hot summer, we need to be prepared for anything!

At the start of the autumn this means getting your car ready for winter driving.

The checklist includes making sure it has an annual service. Many of the problems caused by the cold can be prevented if you do this.

Battery: the average life of a battery is about five years, and the battery comes under additional strain not only from the cold weather but from heavier use of lights, heater and blower.

Tyres: a good tread is essential for efficient braking and steering, so they need to be at the correct pressure as well as having sufficient depth of tread.

Antifreeze: engine coolant should be a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze and this can easily become diluted if you have topped up the system with water over the year. Don’t forget the screen wash – a good quality 50% mix of screen wash will reduce the chance of freezing when it is particularly icy.

Windscreen and wipers: give the windscreen a thorough clean both inside and out. Any smears can cause visibility problems when light shines on them. Wipers will get heavier use during the winter so make sure the wiper blades are in good condition with no nicks and tears.

Lights: these, too, need to be cleaned.

Underseal: when the roads are gritted in icy conditions many don’t realise that the grit contains salt. This can cause damage to the car’s bodywork, so you should also check for scratches and dents in the paintwork to ensure it is not vulnerable to damp getting through to the metal and setting up the conditions for rust to develop.

If you are driving in the winter the advice is to carry a winter emergency breakdown kit with you. This should contain a shovel, blanket, warm coat, torch and for long journeys a hot drink in a flask and a fully topped-up mobile phone.

If you want to avoid all the winter check hassle, you can always rent a vehicle from us. While we can’t supply a personalised winter breakdown kit we do make sure that all our vehicles have been properly checked and prepared for winter driving.

Blog Business Van Rentals Fleet Rentals Safety Winter Winter Driving

Are you ready for winter driving conditions?

Winter

Are you ready for winter driving conditions?

We have been pretty lucky for the last few winters, which have been fairly mild with little or no snow, at least in East Anglia.

This means that many of us will have little experience of driving in really wintry conditions, so we have a few tips for you.

Using chains or special winter tyres is rare in this country as they are generally not needed, but there are still hazards drivers need to be aware of and know how to handle.

The main winter hazards are high winds, driving rain, fog and sometimes snow.

Driving in rain and fog

In both cases, the road surface is likely to be more slippery and visibility will become more difficult so the first piece of advice is to drive slowly, steady and smoothly.

Remember, if there has been a dry spell, oil deposits on the roads may increase the risk of skids and, in rain, tyres losing grip so that the vehicle aquaplanes.

You should also ensure that you leave extra room between your car and the vehicle ahead, particularly on motorways. In treacherous conditions, where visibility is reduced by spray, it is better to decelerate rather than use your brakes.

If you are renting a vehicle for a long-distance drive in such conditions, you may need to use windscreen wipers and the screen washer to clear the windscreen more frequently, so make sure the water is regularly topped up.

Another tip for driving in fog is to use dipped headlights rather than main beam, which can make it harder to see ahead.

Winter emergency kit

A blanket, drinking water, warm coat and a torch, plus a shovel in case of snow drifts should be part of the emergency kit if you get stuck somewhere, and make sure to keep your mobile phone topped up.

Headlights

The Highway Code’s Rule 226 states that you must use your headlights if visibility is seriously reduced. A good rule of thumb is that this is generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet).

Also, if the car is fitted with rear or front fog lights and you have used them in fog, you must switch them off once you are clear of the fog.

Driving in wintry conditions is really about using common sense and adjusting your driving, not taking risks.

Winter

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Tag: Winter

How to get your car ready for winter

Tyres

Coolant levels

Battery

Preparing your car for the winter

Preparing your car for the winter

Are you ready for winter driving conditions?