Your car may suffer damage from severe weather. Your car needs proper upkeep to stay in peak shape during the monsoon, summer, and winter seasons. This article offers comprehensive winter auto care advice to keep your car in top shape during the chilly months.
Important winter driving advice
In some areas of India, the winters can be extremely harsh. Therefore, it’s crucial to prepare your car for the winter in the appropriate manner. Your car’s lifespan may be extended as a result. The cost of maintenance or repairs may be lowered with proper car care. And here’s how to go about it.
1. Check your vehicle’s lights.
There is less daylight in the winter since the sun sets earlier in the day. As a result, you should ensure your car’s lights are functioning at their best. Get the car’s lights (headlights, taillights, turn signals, and reverse headlights) checked at an electric car repair shop and replace them if necessary.
If it’s usually dark when you arrive and leave the workplace, keep your car’s lighting—from the headlamps to the blinkers—in working condition.
It’s easy to check your car’s lighting. Simply ask a buddy to run the headlights while you circle the car to ensure everything is in working order. A burned-out bulb is typically the cause of a non-operational light.
2. Don’t play around with your fuel light; check your oil levels.
According to the RAC, one out of every three vehicles its patrols visit has dangerously low oil levels, which can result in an engine failure or breakdown. Once your automobile has fully warmed up, you should check the oil level. Oil will appear low on a chilly automobile. Never forget that too much or too little oil might be harmful. Get it replaced at any garage car repair shop.
You should also make sure your tank is full of petrol. If your fuel light turns on, don’t try to squeeze out the final few miles. Despite how cosy and comfortable your car may be, it’s preferable to venture outside to a petrol station.
3. Check the battery.
According to a few prominent car enthusiasts from around the world, a swollen or malfunctioning battery is the leading reason for vehicle failures. The danger of battery malfunction or breakdown is higher in cold, rainy, and icy weather.
If possible, aim to replace your car’s battery at any electric car repair shop every three years if it’s giving you trouble in the cold. According to Green Flag, if the engine ignition time is more than usual when you start, it is one of the warning indicators of battery failure. Additionally, while driving, the red battery light on the instrument display can flicker, or it might take longer than usual to turn off once you start the engine.
4. Examine your tyres.
Worn tyres are hazardous at all times, but they are riskier when stopping distances stretch in icy, snowy, or muddy conditions.
Although it is required by law that tyres have 1.6mm of tread depth, experts advise changing your tyres to 3mm to ensure safe stopping distances. Make sure you have a roadworthy spare as well.
Consider purchasing snow chains, stockings, or winter tyres if you have to travel on unpaved or bumpy roads. Or get it replaced at a good car repair shop. To determine whether a tyre needs to be replaced, examine for any visible symptoms of degradation, such as pieces of missing rubber or bubbles in the sidewall.
If everything appears in order, you can evaluate the tread depth using a special tool. When a tyre has 4/32″ of rubber remaining at any time, the majority of experts advise replacing it. If the tread depth is 2/32″ or below, the tyre is considered a safety concern and needs to be replaced every away.
5. Add antifreeze to your engine coolant.
This is crucial when the temperature falls below freezing point, but be careful to get the appropriate mixture. Antifreeze and water should be combined 50/50 in the engine coolant.
As it dries up over time, you’ll need to top it off with antifreeze. People make the mistake of filling off with water throughout the year, which causes the antifreeze to become too diluted and freeze in extremely cold weather. This may cause the engine to overheat and cost a lot to fix.
The temperature control system keeps you comfortable, and the defroster prevents car windows from becoming icy or foggy. Make sure both are functional and, if necessary, make the appropriate repairs or replacements.
Warming your car’s engine is one of the simplest winter maintenance procedures you can perform when the weather is chilly. It aids in the engine oil’s ability to coat each crevice thoroughly. A few minutes of engine revving should aid in warming it up and bringing out its best performance. It also aids in reducing engine wear and tear.
6. Clean your windshield and check your wiper blades.
Verify that your wipers are working appropriately, free of holes or tears, and capable of cleaning your windscreen effectively. You can occasionally wipe them down with a fresh cloth. However, Auto Windscreens advises against pulling wiper blades from a frozen window or turning them on when the screen is covered in ice since the attached rubber may tear.
You’ll also need a lot of washing fluid because the spray striking your windscreen during the colder months increases when the roads are wet, salty, or muddy. Driving without fluid in the screen washer container is unlawful and risky.
It aids with keeping snow, fog, rain, and wind from entering the cabin. Therefore, conduct a comprehensive inspection for cracks or water seepage.
Cold weather can cause fog, mist, or frost to build up on a car’s windshield, impairing your ability to see the road ahead. The climate control system or the defroster can be used to balance the temperature inside and outside the car to resolve this issue.
7. Renew your auto insurance.
The cost of repairing your car might be high after it sustains damage from the cold. Keep your vehicle insured at all times to minimize financial losses in these situations. With the help of multiple online platforms, you may rapidly renew your auto insurance. Always keep your paperwork ready and up to date to the unnecessary inconvenience.
8. Examine your brakes.
Particularly in the winter, you need to keep your brakes in excellent condition.
Get them checked if they squeak, make noises, or produce strange feelings. Set off slowly if you’re taking out your car after a few days of outdoor parking in the cold in case the brakes, callipers, or discs have frozen.
9. Use the proper equipment.
Make sure the following items are in your car just in case:
- de-icer and an ice scraper
- triangular warning
- A sleeping bag, blanket, and warm clothing
- Well-suited footwear, such as wellies
- batteries and a torch
- phone and charger
10. See if your car needs any maintenance.
This advice is crucial all year long, but the winter makes it a little more vital.
Every 19,000 km or every 12 months, whichever comes first, a service is typically advised. However, because each car is unique, you should consult your owner’s manual for the suggested maintenance routine.
Plan and make sure you’re scheduled far in advance because it may take a few weeks in some places for the garage to schedule the car for a service.
Many people believe that a broken heater core is to blame for the lack of heat, but that isn’t always the case. A loss of cabin heat can be caused by a number of issues, from a low coolant level to a worn-out water pump. So, check all the parts beforehand and go to car maintenance services for safe and enjoyable journeys in the future.
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