What’s included in a winter car check?

It’s important to prepare your car correctly for every season, but winter is arguably the most important because of its extremes. The quickest and easiest way to do this involves a winter car check. This might sound a bit vague to you, so we’re going to delve deeper into our process to help you understand just how easy it is to carry one out.

A tyre inspection to maintain grip

We’ll inspect the tread depth, pressure and overall quality of each tyre so you’ll get the right level of grip at all times this winter. A tread depth of roughly 3 mm is best for wintry conditions and any bald spots or fraying patches of rubber on the surface of the tyre are warning signs that it needs changing. Depending on your circumstances, winter tyres might be a good investment to give you even more grip – but always speak to a mechanic before purchasing a set.

A battery inspection is arguably the most important winter car check

A cold winter’s night can quite easily affect your battery. During the winter, car batteries have to work harder to retain charge and power the starter motor. As part of a winter car check, we’ll inspect the age and condition of your battery and make sure it will last the season. The last thing you want is for your battery to die and leave you stranded, either at home or out on the road.

Coolant checks to prevent your system cracking

Also known as anti-freeze, the importance of this liquid can’t be underestimated. It circulates through the radiator system, protecting it from cracking over the freezing winter months, just as it keeps it cool during the summer. Running without a correct amount of this liquid can be dangerous for your engine. If we find that your level of coolant is too low, we’ll top it up for you.

We check your windscreen wipers to keep the way ahead clear

You could find yourself driving through rain and snow this winter, so you need to be able to rely on your wipers. Full visibility is crucial, so we’ll make sure your wipers are in their best possible condition. We’ll inspect them for tears in the rubber and ensure they clean your windscreen without leaving streaks of rain or snow. As well as this, we’ll top your wiper fluid levels up if it’s running low.

Make sure your lights shine the way this winter

If bad weather strikes, you need to make sure you can see other drivers and that they can see you. Your headlight bulbs need to bright enough to shine through any rain, gloom or darkness you encounter this winter. So, we’ll change any bulbs that are delivering sub-standard levels of light as part of a winter car check.

An oil assessment to keep your engine running smoothly

Engine oil is just as important as coolant, especially during the winter. Having too little or too much oil can affect the performance of your engine and filling up with the wrong type of oil doesn’t help much either. We’ll make sure you’re using the right engine oil and that your engine has enough of it to function properly. Sometimes, changing the viscosity of engine oil during winter can help combat the change in temperatures. If we think you’d benefit from this, we’ll let you know.

All these tests are easy enough to carry out at home by yourself. However, sometimes a professional opinion is best. Here at Smile Servicing, we offer a free winter car check to give you complete peace of mind. Why not book one online today and get your car ready for winter?