To avoid being stranded out on the road with your vehicle now is the time to take a few easy precautions to make certain that your vehicle is in the best condition to face winter.

• Make sure you have a can of de-icer spray in the vehicle, preferably a new or recently purchased can.
• If your vehicle is due for a service during the winter months think about getting it done now. Cold weather will show up any failing battery, starter motor, alternator, cooling system thermostat, water pump, and hoses. Any money you may save from not bringing forward the vehicle’s service may be more than offset by recovery costs if you get stuck out on the road and/or a hefty repair bill.
• Check your vehicles cooling system to verify that it contains the correct mix of antifreeze and water; most vehicles need a 50/50 combination of water and antifreeze to be safe throughout Winter. If your vehicles cooling system hasn’t been checked in the last two years it’s worthwhile checking or renewing the coolant, because antifreeze looses its protective power as it gets older. This last point is overlooked by a great many motorists, and yet it is vital. If your cooling system is not up to the job serious and expensive damage to the engine is likely. If you’re unsure how to check or renew the cooling system on your vehicle a garage or service center can do it for you.
• Make sure your vehicle’s windshield wipers are in excellent condition. If they leave smears or marks in your line-of-sight, or make a scraping noise as they move across the glass, renew the blades, not forgetting the rear window wiper if your vehicle has one, and while you’re at the back check that the rear window demisting element works satisfactorily.
• Is your vehicles interior heater working efficiently? Does it de-mist the windshield properly? If it blows cold air, the cooling system may be blocked or thermostat failed. This problem needs to be addressed now.
• Confirm that ALL lamps on the vehicle are operating properly. Pay particular attention to the lenses. Replace any that are cracked, broken or discolored.
• Road-salt and snow churned up by traffic soon turn a windshield dirty so don’t overlook your vehicle’s screen wash system, or be fooled into believing that it won’t freeze; it will. This will this mean you won’t be able to clear your windshield properly when you most need to. It’s also likely that the frozen water will split the reservoir. Top up the screen wash reservoir with proper screen wash additive in the correct proportion. Do not add engine antifreeze to your vehicle’s screen wash, it may damage wipers, rubber seals, and paintwork.

• Make absolutely certain that your vehicle’s tires are in tip-top condition. This means no bulges, splits, cracks, or uneven wear, and that they all have at least the specified legal minimum amount of tread on them, oh, and don’t forget the spare. Check the tire pressures at least twice a week through the winter months, the extremes of temperature make the rubber expand and contract much more than in mild weather.

Winter can be a severe time for all, but with appropriate preparation you and your vehicle should be able to battle the elements and keep going.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 3:51 am.