Okay, we’re jumping the gun a little here; writing a blog about winterising your car in the build up to summer. But we’re doing it for a reason. Many people don’t even think about winterising their car come the end of summer, but the change in climate can affect your four wheels and potentially put you at risk.
That is why we’re going to show you how to winterise your car now, so when winter does rear its ugly head, you’ll be ready.
Your car battery
The cold weather can take its toll on your car battery. In cold temperatures, the chemical reactions required to generate power in the battery slow down. What’s more, your engine will require more from the battery in cold weather to get started.
Before winter sets in have a mechanic to run a battery test to see if it needs replacing. He can also check for any corrosion or other problems.
Your tyres
In cold weather the air pressure in your tyres will drop. It’s thought that roughly every 10 degree drop will cause a pressure drop of around 1psi. So ensure that every tyre is properly inflated throughout winter.
Anti-freeze
It’s important that you have the right mixture of anti-freeze and water in your radiator. This mixture should be around 50/50 and will prevent the coolant in the radiator from freezing when the weather gets really bad.
Create an emergency kit
If you don’t already, create an emergency kit and keep it in your car. You’ll obviously want tools with you to make switching out a tyre easy, but you may also want some other emergency items. Things like:
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Flashlight
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Blankets
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Boots
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Oil
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Shovel
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First aid kit
