Winter Car Checks: Get Ready Before the Cold Hits

Coolant and antifreeze

Coolant protects your engine from freezing as well as overheating. If the mixture is too weak, it can freeze in a hard frost and crack components. We test the strength with a refractometer and top up with the correct type for your engine.

Never mix coolant types without checking. Different colours are not always compatible, and the wrong one can cause sludge.

Tyres, wipers and lights

Wet, cold roads need more grip, so we recommend more than the legal minimum tread in winter. Check pressures when the tyres are cold, because pressures drop as the temperature falls.

Replace smeary wiper blades, fill the washer bottle with a proper screenwash that will not freeze, and make sure every light works. It gets dark early, and you need to see and be seen.

Battery health

Cold weather is when weak batteries finally give up. If your car has been slow to start, get the battery tested before the first frost rather than after it leaves you stuck on the drive.

Winter check at our Brierley Hill workshop

If your service is due soon, book it before winter and we will cover all of the above as part of it. Otherwise call us on 01384 936310 and we will check the essentials for you.