The weather is getting colder and some parts of the UK have already had snow and seen extreme amounts of rainfall. Now is the time to carry out some essential car maintenance to ensure you’re not faced with an expensive repair bill for your vehicle in the coming months.
Your Money highlighted some of the top ways in which you can get your motor ready for the winter.
Start by checking your battery. A car battery will typically last for around five years, but if you don’t drive your vehicle often, or rarely do long journeys, it may not have time to charge properly. Cold weather can also cause problems for batteries, particularly those that are nearing the end of their life. Keeping your car in a garage can help when temperatures drop.
Your tyres are another part of your vehicle that you should examine. Check their condition as well as the tread depth.
The news provider pointed out that damaged or worn tyres can be particularly dangerous in wet and slippery conditions, so now is certainly the time to invest in new tyres if yours aren’t in the best state.
Make sure you check your tyre pressure too. Even if the tyres themselves are in good condition, having them over or under-inflated could affect how your car handles.
You could also be damaging your cars paint work if you don’t clean it properly throughout the winter months. It’s recommended to give your car a thorough clean every few weeks to avoid build ups of contaminants such as salt. It’s worth investing into proper car care products, such as these from Angelwax, to protect and preserve your vehicle from winter damages.
But while you might be more worried about having an accident in the winter, statistics actually show that car accidents are more common in the summer months in the UK, the Express recently reported.
Accidents that cause fatalities and serious injuries are more likely in the summer months, with hazards at this time of the year and people’s attitude to driving cited as the main reasons.