Winter Car Checklist for Walsall Drivers

What to check before winter

Before winter, check six things: your tyres, coolant and antifreeze, wiper blades, screenwash, lights and battery. Most of these take a few minutes on the driveway, and together they cover the faults that cause the most breakdowns and dangerous journeys in cold weather.

Winter in the West Midlands is more often wet, dark and cold than snowy, but that mix is still hard on cars. Here is a straightforward checklist you can work through yourself, with a note on when to let a garage take a look.

Tyres: tread, pressure and condition

The legal minimum tread depth for cars in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, all the way round. That is the minimum, not a target. Many safety organisations advise changing tyres at around 3mm, because grip on wet and slippery roads drops off noticeably below that.

Winter tyres are not a legal requirement in the UK, and for most local driving good quality all-season or summer tyres with healthy tread are fine. If you often drive in rural or hilly areas, all-season tyres can be worth considering when you next replace them. Whatever you have fitted, the most important thing is plenty of tread and the right pressures. And do not forget the spare wheel or tyre repair kit, as you do not want to find it flat or out of date on a dark, wet evening.

Check pressures when the tyres are cold, using the figures in your handbook or on the sticker inside the driver's door or fuel filler flap. Look for cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewalls too. A bulge means the tyre is damaged inside and should be replaced.

Coolant and antifreeze

Antifreeze stops the coolant freezing in the engine and radiator, and it also protects against corrosion. With the engine cold, check the level in the coolant expansion tank sits between the minimum and maximum marks. Never open the cap on a hot engine.

If you keep having to top up, there may be a leak. Coolant also weakens over time, so if it has been topped up with plain water for a while it may not give enough frost protection. A garage can test its strength in a few seconds. Always use the type of coolant your car's manufacturer specifies.

Wipers and screenwash

Low winter sun, road spray and salt make a clean windscreen essential. The Highway Code says you must be able to see clearly through all your windows before you set off, so scrape off ice fully rather than peering through a small gap.

Run the wipers and look for smearing, streaks, juddering or split rubber. Wiper blades are cheap and quick to change. Fill the washer bottle with a proper screenwash that is rated for low temperatures, not plain water, which can freeze in the bottle and pipes. Faulty wipers and washers can also cause an MOT failure.

Keep the inside of the windscreen clean too. A grimy inside screen mists up faster and causes glare from oncoming headlights, which is much worse in winter. On frosty mornings, give yourself a few extra minutes to clear the whole screen, the side windows and the mirrors, and clear snow off the roof so it does not slide down over the windscreen when you brake. Do not use hot water on a frozen windscreen, as the sudden change in temperature can crack the glass.

Lights

With shorter days you will be driving in the dark far more. Walk round the car and check headlights on dipped and main beam, sidelights, indicators, brake lights, reverse lights, fog lights and the number plate light. A reflection in a garage door or shop window helps you check brake lights on your own.

Clean your lenses regularly, as road grime can cut the light output a surprising amount. Cloudy or yellowed headlight lenses are worth sorting out too.

Battery, and a few extras

Cold weather is hard on batteries. If your car has been slow to start, the lights dim when you turn the key, or the battery is more than four or five years old, get it tested before the first frost rather than after it lets you down.

It is also worth checking the engine oil level, making sure the heater and demister clear the windscreen properly, and keeping a few winter essentials in the boot: an ice scraper, de-icer, a torch, a blanket, a phone charger and some water. If a warning light is on, get it looked at before a long winter journey.

Let us check it for you

If you would rather not do it yourself, or you want peace of mind before winter, a service is a good time to have all of this looked at together. We check tyres, fluids, wipers, lights and more, and tell you clearly what needs doing now and what can wait.

Book online or call MF Autocentre in Walsall on 01922 636820 to get your car ready for winter.