All of the following have something in common…
Public transport delays, school shut-downs, and salt?
Yep you got it – winter. And in particular winter weather in the UK.
Winter should be the time for hot chocolate and Christmas festivities – but it is also a period where car part issues a plenty seem to raise their ugly heads.
“Unexpected winter car parts repairs – cost money”
Vehicle and road safety should be foremost irrespective of the season, but there are particular car parts maintenance issues and car maintenance checks that are exclusive to the winter club.
The best preparation for tomorrow is doing our best today
So with winter indeed upon us, and before we are knee deep in snow, I thought what better than to offer a touch of guidance in preparation for the season of goodwill.
Follow me as we have a look under the hood and go through some winter car parts maintenance checks to help you make sure that your vehicle is in ship-shape condition.
Winter Car Parts Love
Winter Specific Conditions
Okay… so let’s get winter specific. Your car parts needs be at their best to prevent the perils of winter driving. Freezing temperatures, rain, and sleet-salted roads will all beat down and affect your car parts if you don’t give your vehicle a “Rocky Balboa” winter maintenance session.
Check Your Juice
One thing that is essential for winter car protection is antifreeze.
Antifreeze is the juice that goes into your car radiator, which should contain a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. Most garages will check car parts including this 50/50 mix for free (if they’re nice), or you can pick up a tester kit for around £5.00 and do it yourself – it’s pretty easy.
If you’ve been following the blog, hopefully you’ve taken some time to carry out a radiator flush, if not you can check it out here.
The last line of defence
Winter is not the time to get all-cheap and bargain basement about car parts, especially your car tyres.
Simply put, car parts like your car tyres are the bottom-line between you either hitting that ditch or not. As such, it only makes sense to check your tyres and their tread depth before winter.
Now I know that bending down and checking car parts like your tyres may be a pain in the neck, but in all fairness, it doesn’t take long and it’s an easy task that could be literally lifesaving. If you need a touch of help have a look at the post Checking Your Tyres.
The Gov.uk site confirms that legally, your tyre MUST have at least 1.6mm tread depth around the entire circumference of the tyre for it to be safe. To be honest, in my experience, any tread less than 1.9mm is worth considering for replacement.
Another thing to keep in mind is tyre pressure. When it gets cold, unfortunately some car parts, in particular car tyres, can lose pressure, so check yours regularly and keep them sufficiently pumped up.
Replace Your Windscreen Wipers
Have you ever experienced driving in a flash downpour with bad windscreen wipers?
It’s scary, very scary.
It’s not rocket science to understand that car parts like bad windscreen wipers can mean poor visibility when you most need it, which in turn is a major safety hazard.
But what does this have to do with winter weather?
Well in the UK, weather is at its nastiest in winter. You have all types of things falling from the sky for example hailstones, tree leaves and birdy poop and effective removal calls for good car parts like windscreen wipers.
Then there’s the winter snowfall and all that grimy sludge created by road salting. Now if your windscreen wipers are not in tiptop condition, clearing this stuff off your windscreen will be like the war on terror – the last thing you’ll want to encounter.
It’s so cold you can see your breath, and you’re sitting in your car trying to start it up but for some reason it’s just not turning over. Been there before?
If you have, then you know what a bummer it can be.
To prevent this from happening, regularly treating car parts like your car battery to a good clean and once over can keep the “kryptonite” at bay.
Now cleaning your battery posts is not essentially specific to winter driving, but just before winter kicks in is a perfect time to check these car parts out to help prevent any possible issues.
If you need help with any of these winter car part maintenance issues, or you haven’t the time to sort them out for yourself, feel free to get in touch, we’d be happy to help.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil.
It’s road trip time!
Sun tan lotion? Check.
Mills and Boon? Check.
Strawberries and cream? Check.
Cooler? Check. The kids? Check.
So you’re all ready to roll out for your summer road trip…
Then you hear the voice in the background…“Darling have you checked the car?”
Question. Before you hit the road, are you up to date with your summer vehicle maintenance?
It’s ok I get it… vehicle auto maintenance is perhaps the last thing on your mind. But trust me, it will hit the top spot pretty damn fast if you end up breaking down at the side of the road.
So to help, here are my top 7 summer vehicle maintenance checks – which I hope once carried out, you’ll be patting yourself on the back for.
Oh… and don’t forget the lemonade.
First up:
1. Tyre Check:
I didn’t want to go there, but traveling during the summer in the UK, can and generally does involve driving in the rain. So its important to ensure that the tread on your tyres is adequate for any rainy weather, we really don’t want you ending up in a ditch.
Checking the tread depth on your tyre’s doesn’t take long, so while you’re at it you may as well check your tyre pressure too.
2. Replace Windshield Wipers:
Have you ever put your windscreen wipers on during a downpour, to realise they are not… doing the job there suppose to? It’s not a good look, and it can most definitely be scary.
The UK has just been through a rather intense winter, so it makes sense to check your windscreen wipers for wear and tear.
Winter weather can be ruthless on your windshield wipers, making them virtually useless during those summer showers. So by having quick vehicle maintenance check, and ideally replacing them at the beginning of the summer it should aid to a little peace of mind.
3. Check Your Headlights:
It’s so easy to be driving, without realising that one of your headlights is out.
Not only is it unsafe, but the police could pull you over and slap you with a ticket, – all of which is unnecessary. So what better time than now, to do a quick vehicle maintenance check,and take a little gander to see if you need to replace a headlight bulb.
4. Inspect Your Brakes:
It goes without saying, but car safety should be your top priority, and what is a car without good brakes?
I always suggest to my customers, that they at least inspect their brakes twice a year just to make sure everything is tiptop. But while you’re at it, why not check your brake fluid also.
5. Car Radiator Flush:
Did you know that the coolant in your radiator doesn’t last forever? In fact unless replenished over time, it can break down and begin to corrode the inside of your radiator. Which would naturally lead to cooling problems and, you got it…radiator repair.
A great, cheap way to prevent this and reduce the cost of vehicle maintenance is by flushing your radiator once a year.
6. Check Your Car Battery:
You may think, that checking the car battery every now and again should be given. But unfortunately, you’d be surprised just how many people fail to do it until it is too late.
During winter months corrosion is very likely to build up. So take some time out to check your battery posts and cables to ensure that you have no starting problems.
7. Replace Your Air Filter:
Last but by no means least; you should really replace your air filter twice a year. It’s a 10-minute job and good check to get it out the way before your summer road trip.
Glass of Pimms Anyone?
7 top tips for summer vehicle maintenance checks
Finally… let’s be honest, it’s summer, and at the end of the day who doesn’t like a drop of Pimms or a glass of plonk or two? But if you’re driving – car safety begins and indeed ends with you.
So please don’t do anything silly like drink driving or speeding, it’s really not worth it. But most of all, enjoy your road trips and enjoy the summer, because who knows how long it will last!
If you have the know-how and the tools, perhaps now is good time to look at undertaking some of my 7 top summer vehicle maintenance checks. If not, and you need a little guidance, feel free to get in touch as we’d love to help.
To vehicle health
By Philip Xavier