With the onset of winter season, service maintenance becomes imperative for the overall health of the car, as it is a particularly demanding time and requires extra efforts. The cold temperature can take a toll on your car’s performance. Some preventing measures can assure you to keep your car winter ready.
Here are few car-care tips to be kept in mind as the mercury plummets:
Tyre health check
Tyres are one of the most significant and most ignored parts on a modern day vehicle. They are the main contact your vehicle has with the road and many people fail to realise that tyres require maintenance consistently to last functioning at their peak. The pressure of the tyre can drop with a dip in air temperature. If you drive with low-pressure tyres, the consequences will be premature tyre wear and tread separation. For this reason, keep checking your car’s tyre pressure.
Engine idling
During chilly weather it is recommended to let the engine idle for about a minute. Do not rev the engine, as the engine oil takes a bit longer to reach the moving parts. The process will allow fuel pumps time to pressurise the car’s electrical system and allow a complete diagnostics check first, saving the battery the extra stress of performing these tasks.
Lubricating the doors
Cold and chilly weather might also cause the car doors to jam or make a squeaky sound. Applying some of good quality lubricant on door joints is also a good idea as it will eliminate or prevent any unpleasant squeaky sound every time you open or shut the car doors.
Battery Care
It is more difficult for a battery to function in the chilly season; being the most important components of a car it requires a lot of care. During this time, the fluid inside a battery gets thickened and hence, the current does not flow very efficiently. It is advisable to perform a volt test on your battery to make sure it is strong enough to get you through the remaining months of winter. If the battery is merely discharged, get it topped up and if it is poorly weak, it is recommended to substitute it with a new one.
Coolant Check
Anti-freeze or Coolant acts like a boon for your car in winters. It is recommended to use 50-50 mix of coolant and water. Also before the arrival of chilly season, make sure that the coolant level are high and there aren’t any leaks in the engine where your coolant might be draining out.
Once your car is fixed for the chilly climate, all that’s left to do is to pour yourself a lovely warm coffee or tea to warm yourself up during those cold winter drives!
Heating
In winters a cosy and warm experience inside the car makes the ride enjoyable. Hence making sure that the heaters and defrosters work properly during the winters is a must.
Lights
Winters also bring along the fog and lower visibility during morning and evening drives. Therefore making sure that the headlights fog lamps and taillights work properly and are in a good shape gives us a safe drive. Also checking the flashers, turn signals, brake lights and back-up lights ensures a comfortable and safe driving. Hence check for any burnt out bulbs and replace them in advance.
Wiper Blades
Wiper blades play an important role in cleaning our sight through the windshield glass. Hence it should be confirmed that the wiper blades are in good condition and should completely clear the glass with each swipe. Replace blades that leave streaks or miss spots.
