Low temperatures and smooth journeys are rarely a good combination, with sub-zero conditions impacting every facet of your car. As a result, if you don’t thoroughly check and prepare your vehicle for winter, you might find that it doesn’t work as it should when you really need it.
If you’re lucky enough to own an all-wheel-drive model, like the Rolls Royce Ghost, you might assume that winter checks aren’t as important. But in fact there are many elements to consider before embarking on your cold weather journeys.If you want to avoid encountering issues or even ruining your motor entirely, a winter check is the way to go. Read our checklist below.
- Leather Care
If your car comes with leather seats like a Maserati Ghibli or a Lamborghini Aventador, you must pay extra care to prepare them for winter. Although leather seats are relatively easy to clean, they need special maintenance before the temperatures drop.
You’ll likely use your heater frequently during winter, which will dry out the leather. Without proper preparation, your car’s leather seats will crack. You can use a leather conditioner to moisturise the seats during your winter check and protect them throughout the colder months. Another option is to use a vehicle humidifier that will help protect your interior under the prolonged use of a heater.
- Test the Car Batteries
There’s a limit to how long car batteries last. Therefore, checking the condition of your battery during a winter check with a computerised battery tester, is always good practice. With this, you can swiftly examine your entire charging system, including the alternator and starter, as well as the battery itself.
If you decide to store your vehicle over winter, we advise you to keep it connected to an intelligent battery conditioner. This is because allowing your car to rest for prolonged periods might contribute to battery failure once you decide to take it out again in the spring.
- Lubricate Window Tracks
When the temperature is low, freezing water can seep into the window tracks. This will create drag when you open the window. Drag can damage the window regulator cables and also cost you a pretty penny to fix – with replacements in the hundreds of pounds. Lubricating your window tracks during your winter check will help avoid this problem. PTFE or silicone spray lubricant work well for this.
Before applying the lubricant, lower the car window and spray the window tracks front and back. You’ll know you’ve used enough grease if it drips down to cover the entire track. Try to keep closing and opening the window to spread the lubricant, then use a paper towel and glass cleaner to wipe what remains on the glass.
- Custom Paint Maintenance
If your car comes with custom paint, it can be a challenge to maintain. There are various ways to protect custom paint jobs. Besides washing your car regularly, observe if your car needs a fresh coat of wax. You can also protect your vehicle’s exterior by using a weatherproof custom cover to ensure your car’s paintwork stays beautiful until spring.
Pay extra care when you clean your car when it’s snowing. If it’s not possible to park your vehicle indoors and the snow starts piling on, use a soft brush to clean it gently when you can.
- Tire Check
Tire checks are crucial all year round but particularly important to pay attention to in the colder months. Worn tires can be fatal in tricky conditions, with decreased grip when manoeuvring wet or icy roads, increasing your stopping distance and your likelihood of skidding, even at low speeds.
The cold temperature can also deflate your tires as pressure drops when it’s cold. If you plan on using your car often during winter, you could switch to winter or all-season tires, the latter being the better choice in the UK, as they will provide extra safety when driving on slippery roads. Larger wheels don’t just mean more grip, but room to accommodate effective brakes.
- Check Lights
Winter invariably means shorter days and a lot more driving in the dark. As a result, good functioning lights are key. Start by checking your hazard lights, indicators, brake lights, and headlights. Many often forget to check interior lights, never skip inspecting the passenger area lights, dome, and dashboard to make sure they are all in working order.
Ask a mechanic to check your motor’s headlight alignment if necessary. Unadjusted headlights can be dangerous for other drivers or make smaller vehicles harder for you to see.
- Lubricate Hinges and Latches
If you find yourself struggling to start your engine on an icy morning, there’s a chance that the car’s bonnet latch is sticking. The latch mechanism is right behind the grille, which means it often erodes due to salt spray from other vehicles. You can evade this corrosion by lubricating the latch mechanism.
To lubricate the latches and hinges, you can use lithium grease. Try opening and closing your bonnet after lubricating the spring and latch to spread the lubricant. Then leave it alone throughout winter.
- Check The Engine Coolant
Engine coolant protects your engine, prevents corrosion, and contains a lubricant to ensure your cooling system continues to work well. That’s why it’s imperative to test your coolant freeze protection level. You can find an inexpensive tester that can do this job well.
We recommend using a digital multimeter to see if the additives in your coolant are still effective. If you’re checking with a digital multimeter, start with a cold engine. You can then remove the radiator cap and start the engine. You can rest assured if the digital metre shows .4 volts or less. If a higher number shows, your coolant no longer protects your engine.
When mixing in antifreeze, ensure you check your owner’s manual. Luxury cars tend to have a specific antifreeze requirement, so you shouldn’t carelessly choose one.
- Switch to Winter Wiper Blades
When you use regular wiper blades, snow can quickly build up. Winter wiper blades are more effective as they use rubber boots along their edges. Meaning snow and ice won’t stick or pack on your window so easily and the wiper blades are less likely to leave annoying streaks on your windscreen.
With suitable wiper blades, you’ll gain better visibility even when it’s snowing heavily. You can easily switch your regular blades with winter ones and switch them back in the spring when you no longer need them.
- Check Cabin Air Filters
When the filter is clogged, you’ll experience a significant reduction in airflow through the car’s heater, which has the added effect of stressing the blower motor and overheating the resistor.
If you don’t regularly maintain your carbon air filters, we recommend you start doing so. This is because replacing the blower motor once it breaks down can be costly, but replacing the filter is inexpensive.
- Bonnet and Boot Lifts
If you feel like the gas lift cylinders that hold up your bonnet or boot aren’t working well, this can be worsened when winter hits. As these usually work in pairs, when one wears out, it is best to buy replacement parts for both.
- Grease Door Locks
Your door locks are another part of your car that’ll need some grease to brace the cold temperatures. Rain and snow lead to moisture that can corrode the inside of the lock. Once eroded, it will become hard to open or close the door. If you leave it be, there’s a chance that the lock will even stop working all together.
You can use a graphite lock lubricant or Dry Teflon spray by shooting the liquid directly into the lock cylinder. It will dissolve any sticky parts, and once it evaporates, it will ensure that the lock works smoothly.
While vehicles with keyless entry might not need as much maintenance, regular lubrication will still protect your locks from corrosion.
- Lubricate Weather Stripping
When winter comes, water can seep between your door and the weather stripping. It’ll then freeze when the temperatures go down, stopping you from getting into your vehicle. The best way to prevent this is to coat the weather stripping and the mating door surfaces with spray silicone.
Don’t spray the silicone lubricant directly, but spread it onto a clean rag. You can then wipe your weather stripping and door. The same can then be done to other areas with weather stripping such as your windscreen and boot.
- Prepare an Emergency Winter Kit
Driving in winter means you’ll face unpredictable weather. Most people already have an emergency kit in their cars, but you can add more items for the coldest season of the year. For winter trips add food and drink supplies, a blanket, extra gloves and other warm clothing, a candle-powered heater, a compact tire inflator, jumper cables, etc.
Having the extra items listed above during a winter roadside breakdown, traffic jam, or very bad weather, can mean the difference between staying warm and getting back on the road again quickly, or a difficult and cold few hours till help arrives
Preparing Your Car for The Cold
Making sure your car is ready to face winter doesn’t need to be a difficult or expensive task. Taking time before the cold arrives to address lighting, tires, fluids, and other components can help ensure safe driving throughout the season.
Regular maintenance will also keep your car in top shape all year round. While winter brings its own challenges, taking proactive steps in maintaining your vehicle can provide peace of mind when you get behind the wheel.
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