Winter is well and truly here with increasingly cold weather and dark mornings and evenings. No matter how often you use your vehicle to get from A to B, it’s essential that you look after it. Particularly in harsher weather and when it is darker much more of the time, there is a higher chance that things could go wrong. Maintaining your car regularly will reduce the risks and keep you safe as much as possible.
Keep An Eye on Fuel
The worst thing that can happen without there being an actual issue is running out of fuel. To ensure you don’t fall victim to this, keep an eye on the meter on your dashboard regularly. When your vehicle is low in fuel you will always get a warning light appear on the dashboard, so it’s sensible to act quickly once this happens and fuel up - never gamble with fuel. It is also not very healthy for the vehicle to be drained of fuel until it's empty as this could cause the fuel pump to overheat.
Check Your Tyres
As your tyres are the only part of the vehicle that comes into physical contact with the road, you should ensure they are always in good condition. The most common damage to look out for in tyres are cuts, bulges and also general wear and tear. By regularly checking your tyres on a daily to weekly basis you should be able to spot the problems before they cause an issue whilst you’re out driving. If you have concerns about your tyres you should take your vehicle to a local garage and they can inspect, and detect if there is any damage. Should there be damage, you may need to replace them.
Keep Your Battery Alive
A flat battery is one of the main causes for vehicle breakdowns and battery failure is even more likely in poor weather. It can also become an issue if you are not using the vehicle regularly as the battery could fail when you try to start it. Make sure you keep your battery ticking over, particularly over the Christmas period where you will likely not be using it much. It is also important to note that changing your car’s battery is recommended every 3 to 4 years, or earlier if it is causing you problems.
Listen to the Warnings
There are so many different warnings that can appear on your dashboard but you should not ignore any of them. Your vehicle handbook will clearly detail what each of the warnings means - once you’ve identified what the issue is you can take action to get the problem resolved. Contact your local garage if you are concerned and they will be more than happy to take a look for you.
Be Vigilant & Be Prepared
In most cases, if you have followed all of the precautionary steps and ensured your car is in good condition, you will be fine. However, it is always good to have a backup plan and be prepared should anything go wrong. Always be vigilant if you notice something that isn’t quite right with your vehicle, even if it appears minor.
Keeping an emergency supply of things (blanket, torch etc.) in the boot of your car is also advisable should you break down or need to stop your vehicle suddenly.
Written on 23rd December 2021