How to keep your vehicle in perfect condition this winter

We’re sure you’ve wondered at some point how to keep your vehicle in perfect condition this winter. Well, we’ve put together a series of recommendations for you.

¿How to keep your vehicle in perfect condition this winter? Like people, cars would rather not be outside when it’s cold. Low temperatures take a heavy toll on almost every part of your car. Since winter has already settled in and, depending on the area of Spain, is harsher or not, it’s important to prepare for the cold months ahead by making sure everything is in good shape.

Simple checks greatly reduce the likelihood of a breakdown, while making driving on snow and ice far less stressful. We’ve gathered a series of tips to beat winter and make your car’s life much easier.

The essentials

Check your car’s vital signs before the next storm arrives. Also check the oil and change it if necessary, make sure the coolant is full, top up the tyres with air, and verify that all the bulbs work. Bear in mind that winter also means short days and long nights, so you want to see and be seen. We recommend changing the brake fluid if you don’t know how old it is, especially if it has started to turn brown.

Fix small problems before something happens

Living with a mechanical problem instead of fixing it is tempting. You save money, or at least keep it in your pocket for longer, and you’ve probably found a way to avoid it. That’s understandable, though not exactly advisable, but it’s a bad strategy as winter approaches, because whatever is making a strange noise (or triggering a warning light on your instrument cluster) could ultimately leave you stranded in the worst possible weather. Preventive maintenance keeps you on the road.

Changing the tyres

We cannot underestimate the importance of having the right tyres. Find out which areas you’ll be driving through before the cold sets in. What you need depends largely on what you drive and where you go. You may get away with a good all-season set, you may need winter tyres, or you may encounter situations that require chains.

Plan ahead regardless, and remember to talk to your tyre dealer before everyone else does.

Check the cooling system

Keep in mind that your car’s cooling system has just come through the summer, and the wear it took during the hot months will show up in winter. Warm up the engine, keep it running, and carry out a visual check of key parts such as the radiator, the hoses and the water pump.

Inspect for leaks, smoke and any kind of visible damage. It’s cold outside and you probably wear a scarf, so tuck it into your jacket to keep it from getting caught in the fan or the belt.

Protecting the vehicle floor

This is particularly important if you live in an area that regularly snows. Invest in a set of good-quality rubber mats, whether from a dealer or a parts shop, to protect your car’s carpet. Otherwise, the salty slush that you and your passengers track onto the footwells all winter will melt and damage the carpet.

Test the battery

The effect that low temperatures have on a car battery is well known. The oil thickens, so the starter motor uses more energy to start the engine. The fact that a battery is less effective in the cold complicates matters: it is weaker but has to work harder. Use a multimeter to test the battery when the car is off, and carry out the same test with the engine running to make sure the charging system is in good condition. It’s a simple two-minute test that anyone can do.

Headlight brightness

Even the best bulb won’t light the road if the headlight lenses have faded or are damaged. You can pay a shop to clean them or do it yourself for around 15 euros on a repair kit. In the worst case, you can get a good used pair cheaply at a scrapyard.

If your car is older, you’ll most likely benefit from upgrading to brighter bulbs to improve visibility. And if you live in a rural area without street lights, there’s no better way to see what’s ahead in the dark of night than adding a pair of driving lights to your car.

Inspecting the brakes

Strange sounds, unusual squealing, alarming judder and a soft brake pedal are signs that your car’s braking system urgently needs attention. Braking distances increase significantly on icy or snowy roads, and worn brakes will only make things worse. Any competent workshop can check your brakes, but it’s a job you can do at home in about 15 minutes with just basic tools.

Keep seeing

Show some mercy to your windscreen wipers. By the time winter arrives, they’ve spent several summer months and have kept the windscreen clear through the autumn rain. They’re most likely ready to give up. Wiper blades are cheap and easy for anyone to fit, so buy a set before the cold and snow arrive.

Speaking of snow, take the time to fully clear your car’s windows before setting off. Clearing a small rectangle in front of the driver’s seat to save time is spectacularly unsafe. And use a brush to remove snow from your car’s roof, or it will fly into the face of the person behind you, which can be an offence under the law. Last but not least, don’t forget to clear snow and ice from your mirrors.

Washing and protecting the chassis

The salt used to de-ice roads in many areas chews through metal like a ravenous rabbit through a carrot. If your car has a scratch or a dent in the bodywork, have it repaired before winter to make sure it doesn’t turn into rust within a month or two. Use a pressure wash to regularly clean the underside of the bodywork and the inside of the wheel arches.

Invest in mud flaps

Mud flaps can also be called splash guards. Widely available from car manufacturers and aftermarket sellers, they help catch road spray before it makes contact with the sheet metal and have a chance to reach every corner and crevice, such as the gap between the wheel arch and the chassis. Fitting a set of flaps will minimise the amount of road salt that dries onto the paintwork during winter, but don’t remove them when the temperature starts to rise.

They’re probably not just riveted on, and they always protect sensitive areas such as the sill panels from stone chips that will rust over time. Rust holes the size of a fist often began their life as a tiny chip in the paint.

Repairing windscreen chips

The small stone you barely noticed in the summer is patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to split your windscreen in half. Inevitably, water will seep into the chip, freeze when the temperature drops, and create a crack as it expands. While filling a chip is usually quick and cheap, asking a shop to fit a new windscreen is not.

Spray locks and hinges

Spray silicone lubricant onto hinges, locks and various linkages to stop things from sticking when the temperature drops. Don’t forget the bonnet release mechanism. We also suggest applying silicone to the rubber seals so that the doors cannot freeze shut and keep your vehicle.

Beware of brittle plastics

The colder it gets outside, the more fragile plastic parts become. If a component (such as a door handle, for example) feels and/or looks like it’s about to break, it probably is. Take care, and bear in mind that plastic is absolutely everywhere in modern cars. If possible, wait until the interior is warm before you start touching levers, buttons and knobs, and never try to force one into position.

Emergency kit

It’s a good idea to carry an emergency kit regardless of the season. Pack spare bulbs, fuses, jump leads, basic tools, a decent tow strap, rags and a high-visibility vest in a box that you keep in your boot. Put a blanket and hand warmers in the box when the temperature begins to drop.

Go easy on the engine

You don’t need to warm up your car before setting off, unless it is fitted with a carburettor, but it’s a good idea to go easy on the engine for the first few kilometres. Avoid pulling out of your driveway as if you’ve just started a race. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge (if your car has one) and, if possible, don’t rev hard until the engine is warm.

Drive carefully to look after your vehicle

Driving on snow and ice is tricky, but it isn’t impossible to master. Accelerate and brake gently, increase the distance between your car and the one in front, and avoid stopping if you’re going up a hill. It’s also advisable not to use cruise control in a snowstorm and to allow more time than usual. A 15-minute trip to the supermarket can take half an hour if the roads are icy.

Watch out for wildlife

Animals that are mainly out at night spend more time roaming the countryside in winter, when the days are shorter. And they are, obviously, harder to see. Take great care when driving in rural areas, especially at higher speeds, and always scan the road ahead to make sure there’s no deer, raccoon or other animal waiting to cross at the worst possible moment.

Knowing that 4×4 doesn’t make you invincible

Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive systems are a great help when driving on icy roads, but neither turns you into a rally driver. While four-wheel drive will let you gain traction with relative ease, it won’t shorten your car’s braking distance or stop it from going in a straight line. Even if your daily car is a Jeep Wrangler, plan your next move in advance when driving on a snowy road and avoid making sudden, rapid manoeuvres.

Know when to stay at home

There’s no way around it: driving in snow is more dangerous than driving on a dry road on a warm summer day. While some journeys are unavoidable, it’s important to know when to stay put. We’re not saying it’s sensible to skip work every time you see flurries in the sky, but the trip to the sweet shop at 10 p.m. can usually wait until the next day if there’s an apocalyptic blizzard outside. That way you’ll also keep your vehicle in one piece.