Our top 4 tips to get your vehicle ready for winter

Winter is coming, so it’s time to get your vehicle prepared for the cold times to come. A bit of maintenance and vehicle upkeep can help you get through some of the worst the weather will throw at you this winter, so here are our top tips for winter car checks that you can undertake to get your vehicle ready for the chill, and avoid you needing to take advantage of our reliable van hire deals here at Intack Self Drive.

Top up on coolant and antifreeze

This is an essential task that’s well worth doing before the temperature drops below freezing, but make sure you get the mix right. Your engine coolant should be a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze when the winter comes in, as it becomes diluted over time. Try to avoid the mistake of topping up your coolant with water during the year, as the antifreeze will become over-diluted and freeze during the winter.

Put together a winter car kit

As the cold takes its toll on your vehicle, you’ll want to keep a little survival kit to ensure you’re ready for anything, should the worst happen and your vehicle has a breakdown. So, here are a few things to keep in your winter car essentials kit:

• Shovel
• Torch
• Spare batteries
• Blanket
• Hi-visibility vest
• Screenwash
• A scraper and de-icer
• Phone charger

All of this equipment is just to give you peace of mind that you’re covered in a worst case scenario. However, if you drive according to the road and weather conditions, you’ll drastically minimise the likelihood that you’ll need to use your winter survival kit. Keep it slow, stay alert, and you’ll be able to better maintain control of your car in the adverse weather conditions.

Check on your battery

Most good car batteries have an effective working life of about 5 years. However, if your battery is coming to the end of its life, you could find yourself stuck out in the cold. During the winter, your vehicle battery has to suffer through cold temperatures (which reduce the output), an increased use of lights, as well as a more active heater. All of these factors place additional strain on the battery of your vehicle. So, if your car is struggling to start in the mornings, it’s probably worth getting your battery checked and replaced so you don’t get caught short this winter!

Book in a winter service

It’s no secret that the cold can cause a lot of problems for cars, however up to half of them can be prevented by regular servicing. Some garages may offer free or discounted winter car checks, which typically involve an assessment of your tyres, battery, coolant and antifreeze, windscreen wipers, lights and oil. If they spot any issues, most of them can be fixed there and then so you can be sure your car is fully prepared for the roads this winter.

These are just a few of the things that you can do to reduce the likelihood of your vehicle suffering a breakdown this winter. Should the worst happen though, and you find yourself in need of some temporary transport, be it either for work or leisure, you can count on us to help.

All of our rental vehicles here at Intack Self Drive come with the option to rent through daily hire, or our outstanding Flexi hire service, so wherever your intended destination, we’ll have a vehicle that suits your requirements. We’ve got almost half a century of car hire, minibus hire, and van hire experience under our belt here at Intack, and we’re always here to help. Ready to get started? You can browse the best hire deals right here on our site, or give us a call on 01254 57811!