Blog / Winter checklist

Maintenance · 4 min read

Winter Car Checklist: Getting Your Car Ready for Cold Weather

Most winter breakdowns come from a small, predictable set of causes, and nearly all of them are checkable in advance. A few minutes going through this list before the weather turns saves a much worse few hours stuck at the roadside.

Battery

Cold weather is the single biggest cause of winter breakdowns, because a battery that's already weakening loses further capacity in low temperatures right when the engine needs more power to start. If your battery is more than four or five years old, or you've noticed slower starts recently, getting it tested before winter, rather than after it fails, is worth the ten minutes it takes at most garages.

Tyres

Legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but for genuine winter grip, particularly in wet or icy conditions, having noticeably more than the bare minimum makes a real difference to braking distance and control. Check pressure too, since cold weather itself causes tyre pressure to drop.

Antifreeze and screen wash

Coolant needs the correct antifreeze concentration to avoid the system freezing in genuinely cold weather, not just topping up with water. Screen wash needs a proper winter-strength mix too, since a weak summer mix can freeze on the windscreen and make visibility worse rather than better.

Lights

Shorter days mean more driving in darkness. Check every bulb, including less obvious ones like fog lights and number plate lights, since these are easy to overlook and are a common minor MOT advisory that's simple to fix yourself.

Wipers

Worn wiper blades that streak or judder in summer become a genuine visibility hazard in winter rain and sleet. They're inexpensive and quick to replace, and worth doing before the first properly wet or icy week rather than during it.

Emergency kit

A basic kit, a torch, a blanket, an ice scraper, and a phone charger, doesn't prevent a breakdown but makes a genuine difference if one happens somewhere without easy help nearby.

Check the bigger picture too

If your MOT is due over the winter months, getting it done slightly early rather than right at the deadline means any issues get caught and fixed before the weather makes them worse.