Caring for your motor through the winter

As summer comes to an end and colder, wetter weather sets in, it’s important to look after your motor accordingly.

Preparing your vehicle for the winter months now can mean that you save time and money.

WINTER CAR CARE: THE BASICS

One of the most essential things to keep an eye on in your vehicle is the oil, and this is always the place to start for winter care. If your oil is sludgy, or the level is low, this can cause your engine to be inefficient. Top up or drain your oil level as required and you will see benefits in the long-term.

Headlights are another area to check before the evenings and nights get darker. If one of your headlights has been on the blink or is dull and could do with replacing, then it’s best to get it done before it impairs your night driving.

TAKING CARE IN THE COLD

Your vehicle, like a lot of machines, performs differently in prolonged cold conditions as it puts extra strain on the engine. One way you can avoid adding to this is by not moving heavy loads until your engine has had chance to warm up.

Another engine care top tip for cold weather months is to never rev the engine while it’s cold. In these conditions, oil takes longer to reach the moving parts and revving will increase wear rates and also waste fuel.

TIRED TYRES

During the winter, tyre pressures will reduce as the outside temperature drops and so it’s important to check them more frequently. Running under-inflated tyres will also cause you to have less grip on the road.

Although the minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm, tread that has fallen to below 2.0mm will have seriously reduced grip in wet conditions.

Want more? Read about taking care of your engine here.

Can we help you?

Whether it’s your own commercial vehicles you’re looking after or stock for your motor trade business, Tradesure have insurance options to ensure your business is protected. Send us a message below and we’ll get in touch to give you a competitive motor trade insurance quote.

Share Article:

Browse other guides

Getting the most out of your car battery

The RAC attends over half a million battery-related breakdowns every year. Here’s how you can avoid being one of them.

How to look after your brakes

Brakes are the single most important active safety aspect of any vehicle – looking after them well can be the difference between stopping in good time and having a crash.

Taking care of your engine

When you’re reliant on your vehicles for work, it becomes even more important to make sure you’re taking care of your engine. We take a look at the key areas to help keep your engine in good health.