We have had such a good summer that it is a bit of a shock that Autumn is here.
Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons for me, dew glistens on spider webs, the leaves turn all sorts of wonderful shades of red, orange and amber and sun rises / sun sets seem even more glorious.
It is also the perfect time and reduce car use and walk the kids to school, with promises fo throwing leaves in the air and blowing condensation mists from their mouths.
However, it is worth making sure that all the car maintenance is up to date as a drop in temperature, changing road conditions and leaf-covered lanes can mean that autumn throws up many different issues for motorists.
We have just put both our cars through a service and Autumn health-check to ensure they are roadworthy for the approaching colder weather, but if they are not due a service, there are things you can do at home to check your car is ready.
Autumn Car Health Check
- Lights: With darker mornings and evenings, check all your exterior lights and replace any dim or faulty light bulbs
- Windscreen Wipers: Check your wiper blades are not perished, remove any leaves that have got trapped under them and make sure your windscreen wash is topped up
- Check your tyres: ensure they are not starting to perish, the tread is good and they are set to the correct pressure. Incorrect tyre pressures not only increase your vehicle’s fuel consumption, but can also ruin your tyres, causing them to wear out far more quickly. Incorrect tyre pressures also affect the way your car handles the road conditions, so if you are concerned, get them checked at your local tyre centre.
- Check fluid levels: engine oil, brake fluid and radiator coolant
- Test your brakes: Make sure they’re up-to-scratch for potentially slippery, leaf-covered roads
- Antifreeze: Check your antifreeze and stock up on de-icer ready for the frosty mornings ahead
It is especially important that your tyres are in good condition for the colder months. The legal minimum tread depth for tyres is 1.6mm, but a tread of at least 3mm will allow your tyres the best possible grip and safety on wet roads. It’s a great idea to consider purchasing new car tyres from Tyre Plus for the colder months. Winter tyres allow you to obtain optimum grip and handing when the temperature outside drops below 7 degrees, and despite what many people think, aren’t just for snow and ice.
Check out this fab ebook on Tyre Safety for more information.
Do you check your car regularly?
Great advice. We always check our car regularly having learned the hard way!
October is a month of car maintenance for me, my car is serviced and MOT’ed at the start of the month which puts me in good stead for the winter!
I think these points are so important for when the weather changes, there’s so much more you need to be aware of, especially when the days get dark more earlier! x
These are some great tips, my cars in for it’s MOT and service in the middle of the month which always lets me feel a bit safer going into the colder months. I need to get into a swing of checking my tires though I’m so bad at it!
We do check our car regularly – especially in the colder months as these seem to be when more problems occur.
I have no clue about cars and my lovely dad checks my car very regular, probably more than you need to, bless him!
We always make sure to check ours regularly – it is just not worth getting caught out by something that could have been avoided.
Fab tips here. We need to get our cars ready for the new season.
Some great tips, I would never have thought of preparing the car for autumn x
I have no clue about cars as I don’t drive. I just leave it all to hubby.
My car maintenance is absolutely AWFUL I’m not sure how I’ve kept it on the road this safely without doing the above. Thank you for the reminders I’m itching to get out and check over it all now!
We need to replace some tyres on our car before the winter sets in, great tips and its so important to look after the car
Car maintenance is always important, especially as the seasons change. Great advice.
Great tips, that’s points are very important and I think that’s will helps in our everyday’s life.
I have always checked and recheck my car every time. Because it’s so important for everyone. especially in October months, everybody should maintain their car.
These tips are really helpful. My car is scheduled for its MOT and service in the middle of the month, which always makes me feel safer as the colder months approach. I should also make a habit of checking my tires regularly, although I’m not very good at it right now.