Getting Your Car Through Winter in Tyne and Wear: A Mechanical Checklist

Battery and charging

Cold weather reduces what a battery can deliver while also increasing the demand on it, with lights, heated screens and heaters all running. A battery that has been slow to turn the engine over, or one that is several years old, is the most likely culprit when a car refuses to start on a freezing morning.

Ask for a battery check, which can include testing the charging system. A weak alternator can leave a good battery flat, and a car used mostly for short town journeys may not get enough charge back between starts.

If your journeys are mostly short hops around town, with the car rarely getting up to full temperature, the battery and the exhaust system have a harder time. A longer drive now and then helps, but a battery that is already weak will not be rescued by it.

• Slow cranking or a clicking sound on starting
• Dim lights when the engine idles
• Battery warning light on the dashboard
• Battery that has been in the car for several years

Tyres and brakes

Wet and icy roads put your tyres and brakes under more strain. Check the tread depth, look for cuts or bulges on the sidewalls, and keep pressures to the figures in your handbook. Any tyre you are not happy with should be checked by a professional.

For brakes, listen for squeals and grinding, notice whether the pedal feels soft, and see whether the car pulls to one side when stopping. Worn pads, corroded discs or old brake fluid can show up in winter. If anything seems off, have the brakes inspected before it becomes a safety issue.

Coolant and the cooling system

Coolant does more than stop overheating. It also protects the engine against freezing, so the mix and condition matter. If your coolant level keeps dropping, there may be a leak from a hose, the radiator or a water pump, which should be investigated rather than topped up repeatedly.

Check the level when the engine is cold, never when it is hot, and avoid opening the cap on a warm engine. A cooling system inspection is worth having if you have not had one for a while.

Wipers, lights and visibility

Smeary wipers are a real hazard on dark wet mornings. Replace blades that streak or judder, keep the washer bottle topped up with a suitable screenwash, and make sure the jets are clear.

Walk round the car and check every light, including brake lights and indicators. Dirty or cracked lenses reduce what you can see and what others can see of you. If a chip is growing in the windscreen, deal with it before frost makes it worse.

Check the rear window heater and wing mirror heaters if your car has them. Clearing ice quickly matters, and a heater element that no longer works is an auto electrical fault worth having looked at.

Heating, demisting and air conditioning

Make sure the heater actually warms up, that air comes out of all the vents and that the demisting works quickly. A heater that stays lukewarm can signal a cooling system or heating system problem and deserves attention.

Air conditioning is not only for summer. Many cars use it to dry the air for faster demisting, so a system that has not been used or serviced may be less effective. Air-con servicing and checks are worth considering before the damp months.

Have a recovery plan

Even a well-prepared car can break down. Know what breakdown cover you have, keep the details accessible and carry warm clothing, a torch and a charged phone. If you break down on a fast road, leave the car and get to a safe place away from traffic where you can, and call for help.

At Banks of the Tyne we provide breakdown recovery and non-running vehicle recovery as well as the mechanical work, so the car can be taken straight to a workshop. Check what your own cover includes and ask us what we can arrange.

Frequently asked questions