Courtesy Car Providers Explain How to Prepare your Car for a Winter Road Trip

Getting your vehicle ready for holiday travel doesn’t necessarily require the skill of a professional mechanic or demand hours underneath the hood. In fact, our kerbed alloys and steering geometry experts have revealed six tips that will enable you to easily prep your car for a winter journey yourself, however, don’t wait until you’re ready to hit the road. Our courtesy car exerts recommend that you perform these safety checks now so you can make any necessary repairs before the big day.

1. Inspect Windshield Wipers

When it comes to maintaining your car, there are a number of things you can do to ensure you’re driving safely. One of those things is to keep your windshield wipers in good shape. If your car’s wipers are damaged, it can seriously reduce visibility and lead to potentially dangerous driving conditions, especially during inclement weather. Make sure your car’s wipers are in good working condition and are operating as they should. If they are streaking or skipping across the windshield, or the blades are split, dry-rotted, or worn, you should replace them. You should install heavy-duty winter wipers if you live in (or are travelling to) an area that receives a significant amount of snow and ice.

2. Top of Windshield Washer Fluid

Winter weather is inevitably on the way, and you don’t want to be caught unprepared. Top off your windshield washer fluid before heading out on the road this holiday season — and ideally keep an extra gallon stored in your car just in case. Windshield washer fluid helps your windshield wipers perform at their best during the wintery weather.

3. Test Defrosters

If your vehicle’s defrosters aren’t working properly, snow and ice can build up quickly on windows and mirrors and hinder your visibility. If your window and mirror defrosters aren’t operating as they should, there are a few simple ways to troubleshoot the problem. First of all, check the fuses. You will find that the fuse box is located in the engine compartment. Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, it may be near the battery or under a cover on the top of the engine. If you need to replace a fuse, ensure you get one with the same amperage rating as the one that is currently installed in your vehicle. Next, check for debris that is blocking airflow into vents near each mirror or window. If there is debris blocking airflow into vents near each mirror or window, either clean them out with compressed air or remove any obstructions by hand. Then, check for other sources of heat inside your vehicles such as seat warmers or heated seats. If these features are turned on, turn them off for approximately five minutes before trying again to defrost your mirrors or windows.

4. Install Floor Mats Correctly

One of the most important things that you can do to ensure your safety on the road is to make sure that your floor mats are installed correctly. When installed incorrectly, driver floor mats that are too small or too large for your vehicle could interfere with the operation of your brake pedal, accelerator, or clutch. This can cause accidents as well as injuries. To help minimise this risk, only use floor mats that are the correct size and fit for your vehicle, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation, and keep mats in place using retention clips.

5. Check Your Car’s Battery

The winter road trip is upon you, and it’s time to make sure your vehicle is ready to go. The most important thing that can be done before embarking on your journey is to check the battery in your car. A dead battery on a cold day can be an extremely harrowing experience. A dead battery means that there’ll be no heat for your hands or feet, no lights so you can see at night, and no music to keep you company. It also means that you’ll be stuck waiting for someone else to come along with jumper cables or another vehicle that has enough juice to give yours a boost. To avoid having your trip ruined by a dead battery, make sure yours has been charged adequately before you leave home. If you’re unsure how long it’s been since the last time you did this, you can check the owner’s manual for instructions on how often they recommend checking the battery level.

6. Ensure Lights and Signals Are in Working Order.

It’s extraordinarily important to check your vehicle before you hit the road for a long trip. Make sure your lights and signals are working properly by walking around your vehicle and checking that the headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazard lights are all working properly. You’ll also want to be sure the lights are free of debris and take time to clean them during your trip as built-up snow, ice, and dirt can cause a reduction in their effectiveness.

Use Jenkins & Pain, Award-Winning Accident Repair Centre

There you have it, if you do find yourself with damage to your beloved paintwork, plasti dip or steering alignment and need a dent repair, van body repair or courtesy car you can count on us to complete all jobs using industry-standard processes. We offer free quotes and with our exclusive repair service, we are sure you will be happy with the results. Contact our Vehicle Body Shop today. Jenkins & Pain are an accident repair centre based in Dover, Kent. We are proud to call ourselves an award-winning accident repair centre. Check out our guide on how to look after your alloys!

Ready to Visit Our Vehicle Body Shop?

We understand how costly and inconvenient it is for a vehicle to be off the road and therefore we use processes that ensure your vehicle is repaired quickly and efficiently. So whether you need minor scratch repairs, major body repair, or alloy wheel restoration, our van body shop and car body shop can guarantee a high-quality service. We also repair light commercial vehicles and motorhomes. Contact us today for a paint repair at our Car Body Shop!