Autumn is the perfect time to prepare your car for the approaching cold weather but do you know what to look out for? Follow our experienced mechanics’ professional advice to ensure you and your passengers are safe this winter.
As well as delicious spiced drinks and cosy jumpers, autumn also brings with it dull weather, darker mornings and even darker nights so you’ll soon start to use your car headlights more often than in the summer. Make sure you don’t caught out with a broken bulb by checking that all the lights on your vehicle are working (if you drive with a broken headlight you run the risk of receiving a fixed penalty notice and a £100 fine).
With the sun lower in the sky at this time of year, glare can be an extremely dangerous hazard for drivers. To help avoid being temporarily blinded by the sudden appearance by the sun’s dazzling rays, clean your windscreen inside and out and make sure your screen wash is topped up. It’s also a good idea to keep a pair of sunglasses in your car and replace windscreen wipers if they are worn out or not clearing the screen effectively.
Did you know the most common cause of car breakdowns in the winter is because of faulty batteries? If you’ve had your car battery for five years or more, the general lifetime of the average car battery, autumn is the perfect time to replace it so you can keep your car on the road during the freezing depths of winter.
As we get deeper into autumn, the risk of ice on the roads increases so it’s crucial to your safety that your car’s tyres are fully inflated and have at least 3mm tread depth to help you stick to the road surface. Not only do poorly maintained tyres endanger yourself, your passengers and other road users, but they can also land you with a £10,000 fine and a driving ban.
The experienced mechanics at Sunrise Service Centre have been helping drivers in Blandford and the surrounding areas prepare their cars for autumn for the past 17 years. To ensure your car is safe for the colder weather, contact our friendly team today on 01258 459 798 and we’ll be happy to arrange an appointment for you.