Winter car checks: a simple pre-winter checklist
By James Snow
Owner and mechanic, SV Autos
Updated 25 July 2026
Most winter breakdowns come from a handful of things that were already borderline in the autumn, and the cold just finished them off. Half an hour of checks now saves you standing on a frozen verge in December waiting for recovery. Here's the run through we'd do ourselves, and why each bit matters more once the temperature drops.
Battery: the number one winter breakdown
Cold weather is hard on a battery. It has to work harder to turn a cold engine over, and its capacity drops in low temperatures, so a battery that was just about coping in summer is the one that leaves you with a dead click on a frosty morning.
Most batteries last somewhere around four to seven years, though it varies by car and how it's used. If yours is getting on, or the engine has been cranking slower than it used to, get it tested before winter rather than finding out the hard way. A proper test tells you whether it's still healthy or living on borrowed time.
- Slow, laboured cranking when you start up is the classic warning sign
- Lots of short trips never let the battery fully recharge, which shortens its life
- A battery over about five years old is worth getting tested going into winter
Tyres: tread, pressure and cold grip
Tyres are the only thing connecting your car to the road, and that matters most when the road is wet, icy or covered in leaves. The legal minimum tread is 1.6mm across the central three quarters, but grip in the wet starts falling off well before that, so a lot of people change at around 3mm for winter.
Check your pressures too. Air contracts as it gets colder, so pressures drop over winter and underinflated tyres wear faster and grip worse. The right figures are on a sticker in the driver's door shut or filler flap, and in the handbook.
Winter tyres are worth thinking about if you drive a lot in the cold or live somewhere that gets caught out by snow and ice. They use a softer compound that stays grippy below about 7C, where a normal summer tyre goes hard and loses its bite. They cost more up front and you need somewhere to store the other set, so they suit some drivers more than others.
Antifreeze and coolant strength
The coolant in your engine is a mix of antifreeze and water, and that mix stops it freezing in winter and boiling in summer. If the antifreeze is weak or watered down, the coolant can freeze, which can crack the radiator or even the engine block, and that is a big bill.
The strength can be checked in a couple of minutes with a simple tester. It's also worth a quick look at the coolant level in the expansion tank when the engine is cold, topped up to the mark with the right type for your car. If you're ever unsure what's in there or when it was last done, we can check and sort it.
Screenwash, wipers and lights
Winter throws salt, spray and grime up your windscreen constantly, and you get through screenwash fast. Top it up with a proper winter screenwash mixed to the strength on the bottle. Plain water, or a weak summer mix, can freeze in the bottle and the jets, and a frozen washer system is no help when a lorry has just coated your glass in salty spray.
Check your wiper blades while you're there. If they smear, chatter or leave streaks, they're past it, and worn blades plus a dark wet evening is a bad combination. Blades are cheap and quick to change.
Then walk round all the lights with the engine running: sidelights, headlights on dip and full beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate light. Nights are long in winter and you'll be using them far more, so a blown bulb matters more now. Get someone to stand behind while you press the brake, or check the reflection in a window or garage door.
- Winter screenwash mixed to the concentration on the label, not just water
- Wiper blades replaced if they smear, judder or streak
- Every bulb checked, including brake lights, fogs and the number plate light
Oil and a small emergency kit
Cold thickens engine oil, so clean oil at the right level helps the engine start and protects it in the first cold seconds after start up, which is when most wear happens. Give the oil a check on the dipstick and top up if it's low, and if you're due a service or an oil change, winter is a sensible time to get it done.
Last, keep a small kit in the boot for the days a journey goes wrong. You don't need much, just enough to stay safe and warm if you're stuck for a while.
- An ice scraper and a can of de-icer (kept in the house, not the frozen car)
- A warm coat, a blanket and sturdy shoes or wellies
- A torch, a phone power bank and a set of jump leads
- A hi-vis, a small first aid kit and a bottle of water