Car Checks Before Winter: A Household Checklist

A few hours spent on the car before the first hard frost will see most households through the winter. The essentials are simple: a battery that is fully charged, tyres at the right pressure with enough tread, lights that work and are clean, wipers that clear the glass, and fluids topped up with the right concentration of antifreeze and screenwash¹. Then, on any cold morning, clear every window, mirror and light completely before you move off, not just a porthole to peer through³.

The Met Office's advice for winter travel is to check tyre pressure and screenwash as well as oil and coolant levels before you head out¹. Councils and fire and rescue services across the UK say the same things in slightly different words, which is a good sign that these are the checks that matter. Screenwash should be effective down to at least -15 degrees Celsius, so it does not freeze on the glass².

What follows is a checklist you can work through now, then the reasoning behind each item and how to keep it ready through the season. If the forecast turns, the storms, snow and ice guide covers the wider household picture, and driving in snow and ice goes further on the road itself.

The winter car checklist

Work through this list once before the cold sets in, then repeat the quick items before any long or important journey. Each line says why it matters.

1. Battery fully charged and in good condition. A tired battery struggles most in the cold, and a car that will not start is the most common winter breakdown².
2. Tyres: pressure, tread and condition. Check pressure and tread depth on all tyres, including the spare, and look for bulges, cracks and slow punctures³. The minimum tread depth is 1.6mm⁴.
3. Lights clean and working. Check headlights, taillights, brake lights and indicators, and clean the lenses of salt and grime⁸.
4. Wipers in good order. Check the blades clear the screen and renew them if worn or damaged⁹.
5. Washer bottle full of screenwash, not water. Use a mix that will not freeze, so the screen stays clear of winter road grime².
6. Antifreeze at the right concentration. Top it up before the cold, along with oil and coolant¹¹.
7. Windows and mirrors clear inside and out. Demist and de-ice fully before setting off¹².
8. Brakes working well. Have them checked if anything feels wrong².
9. A winter kit in the boot. Scraper, de-icer, warm clothes, a blanket, a torch, a charged phone and a hot drink².

Lights, windows and mirrors: clear means clear

Keep the lights, windows and mirrors clean and free from ice and snow, and clear your windows and mirrors completely of snow and ice before you set off¹⁶. That means the whole windscreen, the back window and the side windows, cleared outside and inside, and demisted before you move¹². Do not simply clear a porthole to look through¹⁹.

Why so insistent? Because a partly cleared screen leaves blind spots exactly where a child, a cyclist or a braking car will appear. Dirty windows and mirrors also make it hard to see in low winter sun, which sits low in the sky through the middle of the day²⁰. Clean the inside of the glass as well as the outside, because condensation and grime build up there over the winter¹⁵.

Lights need the same treatment. Check they are in working order, that reflectors and mirrors are clean, and that the washer bottle is full with the correct mixture²¹. Regularly inspect headlights, taillights, brake lights and indicators so a failed bulb is caught at home rather than on a dark road⁸. A simple routine: switch on the lights, walk round the car, and have someone press the brake and flick each indicator while you watch.

Antifreeze and screenwash: top up before the cold sets in

Screenwash is the fluid most drivers get wrong. Plain water freezes on the glass and in the bottle, leaving you unable to clear the screen when you most need to. The Met Office advises a product effective down to at least -15 degrees Celsius². One council checklist suggests a 50% mix of good quality screenwash to stop it freezing, topped up regularly because you will use far more in winter²². A screenwash specifically formulated for winter is less likely to freeze and clears the windscreen more efficiently¹⁰.

Antifreeze protects the engine cooling system from freezing and from corrosion. Top up anti-freeze and screenwash before the cold sets in¹¹. The same under-the-bonnet pass should cover oil and coolant levels, which the Met Office lists alongside tyre pressure and screenwash¹.

If you are not confident under the bonnet, that is fine. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service suggests checking the following yourself or taking the car to your mechanic: battery, wipers, engine antifreeze levels, windscreen washer antifreeze fluid, heating system, brakes, tyres and windscreen defroster²³. Your vehicle manual or a reputable garage can tell you what to look for, such as oil, tyres and coolant levels²⁴.

Tyres, wipers and battery: what you can check yourself

Some checks take minutes and need no tools; others are worth handing to a mechanic. The table sets them out.

On tyres, check pressure and tread on all four plus the spare, and look for damage such as bulges, cracks and slow punctures³. The RAC recommends checking tyres every fortnight and before long journeys². If you drive rurally or in the hills, consider winter tyres; Highland Council suggests this especially for rural areas²⁶, and winter tyres explains whether they suit you.

Wiper blades wear quietly. Spray washer fluid and check the wipers clean the windscreen, then run your fingers along the blades to feel for splits². Renew them if worn or damaged⁹. Before you turn on the ignition on a frosty morning, check your wipers are free and switch off any auto wiper control, so a frozen blade is not dragged across the glass¹⁹.

Check the battery, wipers, engine antifreeze levels, windscreen washer anti-freeze fluid, heating system, brakes, tyres and windscreen defroster yourself or take your car to your mechanic and ask them to check them². Short winter journeys with lights, heater and wipers running drain it, so a long run now and then helps. For more, see how to stop your car battery going flat in winter.

Check the forecast and warnings before you set out

Before any winter journey, check the forecast and road conditions⁹. The Met Office issues warnings up to 7 days in advance for rain, thunderstorms, wind, ice, snow, extreme heat, fog and lightning⁵. Keep up to date on the Met Office website, app and social media channels²⁷. Our guide to Met Office weather warnings explains what yellow, amber and red mean for your plans.

Then think about the journey itself. Consider whether it is necessary, plan to use main roads and check the gritting routes, check live weather cameras, allow extra time, tell someone your plans, and check whether you need breakdown or recovery cover³. In snow, plan your route, check for delays and road closures, leave more time to prepare and check the car before setting off²⁸. If conditions look poor, delaying your journey is often the safest choice.

In ice, the advice is to take extra care, adjust your driving to the conditions and reduce your speed¹¹. Make sure the mirrors are clear and the windows thoroughly demisted before you go¹¹.

Driving in storms and high winds

In strong winds, the official advice is not to drive unless your journey is really necessary²⁹. If you must go out, grip the steering wheel tightly to keep control through gusts, and keep an eye out for gaps between trees or buildings where you are more likely to meet side winds⁹. Check the forecast and road conditions before travelling⁹.

Before a storm arrives, close and securely fasten doors and windows at home²⁹. Our guides to preparing your home and garden for high winds and how to drive safely in strong winds cover the rest.

A winter kit to keep in the car

A breakdown or a closed road in cold weather is far less serious with the right things in the boot. The Met Office suggests an ice scraper and de-icer, jump leads, a reflective warning triangle (ideally two), sunglasses for low sun, an in-car phone charger and a portable battery charger, and a blanket².

Argyll and Bute Council's list is broader: warm clothes, boots and a blanket; a fully charged mobile phone; a hot drink in a flask; energy boosting food; a pen or pencil; a first aid kit; a torch; an ice scraper; a map for unplanned diversions; and a shovel for snow¹⁵.

• Warmth: warm clothes, boots and a blanket¹⁵
• Light and power: a torch, an in-car charger and a portable battery charger¹⁵
• Clearance: ice scraper, de-icer and a shovel for snow²
• Communication and navigation: a fully charged phone and a map¹⁵
• Sustenance: a flask of hot drink and energy boosting food¹⁵
• Safety and first aid: a warning triangle, ideally two, and a first aid kit²

Keep the kit in the car all winter, not just for long trips. A short journey on an untreated road can still leave you waiting in the cold.