How to maintain your car in winter and cold weather

Winter cold weather car maintenance tips

• Check your battery is healthy and charged
• Check your car lights
• Switch to synthetic oil
• Take care of your windscreen
• Check your coolant 
• Use fuel injector cleaner
• Fix any scratches
• Inspect your tyres

Check your battery is healthy and charged

Nobody wants to be stuck in wintery weather with a dead car battery. Make sure you know when your battery is running low, how to keep your battery charged, how to jump-start a car, and how to get a replacement battery. Car batteries are more likely to go flat in winter because cold weather drains the battery power. To fight the cold, grab a battery blanket and park your car in a garage rather than on the street whenever possible.

Check your car lights

Cars have headlights, taillights, high beams and fog lights to ensure you can see everything on the road and be seen by other cars. It's critical that all these lights work, not just so your car is roadworthy, but for optimal safety during winter, when visibility in reduced due to shorter daylight hours and inclement weather. Check that each of your lights is functional, including high and low beams, and replace blown or dim bulbs as soon as possible. If your lights are dirty, wipe them down with a chamois or microfibre cloth.

Consider switching to synthetic oil

Conventional car oil can be slow to travel through the engine in cold weather, making your car harder to start. Older cars may benefit from the use of synthetic oil instead. It isn't as affected by cold temperatures, doesn’t take time to warm up and it's easier on engines. Check your car’s make and model before switching to synthetic oil to ensure it's compatible. You can also investigate synthetic blends – part synthetic oil, part conventional oil – for similar benefits.

It's always important to regularly check the car's oil level. To perform a quick and easy dipstick test, pull the car’s dipstick out, clean it and then insert it all the way in again. When you pull the dipstick out, the oil on the tip should be amber. If it’s milky, black or there are particles present, take your car to an accredited auto care centre. Also check the indication level on your dipstick. If it’s too low, top up with an oil recommended in your manufacturer’s manual. Do not overfill.

Take care of your windscreen

Visibility is crucial all-year round, but in cold weather, mist, fog, rain and snow can make keeping your windscreen clear a challenge. Never leave cracks in your windshield untended: get them filled right away by a qualified repairer. Water that falls into those cracks may freeze in cold weather, which will force the crack to expand and make driving hazardous.

Next, check your windscreen wipers aren’t too worn down and are working properly. You can easily buy replacements from auto shops or online stores. Installing them only takes a minute or two, with no special tools required. If you’re driving in icy, snowy conditions, consider investing in a pair of winter wiper blades. Keep your wiper fluid topped up to clear away salt, sand, dirt and other debris that are commonly found on winter roads.

Finally, check that your car’s climate control system is working. The fastest way to clear a fogged-up windscreen is to turn on the air-conditioning, which lowers the humidity, and use the fresh air setting to draw in drier air from outside rather than recycling the damp air inside the car.

More: Best ways to remove ice from your windscreen

Check the coolant

Your engine’s cooling system works to maintain the engine’s optimal operating temperature. The liquid inside is made from equal parts water and antifreeze, the latter of which prevents the water from freezing and expanding in cold temperatures. The resulting mix is called coolant. Check your coolant hasn’t deteriorated by using a torch to check the liquid inside the reservoir. If it is brown, sludgy or has visible floating particles in it, it may need to be flushed and replaced.

Use fuel injector cleaner

Fuel injectors deliver your car’s fuel to the combustion chamber by spraying fuel into the engine using an atomised nozzle: a cleaner and more efficient method than the old carburettor system. They make sure that the right amount of fuel is delivered at the right time.

Fuel injectors must be kept clean and maintained to prevent stalls and misfires. The best and easiest way to do this is to use fuel injector cleaner, which removes water and grime build-up to ensure that only clean fuel reaches your engine. In cold weather, this is particularly important to keep the water from freezing and blocking off fuel supplies. Fuel injector cleaner is relatively inexpensive and available at most auto shops.

Fix any scratches to prevent rust

Ice and road salt can scratch your car’s paintwork. Depending on how deep the scratch is, rust may begin to form on your car’s body, which can weaken your vehicle in the event of a crash. Make sure you remove scratches from cars before they rust, and to get any rusty scratches fixed by a repair shop as soon as possible.

Inspect your tyres (and learn how to fit snow chains)

Better tyre traction equals a safer drive because your car can grip roads better in dangerous conditions. Tyres need extra traction in cold weather, when roads are more likely to be wet and slippery. Look over your tyres, making sure that they have sufficiently deep treads and replacing worn-out tyres immediately.

Next time you stop off at a petrol station, park your car by the air pump and inflate your tyres to manufacturer's recommended level. Low temperatures create lower air pressure in your tyres, which wears tyres down faster while weakening their traction and handling. Take care not to over-inflate your tyres either as this can cause less tyre to be in contact with the road. 

If you're driving to an alpine resort in winter, you must carry snow chains in Victoria. Not only for your safety, but you can face substantial fines if you do not comply. An authorised officer can direct you at any time to fit the snow chains on your vehicle. The chains must be properly fitted to the drive wheels to work and to prevent damage to your car. If you live in a region that experiences snow every winter, consider investing in snow chains or winter tyres that use special tread designs and compounds to improve the car's handling in these conditions.

Finally, check you have the right level of emergency roadside assistance in case of a breakdown, flat battery or an empty tank.