Get Your Car Ready for Winter: Essential Winter Car Checks

A handful of simple checks before the first frosts can help you avoid most common problems that leave drivers stuck in the cold. Below are seven winter car checks you can do yourself, each with a clear sign of when it’s time to let a garage take a look and what you need to do if something’s not quite right, plus two more ways you can prepare your car for colder weather.

By completing these checks, you’ll know whether your car is ready for winter or what you need to book to get it there.

Winter Car Checklist at a Glance

1. Check Your Battery

Cold weather reduces how much power your battery can deliver, just as the engine needs more of it to start and you’re running the heater and lights for longer. That’s why a battery that seemed fine in summer can give up on the first frosty morning.

Watch out for the engine turning over slowly, lights that dim when you start the car or the battery warning light coming on, as these are common signs your car battery is dying. If your battery is more than three years old, we’d recommend having it tested before winter, as it’s a quick check that can save you a call-out.

Replacing a car battery typically costs around £100 to £300 fitted*, although batteries for cars with stop-start technology and some premium models can cost more.

In an electric car, the 12V battery that powers the electrics can still go flat in the cold. What’s more, range drops in low temperatures, so keep the main battery charged a little higher than usual.

*Prices are representative figures based on published industry estimates as of 13th October 2026, and vary depending on your make and model, the type of battery, your location and your chosen garage.

2. Check Tyre Tread and Pressure

The legal minimum tread depth for cars is 1.6mm, but grip on wet, icy roads drops well before then, so we’d recommend replacing tyres once they reach around 3mm. You can check your tyre tread in a couple of minutes with a 20p coin or a tread depth gauge.

Tyre pressures fall as the temperature drops, which is why pressure warnings often appear on the first cold mornings. Check your tyre pressure monthly while the tyres are cold, as under-inflated tyres grip less and can cause uneven tyre wear.

If the warning light stays on after you’ve corrected the pressures, you may have a faulty tyre pressure sensor rather than a low tyre. While you’re down there, look for cuts, cracks or bulges in the sidewalls, and get any you find checked by a professional as soon as possible.

3. Check and Top Up Your Fluids

With the engine cold and the car on level ground, check your oil with the dipstick and top up if it’s below the minimum mark, without overfilling. Then check your coolant levels are between the lines on the reservoir. Coolant contains antifreeze, which stops it freezing on very cold nights, and a level that keeps dropping may mean a leak.

Fill your washer bottle with a winter screen wash, as plain water can freeze in the pipes, and keep more fuel or charge in reserve in case snow leaves you stuck in traffic.

4. Check Your Wipers and Keep Your Screen Clear

Run your fingers along your wiper blades to feel for splits or hardened rubber and replace them if they streak, as salt spray and low sun make a smeared screen much harder to see through.

Before you set off on a frosty or snowy morning, the Highway Code says you must clear snow and ice from all your windows and make sure your lights and number plates are clean. Clear the roof too, so snow doesn’t slide onto the windscreen when you brake.

5. Check Your Lights

Once the clocks go back on the last Sunday in October, you’ll find yourself driving in the dark a lot more. It only takes a few minutes to check all nine of your car’s lights, including your brake lights and indicators – even without a helper.

6. Check Your Brakes

Damp, salty roads can cause rust to build up on your brake discs, and a car left standing in the cold can have its brakes or handbrake stick. A little surface rust that clears after a few stops is normal. If you hear squeaking or grinding or the pedal feels soft, have your brakes inspected by a garage before the weather turns.

7. Don’t Ignore Dashboard Warning Lights

Dashboard warning lights give you the chance to fix a problem before it leaves you stranded. If you see a red light you should pull over and stop as soon as it’s safe to do so (or avoid driving the car if it comes on while you’re parked), while an amber light means you should get the car checked as soon as possible. If the amber light is flashing, you should also avoid driving where possible so you don’t make the problem worse before a garage can have a look.

In winter, keep a particular eye on the battery, tyre pressure and engine management lights. If you mostly make short trips in the cold, the DPF warning light is also more likely to come on in a diesel car, because the engine rarely gets hot enough to clear the filter.

8. Consider Winter or All-Season Tyres

If you regularly drive on rural, hilly or untreated roads, or set off early when the roads are at their iciest, winter tyres can make a real difference. Their rubber stays flexible in the cold, and their tread clears slush more effectively.

If you’d rather not swap tyres twice a year, make sure you fit all-season tyres as they’re a very good middle ground between summer tyres and winter tyres.

Snow socks and snow chains are useful in heavy snow, but they should only be used on roads that are fully covered in snow and taken off as soon as you reach clear tarmac.

9. Pack a Winter Car Kit

Keep these in the boot from October to March, in case of a breakdown or long delay:

• Ice scraper and de-icer

• Torch with spare batteries

• Hi-vis jacket or vest

• Blanket and warm layers

• Phone power bank and charging cable

• Jump leads or a jump pack, and know how to jump-start a car safely

• Tyre inflator

• Water and a few snacks

• First aid kit

Before a longer journey, check the local weather forecast and travel advice so you’re not caught out by snow or ice.

Book a Winter Health Check

If you’d rather leave the checks to a professional, or you found something that needs a second opinion, a Winter Health Check covers 17 points in one visit to get your car winter ready.

A technician will check your external lights, warning lamps, wipers and washers, coolant and antifreeze strength, battery condition, oil level, brake pads, tyre pressures and tread, steering, suspension and exhaust, then tell you what needs attention.

Some garages on BookMyGarage offer the Winter Health Check free of charge, and you can compare them by price, reviews and distance to find the best one for your needs in seconds.