Longer days and a shift away from freezing temperatures can only mean one thing – spring is coming! With Easter and spring road trips approaching, now’s the perfect time to get your car ready for the warmer months ahead.
Use our checklist to start preparing your vehicle for spring driving and upcoming getaways.
1. Book a 10-point car check
A seasonal vehicle check ensures that your car is safe and reliable for new adventures.
A Halfords 10-Point Car Inspection includes checks of:
- Headlight & brake lights.
- Wiper blade condition.
- Battery health.
- Tyre depth and inflation, with top ups as needed.
- Windscreen condition and chips.
- MOT due date reminder (UK only).
- Oil level, AdBlue, and coolant.
- Screen wash and top up as needed.
Did you know that as a Halfords Motoring Club member, you can book a10-Point Car Check at your local Halfords store as part of your membership benefits?
From your car battery and oil to tyre inflation and screenwash top up, we’ve got you covered for a smooth and safe start to the spring season. So, if you’re not a Motoring Club member, make sure you don’t miss out on this valuable benefit and click the button below to join!
2. Check your tyres
Tyres are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road, meaning they directly affect handling, braking and acceleration – so it’s important to look after them!
Check your tyres for:
- Damage or bulges.
- Correct tyre pressure.
- Minimum legal tread depth of at least 1.6mm.
If you’re unsure whether your tyres are safe, book our Free Tyre Check for professional reassurance. At a time and store to suit you, one of our technicians will check your tyre pressure and tread depth, and make sure your tyres are safe and legal.
We also stock an extensive range of tyres from the best premium and budget brands, so if your tyres need replacing, we’ve got you covered. We can also fit your tyres in any of our garages nationwide or we can come and fit them at your home or workplace through our Mobile Expert service.
3. Free Battery Health Check
The colder months can be harsh on your car battery, especially if you’re not carrying out as much long-distance driving as you would in the spring and summer.
Signs of battery issues include:
- Slow engine start.
- Dimmed dashboard lights.
- Electrical faults.
A Free Battery Health Check can confirm whether your car battery needs replacing or provide the peace of mind that everything is working. If your battery does need replacing, you can explore our range of batteries here.
By keeping battery chargers, jump starters or jump leads close to hand, you can help to avoid the risk of breakdowns and being stranded, regardless of your battery’s condition!
4. Top up essential fluids
Regular fluid checks of your vehicle help to prevent engine and system damage, reducing the chance of higher costs down the road.
Essential oils to keep topped up include:
Our 10-Point Car Check is also perfect for fluid top ups and can handle these inspections for you. We’ll top up your screenwash and check your oil, AdBlue and coolant levels so you know that you’re ready for your spring adventures. Or DIY and purchase your motoring essentials over at Halfords.com.
5. Inspect your lights and bulbs
Even with longer and brighter days, your headlights and rear lights remain essential for road safety.
Before going on any car journeys, make sure all the bulbs on your car are working, including brake lights and indicators. You should also ensure your bulb casings are clean to ensure maximum brightness.
Remember, if you need to replace any of your bulbs, we’d always recommend changing your bulbs in pairs to maintain consistent lighting. When you buy bulbs through Halfords, we can fit them for you – and Premium Motoring Club members have their fitting included at no extra cost!
6. Plan journeys with a sat nav
That’s the main car checks out of the way, now for some other items you may find useful for your future journeys – starting with a sat nav. With brighter days fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to start thinking about those future staycations and plan your routes.
Modern sat navs help support your journeys by providing:
- Live traffic updates.
- Vehicle-specific routing.
- Campsite and travel databases.
- Voice navigation.
Helping you efficiently navigate to your destination, the Garmin Drive 53 Sat Nav is a dependable choice. Ideal for road adventures, this sat nav has a high-resolution 5” touchscreen display and provides Environmental Zone warnings, a database of TripAdvisor reviews for stops along the way, and live traffic, fuel prices, and weather updates when paired with the Garmin Drive app.
7. Install a dash cam
Travel with added peace of mind with the help of a dash cam. Recording the road as you drive, a dash cam will provide evidence should you be involved in a crash.
Take advantage of the Nextbase Piqo 1K 1080p Dash Cam to benefit from smart parking for all-around protection that automatically records when your vehicle is hit. With high-quality 1080p HD resolution recording, Emergency SOS, and voice-activated Witness Mode Lite, drive with confidence that you’ve always got back up.
8. Upgrade in-car entertainment
No one likes driving in silence, especially on long journeys. The solution? A car stereo of course.
Filling your car with your favourite music and keeping you entertained, car stereos have been a must-have for as long as we can remember. Luckily, technology has evolved in that time and you won’t be relying on cassettes. Instead, you can use the Pioneer SPH-DA160DAB Car Stereo. With Apple Play, Android Auto and Bluetooth compatibility, you’ll have no problem loading up your favourite travel playlists ready for a good old sing-along.
9. Prepare for camping trips
UK staycations are increasingly popular, so get prepared for your camping trip this year with a little help from Halfords.
Before planning any staycation, make sure you’re well-prepared with those must-have camping essentials. From tents and sleeping bags to cooking equipment, you’ll find everything you need over at Halfords.com.
If you’re not sure what camping equipment you’ll need, don’t worry! We’ve put together our Camping must-have gadgets blog to help make your adventure run even smoother.
10. Join the Halfords Motoring Club
And our final check – don’t miss out on the best way to save on your yearly car maintenance. The Halfords Motoring Club takes the hassle out of looking after your vehicle and gives you access to a range of amazing benefits and discounts designed to keep you moving, keep you safe and keep you saving.
Premium members unlock all our perks, from a MOT and always-on 5% discount to exclusive partner offers and tailored advice from our experts. You can join for £5.49 per month (£65.88 total) or £54 annually. You can join for free too, and still get some great benefits.
Tired of missing out? Join the Halfords Motoring Club today at www.halfords.com/motoring-club.
There you have it! Drive away those winter blues with the help of our spring motoring checklist and get set for Easter. While these are the most important things to consider, you can find many other services and must-have motoring products over at Halfords.com.
