With the colder weather approaching, now is the ideal time to check that your car is fully prepared for the winter months. After all, there’s nothing worse than a car that struggles to start on a cold, icy morning.
With Halfords, you can ensure your car is fully prepped for winter with our range of product essentials and motoring services. Keep reading to discover how you can get your car ready for winter.
Book your MOT and service
An MOT and a service go hand-in-hand. An MOT is an annual legal requirement, while a service keeps your car in a more reliable and roadworthy condition by checking and replacing common parts that wear over time (reducing the risk of your car breaking down).
Booking them separately means remembering two sets of dates and making multiple journeys. That’s why a Halfords MOT and service combi deal is a much more convenient option.
Our combi deals come in three options and can save you precious time and money (up to £29.99 when you join the Halfords Motoring Club for free):
Book online or drop into your local Halfords garage to set up an appointment and get your car prepared for the wintery conditions to come.
Check your bulbs and wiper blades
It’s easy to overlook components such as your bulbs and wiper blades until they desert you while you’re making your way home on a dark, cold and rainy night.
Be sure to take advantage of our WeFit service, available at all Halfords stores and garages, as well as through our mobile fitting service. For a small fee, we’ll fit your new bulbs, wiper blades and more, and get you back out on the road again. No appointments are required and the whole process is safe and contactless; just drop in and we’ll install your new parts while you wait.
Pre-journey planning
Before setting off on big journeys, particularly during cold weather, it’s essential to plan ahead to ensure you’re fully prepared.
Checking things such as your car’s fluids, as well as your tyre tread is a must for a smooth journey. To help you remember the key checks before setting off, remember “TRIP”.
TRIP is a campaign created by National Highways to help drivers plan their journeys more effectively and stay safe on the road.
The key things to remember are as follows:
Top-Up – For petrol and diesel cars, ensure you sufficiently fill up your tank before setting off and for electric vehicles, ensure your vehicle is fully charged. Be sure to plan your journey so there are sufficient charging points on route. Also remember to check your battery and top up your oil, and screenwash for clear visibility.
Rest – It’s important to be well rested while driving, so make sure to plan in rest stops for 15 mins every 2 hours to help you stay alert.
Inspect tyres – One in five motorway breakdowns are as a result of tyre issues, so be sure to check your tyre tread and tyre pressure before setting off. You can always book in for our free tyre check if you’re concerned about the condition of your tyres.
Prepare for all weather conditions – From strong winds, to heavy rain to ice, the winter months can bring a variety of weather conditions! Make sure your vehicle is prepared for all eventualities. If the weather is severe, it’s a good idea to delay your journey until conditions improve.
Winter car checks
Sometimes, you just want some peace of mind from an expert that your car is ready for the roads. In that case, one of our winter car checks is the perfect choice.
First is our FREE 5-Point Car Check. During this check, an experienced technician will review your car’s headlights and brake lights, the condition of your wiper blades, the health of your battery, the condition of your windscreen and your MOT due date. The check’s completely free, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity as winter approaches.
For a more thorough assessment, you want our 10-Point Car Check. A technician will check all of the areas above, as well as your car’s tyre tread depth, tyre inflation level (and top it up), oil level, screen wash level (and top it up), and ad blue and coolant levels.
Both of these checks can be booked online at a time, date and location to suit you.
Mobile fitting
We know it’s not always convenient to make it down to your local Halfords autocentre or store, particularly if your car refuses to start or you’ve got a flat tyre. And that’s why you want our mobile fitting service.
It’s easy and as with all our fitting services, safe and contactless. Just book an appointment on your chosen date and one of our experienced technicians will head on over to your home or workplace. They offer a whole host of motoring services including tyre replacements, battery replacements and – an essential in the winter months – cold starts.
You can also get your hands on some great offers on tyres, including all season tyres right now, so get your car prepped for winter and save yourself some pounds at the same time.
Don’t forget your winter motoring essentials
The rain, ice, snow and darkness may be on its way, but you can be ready for it. As well as the top-notch services above, we’ve got a wide range of essential winter products including de-icer, screenwash, ice scrapers and demister pads that will keep your car in prime condition during the winter months.
While the winter months may not always be the most pleasant, you know that with help from Halfords, you can be fully prepared for your upcoming journeys.