Keeping a luxury car in good condition, especially in crispy winters, is more complex than maintaining standard cars. It is because of the nature of European vehicles – fancier craftsmanship and equipment.
Regular vehicle maintenance can keep your luxury car running at peak conditions. However, with the change in the season, especially in winter, you should be extra cautious about your luxury car. Being ready with a winter car maintenance checklist can help you keep your European car in the best shape throughout the harsh chilly season.
Winter Car Maintenance Checklist
As the owner of your European car like a Renault, you will need to be acquainted with basic winterising tasks. These include changing the oil, rotating the tyres as required, and replacing fluids. These luxury vehicle maintenance tasks will help you avoid expensive Renault services in Melbourne later and extend its operational life for years.
Here are some winter car care tips that will help you stay safe while ensuring your vehicle is in the best condition during winter.
- Changing Essential Oils
Investing in oil change is one of the most economical ways to powertrain its components and extend vehicle life.
During winter, the oil in your car thickens and flows slowly through the engine. It exerts more pressure on the starter motor components and battery. This, in turn, affects their performance. Further, many luxury cars require a different grade of oil during the cold season. Adding the right oil to the engine before the winter season begins can maximise its protection.
Other vehicle liquids include coolant, power steering, brake, and transmission fluids. These are also vital to your luxury car’s operation and should be checked and tossed off or refilled during the winter. - Check The Battery
Like our bodies, the plates inside a car battery can also cramp up in the cold weather. And nothing could be as inconvenient as a weak or drained battery during cold, chilly winters. If you find your luxury car slow to start as the temperature falls, it’s a potential sign your battery is on its way out.
However, you can easily prevent this. Get it checked by a reliable European car mechanic near you and enquire if it needs replacing. They will also repair it if they find any issues with your car battery. - Focus On Headlamps & Check For Visibility
Low visibility is a big concern during the winter season. If not taken seriously, it can lead to major accidents. To prevent such havoc, pay attention to your luxury car’s headlamps.
Over years of usage, the headlamps of your luxury car can develop a film on the lens, which reduces their visibility and effectiveness. Replace them if you are facing visibility issues.
Invest in a good set of LED headlamps that will cut through gloomy, dark conditions. They have a longer life and can last around 37 times longer than their halogen counterparts. Plus, you will get 50 times better visibility. In addition to the headlamps, ensure all the other lights in your luxury car vehicle are also working. - Replace Wiper Blades
Did you know your wiper blades need replacement every six months? Yes, even the best-performing wiper blades tend to lose their effectiveness in just a short span and deliver poor or zero performance. Unfortunately, taking such a risk during low-visibility days in winter could be catastrophic.
If you find missed expanses of glass or streaks, these are clear signs your blades need immediate replacement.
Many car owners extend wipers’ life by cleaning the blade’s rubber edge periodically just to save some bucks. While it can give them some relief, it isn’t safe to use such wiper blades all winter long. However, experts recommend replacing wiper blades twice a year, especially during winter.
Tip: When parking your vehicle out in the open, place the wipers in a raised position to keep them from freezing on the windshield during winter. - Check Your Windshield
With dirt, salt residue, and debris everywhere, you will likely use your windshield washers more often. Hence, keep your windshield-washer reservoir full with a winter-blend washer solution containing antifreeze.
Additionally, check if the heater is functioning properly so that it can direct plenty of warm air to the windshield in defrost mode. You will also want to run the air conditioner to dehumidify the air, which will prevent fogging up of your windshield. - Give Your Tyres an Inspection
If you’ve been waiting to buy a new set of tyres, don’t wait for the winter to go for it. Your safety during the cold season depends hugely on tire traction. And you might not get the new ones as the winter-grade tyres are usually in short supply at this time.
Always choose tyres based on the amount of snowfall in your area. If your area occasionally snows, go for a new set of all-season tyres. Find highly-rated tyres that have performed well in ice-braking and snow-traction tests. (You can check their official websites to get the details).
But if your area is always snow-covered, buy dedicated winter tyres that are mounted on inexpensive steel wheels. Their rubber compounds and tread patterns are designed to grip ice and snow for optimum traction on overly smooth roads.
Winter tyres generate more noise on the road and have shorter tread life than all-season alternatives. However, the extra safety they offer is incomparable, making them the ideal winter choice.
Note: Even if your tyres are in good shape at the onset of winter, make sure to inflate them properly. Huge temperature drops make your tyres lose air because tyre pressure falls with the thermometer. - Be Emergency Ready
One of the worst nightmares of car owners or drivers is being stranded at night in an area with no human and mobile connectivity. While this can happen anytime with anyone, being safety-ready can avoid further worsening of the situation. Make sure to have an emergency kit in your car. Keep a flashlight, blanket, emergency flares, radio, non-perishable food items, essential medicines, and more.
Get Professional Vehicle Maintenance Services From BCS Prestige
Does your Peugeot, BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, Audi, or Mercedes need a winter check-up? Do you need a Car battery replacement or an oil change in your BMW? Come right away to European Car Experts at BCS Prestige!
Our expert mechanics have knowledge and access to parts of these luxurious machines, which are hard to find in ordinary car servicing centres. We will inspect your car thoroughly to see if it is winter-ready and do all that is needed to ensure it’s in the best shape.
Give us a call today at (03) 9501 0010 and book your service today!
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