Preparing my car for winter

• Take your car to the garage In addition to the regular checks (lights, brakes, and tires), ask your mechanic to verify the battery and alternator because the battery can be exposed to harsh temperatures during the winter. An empty battery, besides preventing the car from running properly, also risks damaging the electrical system and the ignition of your car.

• Verify the washer fluid level As the washer fluid is mainly composed of water, the fluid easily freezes and stops working when temperatures drop. Therefore, it is recommended to refill the reserve with washer fluid that contains anti-freeze which resists temperatures up to -25° C. It is equally important to monitor the level and quality of the coolant.

• Inspect the condition of your windshield During the winter, one simple impact can easily crack your windshield. As a result of the cold and frost, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the car changes the resistance of the glass and makes the windshield more vulnerable. Therefore, it is important to do all the necessary repairs before renting your car.

• Ensure you drive with tire chains If you live in a region where it snows often and if you do not have snow tires, it is essential to use snow chains. If needed, show the drivers how to install these. The chains need to be installed directly onto the driving wheels (which are usually the front wheels) and taken off once the snow is no longer on the roads. In addition, you must drive below 50km/h while having the snow chains.

• Equipment in the car We recommend that in addition to a snow scrape, you also keep a shovel in the car (especially for cars that are not parked in a garage or a private parking space) as when the streets get plowed for snow, there might be some edges of snow making it difficult to pick up the car. We also recommend that you look in on your car a bit more often during the winter months to ensure that it is ready for the driver to pick it up.

• Tyres In Norway only, during the winter, it is mandatory to fit your car with tires with a minimum of 3 mm pattern depth. You are responsible for ensuring that the standard of the car matches the conditions. The car should be fitted with winter tyres from 1st of November till the first Sunday after the 2nd day of Easter. For Nordland, Troms and Finnmark equipping your car with winter tyres is mandatory from the 16th of October till 30th of April. See the link for tyre standards from Statens vegvesen here.

• EVs It is important to remember that the expected range of an electric car will drop during winter, and also that charging the car during the winter can take longer than normal. An electric car car can lose up to 40 percent of its range depending on the conditions, use of heating and driving style. We recommend that you add an example on the expected range of your car in winter and in summer in the car description of your electric car(s). You can edit the description of your car under Your cars.

This article was written with the help of the Bosch Car Service garage network.