As colder weather sets in, motorists will have to make sure that their vehicles are prepared.
While it's only October and we (hopefully) won't have to worry about the de-icer and scraper just yet, there are some considerations that drivers should make. For example, it's important to keep an eye out for autumn leaves under your bonnet as they can cause damage.
Scots have seen the weather turning with two Met Office yellow warnings issued this week, one for rain and one for wind. The dark, windy and rainy conditions are far from ideal for motorists, which is why it's important to make sure that your car isn't adding to any potential road risk.
Recently motorists have taken to social media sites like TikTok to get tips on car maintenance. The automotive experts at Peter Vardy have examined car maintenance-related hashtags on TikTok to reveal their top autumn and winter car hacks you can start using now.
Beware of autumn leaves building up under your bonnet
Cars should have some kind of drain under the bonnet. If you fail to regularly clear out autumn leaves from underneath the bonnet, the drain could become blocked.
This could lead to a collection of water gathering and causing rust as well as the water turning into ice in the colder months causing issues with opening and closing the bonnet.
Don't turn your heating on straight away
As the weather gets colder let your car run for a minute or two before you start driving and turn the heating on.
The reason behind this is when you turn the heating on it gets pulled from the engine, if the engine is cold it is unable to get any heat from it and ends up blowing more cold air into your car.
Cover your windshield wipers with long socks
Use long socks to cover your windshield wipers to stop them from freezing over on cold nights. This will save you time in the morning defrosting the clumps of ice that often gather on windscreen wipers.
Do you have any autumn car hacks? Let us know in the comments.
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