The Panic Mechanic Blog

I have heard that this year we will see plenty of snow and ice. In fact, Scotland had snow only last month!

At the moment we have had funny weather with November being more mild than normal, but don’t get fooled into thinking winter is going to be mild. Get yourself prepared now for the unexpected. The last thing you want is to be coming home from work and stuck in traffic because the weather has taken a bad turn. Worse still, is to be stuck in your car, as many motorist experienced last year and to run out of fuel, over-heat your engine and have limited visibility as your screen wash ran out.

I thought I would put together a check list of items you need to be thinking about packing into your boot so that you are prepared and I mean, as soon as possible:

1 – High visibility waterproof coat, gloves and hat. You might need to ditch the car and walk.

2 – 3 litre bottle of water, not only will it keep you hydrated, it can be used to top up engine water if your car has over-heated due to no water. It can also be used for the windscreen washer, if you forgot to top that up.

3 – Shovel, it will most certainly help you free your car in the snow.

4 – Snow chain and a tow rope are ideal, but understandably most people won’t have these items, so the shovel would be a must!

5 – Emergency phone numbers and mobile phone car charger.

6 – Torch

7 – Sweets, it might help keep the hunger worms at bay if you have missed dinner stuck in your car.

8 – Mask, or at least scarf of some sort to wear over your face if you have had to ditch the car and are walking past traffic. This happened to a friend who said the fumes almost knocked him out!

9 – Jump leads, this is something you should always carry, but certainly if you are stuck in traffic and are using electrics, you don’t want your battery to go flat, particularly if the life of your battery is old.

10 – Warning Triangle and first aid kit. Be prepared if its not you that’s in trouble and you come to the aid of someone else!

It’s not much fun when the clocks go back, except the extra hour in bed you get, but those who have children don’t even get that!

It’s been a while since I have blogged and as you can see from my last post months ago, I have joined the ranks of parenthood and certainly did not get an extra hour in bed!

Anthony Nicolas Martin is almost eight months old and I am very aware of the the early dark evenings. My wife finishes work and collects Anthony from nursery and has to travel back home in the dark. I don’t like it, and I am sure there are other Dad’s out there like me, who want to make sure that if their loved ones are traveling in the dark, the car had better be tip top for any winter weather troubles!

Recently I have been promoting a free winter health check for your vehicle with any service from £99, which includes parts. But since you are a Panic Mechanic follower, I am going to give you a winter health check list here, so that you can make sure you or your family members are prepared, and I hear its going to be a tough winter this year!

Okay, so here are a few things you can check for yourself that does not require any mechanical knowledge:

1 – Check the condition of your tyres including the spare.

2 – Check the condition of your windscreen wiper blades.

3 – Check the level of your windscreen washer fluid. In most cars the bottle can be found in the engine bay.

4 – Make sure all the lights are working correctly and that the light covers are clean.

5 – Salt gets sprayed over the roads when its icy, which is a main cause of rust. So if you have any scratches in the bodywork that has gone through to the paint. Get it repaired or at least layer with thick polish.

6 – Check your windscreen for any chips or cracks that would get worse under freezing conditions.

Whilst these are a few things you can check, you should seek professional help to ensure your car is ready for winter, such as topping up anti-freeze and condition of your brakes and fuel lines.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about the above or if you are in need of a winter service.

Keep warm, drive safely!