Look after your vehicle battery to prevent a winter breakdown

Vehicle breakdowns are never ideal, but breaking down in winter can feel especially inconvenient. So, what can you do to keep your outfit on the road?

We spoke to our MAYDAY UK Breakdown provider Green Flag, to understand the most common winter claims and what you can do when the temperature drops.

Green Flag’s Technical Customer Support Manager Scott Wilson uses his 20 years of experience to provide some insight…

Keep an eye on your battery

We typically see more battery-related claims in winter because when an engine becomes very cold, it takes more battery power to start a vehicle. To help your battery in the winter, switch off electrical consumers such as heater fans and heated rear screens when you start your vehicle. This allows the battery to deliver full power to the starter motor in the first instance. 

A battery-related issue can present itself in many ways. Tell-tale signs might be if you're unable to open your vehicle with your 'fob', or when trying to start your engine nothing seems to happen, or you hear a clicking noise and the engine turns over slowly.

Get a winter check

Many Vehicle Repair Centres offer winter checks. Book your car or outfit in for a check that can cover an inspection of fluid levels, coolant strength, tyres, battery, and brakes. Prevention is often better than the cure, so having an early eye on these things might save you money and time in the long run.  

Carry out checks yourself

Alternatively, doing weekly checks yourself (such as oil, coolant, screen wash levels, and tyre pressure) is also good practice for generally looking after your vehicle.

We hope these tips are helpful, though we know despite best efforts, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. That’s why MAYDAY UK breakdown is here to help.

To get cover call us on 01342 488717 or visit camc.com/MAYDAY

First published in December 2023.