01243 265727
01243 265727
Your Land Rover is a rather hardy vehicle, but winter brings many aspects which need to be considered. Heating, wipers and lights will be working overtime, as will your brakes as you navigate the wet, muddy and icy Sussex roads. Equally, road salt can cause corrosive wheel-spray to make its way into the chassis and bodywork. Whilst damp air penetrates electrical connectors, and the cold causes issues when it comes to starting your engine.
Regularly servicing and correctly maintaining your Land Rover should take it a long way to surviving a British winter. However, there are actions you can take to further protect your vehicle from the extremities, and ensure it doesn’t let you down.
Replace the windscreen
If you’ve got any chips in your windscreen get them repaired before the cold weather hits. Extreme temperatures can cause a chip to turn into a crack, leading you to require an entire windscreen replacement.
Maintain your wiper blades
Wiper blades are a small but essential part of your Land Rover, especially in rainy weather when visibility is poor. Regularly check your wiper blades (both front and rear) for rough edges, splits or distortions, and replace any defective parts to avoid getting caught out.
Never use your wipers to try and clear snow or ice from the windscreen. This will destroy the blades and overload the wiper mechanism and motor. Instead opt for an ice-scraper and some elbow grease.
Avoid getting frozen out of your Land Rover
Prevent moisture building up and freezing in the locks of your Land Rover by spraying WD40 into the keyhole every 1-2 weeks. In order to avoid doors freezing to rubber body seals rub some vaseline into the seal surface and wipe of the excess.
Take care of the bodywork
Before the weather gets too unbearable give your Land Rover a good clean. Pay special attention to the seams and joints, removing any old salt and dirt. Follow this up with car wax, opening the doors and bonnet to clean and protect any hidden surfaces. This will provide a protective layer that helps prevent new dirt or salt adhering.
If you’ve got a pre-1997 Land Rover model you need to be extra careful of white spot corrosion. Spray the area with WD40 and then wipe away the excess - this process should be repeated throughout the winter or until you can get the corrosion properly treated.
Check your lighting
Ensuring your Land Rover is visible to other road users is essential, especially when driving through fog or road spray. Check that all your lights are working as they should, at their full brightness with equal intensity on each side. If your lights differ in brightness you may have the incorrect bulbs fitted, or there’s a dodgy electrical connection that you need to get looked at. If the lenses of your Land Rovers lights are showing signs of moisture build-up try removing and drying them. Follow this up by spraying WD40 into the bulb holder and electrical connections to both remove and prevent corrosion.
Consult an expert
Correct maintenance will help improve the safety and reliability of your Land Rover, helping you get through the season unscathed. Although certain areas can be easily dealt with nothing will help your Land Rover as much as having it looked at by an expert mechanic. If you book your vehicle in for a seasonal service we will carry out all the necessary checks and identify any underlying problems which could cause you hassle this winter.
If you do have any Land Rover emergencies we have normal opening hours over the Christmas period - with the exception of being closed on the 25th and 28th December, and the 1st January.
