Winter Car Care in Pakistan: A Pre-Season Checklist

The most useful winter car checks in Pakistan are a battery test, a coolant check to make sure it contains antifreeze rather than plain water, tyre pressures and tread, all lights including fog lights, wipers and washer fluid, and the heater and demister. Do them in October or early November, before the first cold snap, and most of the winter breakdowns that recovery crews see every year can be avoided.

Winter in Pakistan varies hugely. Karachi barely gets cold, Lahore and Islamabad have chilly, foggy mornings, and Murree, Swat, Gilgit-Baltistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have snow and sub-zero nights. The checklist below covers the basics for everyone, with extra points for drivers heading to the hills.

1. Battery

Cold weather reduces a battery's ability to deliver power, while a cold engine needs more power to start. Add longer use of headlights, the heater fan and the rear demister, and a battery that just about coped in summer may fail on the first cold morning.

• Get the battery load-tested at a battery shop or workshop. A voltage reading alone does not show its real condition.
• Clean white or green deposits from the terminals and make sure the clamps are tight.
• If the car cranks slowly in the morning, treat it as a warning, not a quirk.
• If you rarely drive, take the car on a proper run of at least half an hour every week or use a battery maintainer.

2. Coolant and antifreeze

Many cars in Pakistan run on plain water in the radiator, topped up over the years. That is a problem in winter in cold areas, because water can freeze and crack the radiator, hoses or even the engine block. Coolant with antifreeze also protects against corrosion all year round.

• Check the coolant level with the engine cold, never by opening a hot radiator cap.
• Ask a workshop to test the antifreeze strength if you are heading to areas where temperatures fall below zero.
• Use the coolant type your car's manufacturer specifies.
• Look for leaks under the car and check hoses for cracks or soft spots.

3. Tyres

Tyre pressure drops as the temperature falls, so tyres set correctly in summer may be underinflated in winter. Underinflated tyres grip and brake less well and wear faster.

• Check pressures when the tyres are cold, using the figures on the sticker in the door frame or in the owner's manual.
• Check tread depth across the whole tyre. Wet, foggy and icy roads need good tread.
• Look for cracks in the sidewall, especially on older tyres that have been parked in the sun all summer.
• Check the spare tyre and make sure you have a working jack and wheel spanner.
• If you are going to snowy areas, buy snow chains that fit your tyre size and practise fitting them.

4. Lights and visibility

Winter means shorter days, fog and smog in Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and more driving in the dark. Being able to see, and be seen, matters more than at any other time of year.

• Check headlights, fog lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators and number plate lights.
• Clean or restore yellowed headlight lenses.
• Replace worn wiper blades that smear or chatter.
• Fill the washer reservoir. In freezing areas, use a washer fluid suitable for low temperatures rather than plain water.
• Make sure the demister, rear screen heater and air conditioning work, because the AC is the fastest way to clear a misted windscreen.

5. Heater and exhaust

If the heater blows cold air after the engine has warmed up, it can point to low coolant, a stuck thermostat or an air lock, so get it checked rather than just living with it. Also ask the workshop to look at the exhaust for leaks and holes. In winter, windows stay closed and the heater runs for longer, so exhaust fumes leaking into the cabin are more dangerous. Carbon monoxide has no smell or colour.

6. Engine oil, filters and belts

• If an oil change is due, do it before winter, using the grade the manufacturer recommends.
• Replace a dirty engine air filter, especially if you drive in Punjab's smog and dust.
• Check the drive belt for cracks and squeals; a cold morning is when a worn belt often gives up.

7. Fuel

Keep the tank at least half full in winter. You will use more fuel sitting in fog-related delays or traffic jams with the heater on, and in long hill jams you may be stuck for hours. CNG supply to filling stations in some areas has been cut during winter in past years, so CNG car owners should keep enough petrol in the tank to switch over.

Diesel owners heading to very cold areas should know that diesel can thicken, or wax, in severe cold, which blocks the fuel filter. Fill up with fresh fuel from a busy station before you head north, and ask locally if a winter grade is available.

8. Brakes and suspension

Get the brake pads, discs and fluid checked before winter, particularly if you plan to drive to Murree, Swat or the northern areas, where long descents put heavy load on the brakes. Worn shock absorbers also make a car harder to control on wet or icy roads.

9. Winter emergency kit

• Warning triangle and reflective vest.
• Torch and spare batteries, or a rechargeable torch.
• Phone charger and power bank.
• Warm clothes, gloves and a blanket.
• Drinking water and some dry snacks.
• Jump leads, a tyre pressure gauge and a basic first aid kit.
• For snowy areas: snow chains, a small shovel and an ice scraper.

If your car will not start on a cold morning

Do not keep cranking the engine for long periods, as this drains the battery further and can overheat the starter. Try a few short attempts with a pause between them, with lights, heater and radio switched off. If the engine still does not start, a jump start usually gets you going if the battery is the problem. If the car starts but the battery warning light stays on, the alternator may not be charging, and the car may stop again later, so get it checked the same day.

If a jump start does not work, or the car is stuck somewhere unsafe, call a recovery service. A crew can test the battery and charging system on the spot and, if needed, take the car to a workshop on a flatbed.