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Diagnostics & EmissionsGetting Your Car Ready for Autumn — A West Bromwich Checklist
16 July 2026 · 6 min read
Why autumn is the time to check
The change from summer to autumn is when driving conditions turn quickly — darker mornings and evenings, wet and greasy roads, fallen leaves, and the first cold snaps that expose a tired battery. Spending half an hour on a few checks now means you are ready before the clocks change and the weather closes in, rather than discovering a problem on a dark, wet morning.
None of the checks below need special tools, and catching a small issue now is far cheaper than a breakdown or an MOT failure later. If you would rather leave it to us, a full service covers all of these and more in one visit.
Tyres, lights and visibility
Wet autumn roads dramatically increase stopping distances, so tyres matter most. Check the tread is well above the 1.6mm legal minimum — many drivers change at 3mm for safety in the wet — and that pressures are correct, including the spare. Look over the sidewalls for cracks, bulges, or damage.
With less daylight, lights and visibility become critical. Walk round the car checking every bulb including brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and number plate lights. Replace wiper blades that smear or judder, top up the washer fluid with a proper screen wash that resists freezing, and clear leaves from the base of the windscreen where they block drainage and the pollen filter intake.
Battery, coolant and screen
Cold weather is hard on batteries, and most winter no-starts are batteries that were already weak in autumn. If your car has been slow to start, the battery is more than four or five years old, or the stop-start system has stopped working, have it tested — a quick check now avoids a dead battery on the first frosty morning.
Check the coolant is topped up to the correct level and, if it has not been changed in years, that the antifreeze strength still protects against freezing. Finally, keep the washer bottle full and the screen clean inside and out — low autumn sun and a smeared windscreen are a genuine hazard.
Let us do the autumn check for you
A full service at Urban Autohaus covers tyres, brakes, lights, battery condition, coolant and antifreeze strength, wipers, and around 40 other checks — giving you a clear report of anything that needs attention before winter. It is the simplest way to head into the colder months with confidence.
Book online or call 07498 392333. We are on Cornwallis Road, West Bromwich, B70 9BY, serving Sandwell, Birmingham, Dudley, and the wider West Midlands.