10 Things to Check on Your Car After Winter

Winter is behind us, but its effects on your vehicle are very real. Road salt, freezing temperatures, frost-damaged tarmac and repeated cold-start short trips put your car through months of tough conditions. Even if your car appears to be running fine, some components may have suffered invisible damage.

The arrival of spring is the ideal time for a thorough vehicle assessment. At Garage Pepin in Ingeldorf, our certified Volkswagen technicians say it every year: a well-conducted spring service prevents costly breakdowns in summer. Here are the 10 essential checks to carry out on your car after winter.

Tires: Seasonal Change & Wear Inspection

The general recommendation in Luxembourg is to switch to summer tires when night-time temperatures consistently exceed 7°C. But before fitting your summer tires, check their condition carefully. Tread depth must legally be at least 1.6 mm; for optimal safety, experts recommend replacing tires at 3 mm. Also check cold tire pressure, it drops naturally in cold weather and can lead to higher fuel consumption or uneven wear.

Carefully inspect the sidewalls for cracks, bulges or herniation caused by kerb impacts or winter potholes. A damaged sidewall can blow out on the motorway without any warning.

💡 Garage Pepin offers a tire storage service: your winter tires are kept in our facilities, and fitted and balanced when it's time for the seasonal changeover. Convenient and cost-effective.

Brakes: The Most Critical Safety Priority

Winter puts serious strain on the braking system: moisture, salt, extreme temperatures and emergency stops on icy roads all take their toll. Brake discs can become rusted or warped, and brake pads can wear prematurely. Squealing noises, a soft brake pedal or vibrations when braking are warning signals that should never be ignored.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, it absorbs moisture from the air over time, which lowers its boiling point. This can lead to brake fade on long descents. It should generally be changed every two years, regardless of mileage.

⚠️ Never delay a brake inspection. It's the most critical safety system on your car. If in doubt, come and see us.Tthe diagnosis is quick and straightforward.

12V Battery: Winter's Weak Spot

This is one of the components most vulnerable to cold. Freezing temperatures can reduce a battery's capacity by 30 to 50%. If your engine struggled to start this winter, or if you regularly made short trips (which don't allow the battery to fully recharge), your battery may be at the end of its life.

A battery older than 4 to 5 years should always be tested. Our technicians perform a quick load test in minutes to tell you whether a preventive replacement is needed before the summer heat which is also hard on batteries.

💡 Electric and hybrid vehicles also have a 12V auxiliary battery that wears out just like on a combustion engine car. Don't overlook this, even if you drive electric.

Fluids: Engine Oil, Coolant & Screen Wash

Winter is a critical period for your vehicle's fluids. Check the engine oil level and condition first: black, viscous oil indicates an oil change is needed. Also look for leaks, small oil spots on your parking space deserve investigation.

Coolant must be at the correct level and have the right antifreeze concentration. After a hard winter, systems can develop small, previously unnoticed leaks that worsen in summer heat. Screen wash, heavily consumed in winter due to salt and mud splashes, should be topped up with a product suited for spring temperatures. Concentrated antifreeze products can leave residue on the windscreen.

Lighting: Visibility & SNCA Compliance

Long winter nights and difficult weather conditions put your vehicle's lighting under constant demand. Check all your lights: front and rear headlights, fog lights, indicators, reversing lights and number plate lighting. A blown bulb can result in a failure at the SNCA vehicle inspection.

Also clean your headlight lenses: salt and sand deposits gradually cloud them, reducing your headlights' range in ways that are often imperceptible day to day, but with a real impact on night-time safety. If you have electrically adjusted headlights, verify that they are correctly aimed.

Windscreen Wipers: Often Overlooked Safety Items

Wiper blades deteriorate quickly in winter: frost, snow and repeated scraping damage the rubber lips. Worn blades leave streaks on the windscreen, significantly reducing visibility in rain, particularly dangerous at night or when facing oncoming headlights.

If you notice smearing, juddering or scraping sounds, replacement is necessary. Also check the screen wash jets, they can become blocked by limescale deposits or come misaligned. This is a quick, low-cost check that meaningfully improves your daily road safety.

Bodywork & Underbody: Road Salt's Hidden Damage

This is arguably the most underestimated point after winter. Road salt used on Luxembourg's roads is extremely corrosive to bodywork and the mechanical components underneath the vehicle. Chassis rails, suspension arms, brake pipes and exhaust systems are particularly exposed.

After winter, a high-pressure underbody wash is essential. Take the opportunity to visually check for rust, areas of stripped paint or small bodywork impacts. Untreated paint chips quickly develop into rust spots. Our technicians can apply a preventive anti-corrosion treatment to vulnerable areas.

⚠️ In Luxembourg, several tonnes of salt can be spread per kilometre of road in a single winter. The impact on unprotected metal is significant even after just one season.

Air Conditioning: Get It Ready Before Summer

Many drivers switch on their air conditioning on the first warm day, only to find it has stopped working. The air conditioning circuit should ideally be serviced every year: refrigerant can leak imperceptibly, filters get clogged, and the system can develop bacteria after prolonged winter inactivity.

A preventive air conditioning service typically includes a leak test, a refrigerant top-up if needed, plus cleaning and disinfection of the circuit. At Garage Pepin, this service is carried out quickly and ensures optimal comfort from the very first heatwave.

💡 Running your air conditioning briefly in winter (in demisting mode) lubricates the seals and prevents bacterial growth. A good year-round habit to adopt.

Suspension & Shock Absorbers: Potholes Leave Their Mark

Winter often leaves roads in poor condition. Potholes can damage your shock absorbers, ball joints, wishbones or driveshafts. These damages are not always immediately noticeable: they can manifest gradually as accelerated tire wear or progressively degraded handling.

Symptoms such as knocking noises at the front, a steering wheel that vibrates at certain speeds, a car that pulls to one side, or a clunking noise in corners are signs that your running gear deserves a thorough inspection. A wheel alignment check can also be valuable after a difficult winter.

Cabin Filter & Pollen Filter

Often forgotten, the cabin filter (or pollen filter) protects the vehicle's occupants from fine particles, pollen and bacteria in the outside air. A filter clogged with autumn leaves, moisture and road particles from winter reduces the efficiency of heating and ventilation – and can even degrade the air quality inside the cabin.

Spring is the ideal time to replace it, just before the pollen season begins. Some filters also feature an activated carbon treatment to neutralise odours. Replacement is simple and inexpensive. Our technicians can do it in a few minutes during your next workshop visit.

Don't let winter have the last word

These 10 checks represent a comprehensive post-winter vehicle assessment. Some can be carried out yourself, while others require the eye of a professional and the right equipment. The good news? A single workshop visit is generally enough to cover everything.

At Garage Pepin in Ingeldorf, our certified Volkswagen workshop offers a complete spring service covering all these points and more. Our experienced team of technicians takes care of your vehicle efficiently and provides a detailed condition report with prioritised recommendations.