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[Problemchild]

Well it’s a few months away but what better time while it’s still tepid out to start to make sure you are prepped for the winter!

Make sure you have fluids in and refreshed

Check all your lights over the next few weeks (bound to go pop as soon as you need them)

Check tyres and tread (let’s not talk winter tyres)

Cabin filter check - don’t want to have that horrible smell when trying to demist.

Anyone else got any tips?

JJ

[Brabs]

Good tips JJ.  I’d also add wiper blades, a torch, mobile phone charge lead or power bank and de-icer/scraper. 

[El Tel]

Cold weather will adversely affect your battery performance so check that it's not weak now and if it is, get it sorted.

We've all seen how snowdrifts have caught motorists unawares in extreme weather and blocked motorways for days, so maybe a good idea to have a couple of blankets folded up somewhere.

Not really a preparation tip, but good advice anyway is that we should all let the engine run a short while after starting in the cold, before pulling away to let the oil warm up and become more fluid (esp. if you see the cold weather warning on the dash)

Maybe get a set of snow chains? Smart did offer a set in the options brochure. Not sure they're legal in all places. In my part of the world they just aren't necessary, but I imagine they'd see some use in Scotland etc...

[El Tel]

Oh yes - don't forget to add antifreeze.

Not just the coolant (cos JJ mentioned that above and it should have an additive in there anyway, if properly serviced) ....but don't overlook the windscreen washer, if you normally fill your washer bottle with regular H2O, get some additive in there before winter comes to help keep it working AND defrost your windows faster when ice becomes a problem.

[snookey]

Maybe get a set of snow chains? Smart did offer a set in the options brochure. Not sure they're legal in all places. In my part of the world they just aren't necessary, but I imagine they'd see some use in Scotland etc...

I live in the Highlands, in Moray, and before that in Wester Ross, and I've never seen it so bad that proper winter tyres couldn't comfortably cope with the conditions.  My thought would be that chains may be most useful to folk down in Englandshire who stay on standard tyres but could therefore find a particular hill tricky a couple of times each winter.

You're bang on about the battery.  Last winter killed mine.  I was only using the car maybe every two or three weeks for most of the winter, and by the time I began to use it regularly again, around early May, the battery was totally goosed.  Even after a thirty mile run if I switched off and tried to restart immediately it was flat as a pudding.  I had been using my little booster box to start it in the winter, and at first it held some charge for the day, but by the time I replaced it in May I was using the booster every time, sometimes five or six times while out and about.  It's a handy little thing actually.  I got it for my laptop, because the battery on that is now useless for taking it anywhere.  The blurb claims it'll start a car thirty times and it's believable because it fired mine up half a dozen times and still showed all five power lights.  For anyone who's interested in something of that sort I got it from Amazon:

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B075HBDN95/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With a Yaris I had a few years back I used to get horrendous condensation in winter, and I found that it helped a lot to keep a little moisture trap thingy on the dash overnight.  I used to get them from ASDA, granules in a translucent plastic box with a blue lid, and they were only a quid each.  Just change it when the box is full of water, about three weeks in my case.  Dramatically cut the amount of water I had to squeegee off the inside of the windscreen, or worse yet scrape when it froze.

[CrazyG]

A couple of really good recommendations there...

However, I am sure that the majority of owners would never give
a thought to using the aircon in winter.....

The aircon when used in conjunction with the heater blasts dry air
over the inside of the windscreen, effectively 'sucking' the moisture
off it and clearing it far faster than just using the heater on its own.
(Apologies to those unfortunate few who own 454's without aircon)
So....if you have a moisture trap thingy as well then the combo of
all 3 would clear the screen in no time.  If no aircon fitted then I think
a couple of those moisture traps would definitely be beneficial and
worth having in the car on the dash.

[snookey]

Oh, and one more related hint I forgot.  It's handy to keep an old towel in the car for really cold days when the inside of the screen is frosty and needs scraping.  Lay it out over the top of the dashboard and across the top of the steering wheel and as the ice chips off it stops the chunks from getting into the electrics or landing in your lap.