Ready for a spring adventure?

February is the perfect time to start sprucing your lease car ready for spring.

It’s an exciting experience to lease a car, but when the days are dark and cold, most of us don’t want to spend a lot of time in one (even with heated seats hard at work).

Before setting out on the road to enjoy the increasing daylight hours, take stock of your vehicle with a seasonal reset.

Tyres

Winter is tough on tyres.

Between fluctuating temperatures and poor road conditions, the condition of your tyres can take a massive hit. Now is the time to check them, taking a close look at the pressure and the tread.

Low tyre pressure can be rectified by inflating them – whether at your local fuelling station, or at home if you have your own tyre inflator. But if the tread is below the legal limit, it may be time to look at replacing them.

Under the bonnet 

It’s not just tyres that need careful checking.

Whether you lease a petrol, hybrid or electric car, pop the hood and pay attention to washer fluid, coolant and oil levels. After months of hard-work, at least one of these will most likely need topping up.

It’s best to do this before the warmer weather starts as oil helps to regulate the engine temperature. Regular readings of the dipstick are a quick and easy way to avoid unnecessary engine damage when the hot summer days start in earnest.

Headlights and brakes 

Headlights can fog over, or dim – it’s a good idea to check them regularly to ensure they are working properly and so you can replace any bulbs that are on their way out. 

Try and listen for your brakes too; if application results in a vibration or grinding sound, the brake pads may need to be seen to by a mechanic sooner rather than later.

Plan your servicing 

Your funder expects you to service your car at regular intervals.

If you don’t know when your next service is due, find out and plan ahead. If you have taken a maintenance package as part of your lease, you can contact your provider to book your service in for you ahead of time.

If at all in doubt, we're here to advise you. 

Keeping up appearances 

After months of wet weather and frosty conditions, your car will probably be looking a bit worse for wear. You can take it for a professional clean and valet, or if you’d rather keep those pennies in your pocket, embrace the traditional Sunday afternoon car clean at home.

A bucket, a sponge and a squeeze of washing up liquid are all you need if you want to keep things simple or you’re worried about damaging the paintwork.

Once your car is gleaming, it’s worth carrying out a visual inspection for any recent minor cosmetic damage. If you have taken a general insurance package with us that covers dings, dents or scuffs, make sure you report within 30 days to your provider and this will be rectified for you*.

We believe your car should be as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

Start with decluttering your boot, clearing your back seat, and removing any crumpled receipts, parking tickets and clutter from your cupholders. Use a microfibre cloth and a mild cleaner for the windows to remove any sticky fingerprints.

A careful vacuum of seats and mats will remove any crumbs, pet hair and dirt picked up on those bitter winter walks.

For our fellow hay fever victims, an old paintbrush is brilliant at clearing out your dusty air vents and any other narrow, hard-to-reach places where pollen might lurk. It may even be worth changing your pollen filters if you’ve had your car for a few years.

*subject to meeting the conditions of the policy

Contingency plans

We always think it’ll never happen to us, but you can never be too prepared for disaster.

If you don’t already have one to replenish, consider assembling an emergency kit to keep in your car. A working torch, fresh spare batteries, and first aid supplies are obvious starting points – but there are some additions you can make that might be surprising.

Keep sealed bottled water and non-perishable snacks on hand to keep yourself going during a long wait for assistance.

A set of jump leads, emergency flares and reflectors and a basic tool kit might seem extreme, but are incredibly useful to have with you. Likewise, smaller supplies such as duct tape, gloves, and shop rags or paper towels are also handy items to add to your emergency kit supplies – and they take up very little room!