When it comes to preparing your Porsche for winter, there are two main avenues you can pursue. One of which is that you want to drive your Porsche over the winter and would like to know what necessary changes or tips might be needed to ensure you don’t end up backwards into a post box.

The other is that you’d like to store your car over the winter and want to prepare it ready to be awoken again in the first spring air.

 

Harbin, China- February 18, 2019: a group of Porsche 911 sportcars are parked on snow field

 

There is a third on this list which is that you want to turn your Porsche into a Safari or Dakar spec car and blast around country lanes, passing all the BMWs and Audis that have found their way into a ditch along the way.

We won’t be covering the third option on that list, but let’s begin with how to prepare your car to brave the winter months.

Preparing your Porsche for winter driving

 

Check your tyres

As much as this might seem obvious, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people running summer tyres or even track tyres on their car in the winter. Colder weather means lower temperatures for the tarmac – which means less grip. Or in other words, you’ll be going backwards through the nearest hedge if you’re not careful.

 

LEVI, FINLAND – FEB 20: Rear wheel spin of a PORSCHE 911 TURBO car during Porsche Driving Experience Snow & Ice Press Event on February 20, 2014 in LEVI, FINLAND

 

If you’re fortunate enough to have a spare set of wheels – chuck some all season or winter tyres on them. They’ll make the difference when it comes to an emergency and you need to brake rapidly in wet or icy conditions.

Premium tyres like Goodyear Eagle F1s, Michelin Pilot Sports or Continental Sport Contact will provide you with better grip in wet conditions than the everyday mid range tyre, but still aren’t perfect for winter driving. (Other tyre choices are of course available)

Check out our range of tyres here.

 

Check your lights

If you haven’t already, check your lights to make sure they’re all in working order. It’s also a good idea to buy a spare set of main beam headlight bulbs to keep in the car in the event of an emergency.

There’s nothing worse than driving on a cold, dark, winter night and not being able to see potential hazards due to a headlight having a blown bulb. For the sake of a small amount of cash, it’s just good peace of mind.

 

You can get some new lights for your Porsche here.

 

 

Check your coolant / antifreeze.

Depending on what type of coolant you generally run in your Porsche, you may need to change it out for winter anti-freeze or at the very least check to make sure the levels are correct.

As the name suggests, antifreeze stops your coolant from becoming a solid block of ice when the temperatures drop. It’s always worth checking with your dealer or Porsche specialist about which coolant you should be using in your Porsche as it can vary between models and climates.

 

Need a top up? Take a look at our coolant and antifreeze range here.

 

Windscreen wipers and screenwash

Not only is it an MOT failure, but not having windscreen wipers that are up to the task of dealing with heavy rain or snow is a massive hazard to you as a driver, as well as other road users around you. They’re something many of us overlook, but check the health of your windscreen wipers periodically and replace them if needed.

There’s plenty of great after market options that allow you to have varying levels of clearance and durability so be sure to check what can fit your car.

Also ensure that your windscreen washer fluid and jets are working as intended so you can remove road grime from the glass so you’ve got a clear view of the road.

You can pick yourself up some new wipers for your Porsche here.

 

An emergency kit

The last on this list for preparing your car is something we all have been guilty of overlooking, and that’s an emergency kit.

If you’re stuck at the side of a road due to breakdown, you need to make sure you have all the supplies you need to wait out the time it takes to be reached by a recovery van/flatbed.

Put together an emergency pack which consists of the following:

 

• Food and drink supplies
• Reflective triangle or high-vis jacket
• Warm coat or a blanket
• Torch or lighting of sorts

You can purchase a handy emergency pack here.

Anything on top of that is a bonus, but those should be the bare bones you have available to you at any given time.

 

 

Preparing your Porsche for winter storage

 

Clean your car

Your first step for winter storage of your Porsche is to give it a good ol’ clean. Be sure to wash as much grime, dirt and salt off of the car as possible – this will provide better protection and longevity for your Porsche while it sits in storage waiting for warmer days.

It’s also good practice in general, because some TLC for your Porsche is always a great thing.

Shop Porsche cleaning products.

 

Istanbul/Turkey – February 25 2020 : Porsche Macan is a five-door luxury crossover SUV produced by the German car manufacturer Porsche.

 

Inflate your tyres

 

Because your Porsche isn’t going to be driving very often while tucked up all nice and cozy for winter, it’s important to inflate your tyres to their recommended pressures. Why? Mainly because if you don’t ensure your tyre pressures are correct before you store your Porsche for winter, you may find that its tyres will get flat spots on them.

If you need a tyre compressor you can grab one here.

Flat spots are areas on a tyre that become squared off due to standing for long periods of time. You could go one step further from inflating the tyres and actually jack the car up on axle stands for the duration of its time in storage, but that’s entirely up to you.

 

 

Keep it charged up

Your battery is super important to keeping your car in good health. Depending on what age Porsche you’re storing – it can also be important to your car’s ECU health during storage and losing power may cause issues.

The best idea is to grab a trickle charger for your Porsche to keep the battery topped over the cold winter months so that it’ll start on the key when you’re ready to drive it again.

You can get a trickle charger to keep your battery in peak condition here.

So there we have it! Those are the main key points you should follow for preparing your Porsche for both winter driving and winter storage.

Have your own suggestions of how to prepare your Porsche for Winter? Let us know by tagging us on social media.