Autumn service — winter tyres, lights and a dark-season check

What does your car need in autumn?

Autumn arrives quickly on Öland. One week you’re driving in a summer shirt with the window down — the next you’re standing in fog out on the Alvar barely able to see the edge of the road. The days shorten, the temperature drops and the road turns wet. This is when the car needs attention.

The winter tyre change is the obvious one. But autumn is about more than tyres. It’s about visibility, lights, and the car actually starting on a cold November morning. Batteries that were fine over the summer can suddenly give up when the temperature creeps towards zero. Wiper blades that have sat in the sun for four months spread the water instead of clearing it. And that bulb that has been a little dim? In October darkness it becomes a safety risk.

In northern Öland, where the wind comes in off the sea and there isn’t a single hill to shelter behind, autumn shows itself more plainly than on the mainland. It’s flat, windy and dark — and your car has to cope with it.

The autumn checklist — winter tyres and lighting

Here’s what we recommend going through every autumn:

• Winter tyres — change by the middle of October at the latest, earlier if the nights turn cold
• Lighting — check main beam, dipped beam, fog lights, brake lights and rear lights
• Wiper blades — replace them if they scratch, judder or leave streaks
• Battery — let us measure the capacity before the cold sets in
• Cabin heating and fan — is the system working properly?
• Washer fluid — top up with a winter mix that handles sub-zero temperatures
• Engine heater — test that the cable and timer work before you need them
• Brakes — damp and leaves on the roads call for good brake pads

The list may look long, but we take care of most of it in a single visit. An autumn check with us covers every point and takes about an hour.

Our autumn services — autumn check and servicing

The winter tyre change is what most people book in the autumn, and we handle every size — from cars to tractors and motorhomes. If your tyres are in our tyre hotel, we call you when it’s time. Otherwise you book yourself and drive in — we fit, balance and torque them while you have a cup of coffee in the waiting room.

An autumn check means we go through the whole checklist above. We measure the battery, check the lighting, change the wiper blades if needed and make sure you have washer fluid that will survive the winter. This isn’t a major repair — it’s preventive maintenance that saves you trouble in December.

Harvest service — for those of you farming on Öland, we know autumn is the most intense period. Tractors, combines and transport vehicles have to keep moving. We prioritise urgent jobs for agricultural vehicles during the harvest season and have experience with tyres and servicing for heavy machinery. Call us straight away if something plays up in the middle of the harvest.

We also look especially carefully at the lighting. On Öland’s narrow country roads, where there is neither street lighting nor reflectors, working headlights are the difference between seeing the deer in time and not seeing it. We adjust the beam pattern, replace broken bulbs and check that the fog lights actually light where they should.

Book your autumn service and winter tyre change

Autumn is peak season for tyre changes, so do book ahead. But we’ll also take you without an appointment if it’s urgent — that’s one of the advantages of a local workshop.

Call us on 0485-270 70 and we’ll find a time that suits. Or just drive over to Wij 10 in Löttorp. The coffee is on, and we’ll sort your car while you drink it.