THE winter months of bad weather and poor driving conditions are just around the corner so make sure your car is in tip-top condition.

And the Shuttle/Times and News has joined forcesd with Halfords to offer readers the chance to win one of five winter car care kits.

Each kit, worth more than £30, will include a Plug and Go car starter, a Total Winter Care kit and a Sex Bomb demister.

The Plug and Go means the end of trying to open the bonnet and getting muck all over your clothes.

All you have to do is connect your flat car to a fully charged car via the cigarette lighters, and you'll have enough charge to start your engine. It even has a simple LED display which changes colour to indicates it has enough power.

Halfords Plug and Go is suitable for most cars and can get your engine revving in anything from four to 10 minutes depending on its size and type.

The Plug and Go costs £19.99, and can be used as many times as it's needed.

The Total Winter Care kit is crammed with useful products to keep you motoring in the bad weather.

Worth £8.99 the kit includes a squeegee scraper, double concentrated screen wash, de-icer, lock de-cier and a chamois.

Halfords also give the following advice for winter motoring:

Changing or topping up anti-freeze is an essential part of ensuring your car is fit for winter.

Without it, frozen water in the cooling system can crack the radiator and ruin your engine in the process.

Advanced Protection Anti-Freeze from Halfords halves the time it takes to carry out the job.

Its stable chemical formula prevents active agents breaking down, maintaining effectiveness to give an extended life of five years - more than twice that of conventional anti-freeze - so it doesn't need changing as often.

As well as preventing freezing and overheating even at extreme temperatures, it also protects your engine using sophisticated corrosion inhibitors and is suitable for all engine types. The last thing you need in the cold is the hassle of scraping frost off your car windscreen.

If frost is forecast apply Night Before De-Icer, which will form a temporary coating which absorbs condensation and prevents ice bonding to the windscreen.

In the morning, the ice will clear just by using the wipers and screenwash, giving you a valuable extra few minutes in bed!

The de-icer was originally formulated for the armed forces in extreme artic conditions to prevent helicopter blades freezing and is effective down to -25C, enough for even the frostiest of mornings.

For further winter car care ideas visit Halfords.

For the chance to win a winter car care kit, answer the following question:

What is the name of the de-icer which was formulated for the armed forces?

Closing date: Friday, November 1.

Normal Newsquest rules apply.