The cold weather might surprise you in many ways. When it comes to your car, winter has a special affair. In winter, your car usually reacts a bit awkwardly. Low temperatures do not behave well with a car while having issues with complex systems from the hood to the cabin.
However, you can avoid these strange things happening if you get a clear understanding of the causes of concern. Here are some common issues that may definitely be your headache on cold days.
Cold weather freezes the engine fluids
When the mercury goes down considerably, liquids inside a car freeze significantly and even become a bit thicker. Whether it is motor oil, transmission fluid, or antifreeze, there would be some sort of difficulty in movement.
Therefore, with these slow moving liquids, the start would not be perfect, and driving is not going to be efficient.
However, the engine needs engine oil at a certain viscosity for it to perform up to its potential. With the extra burden, the pump would not be in a great position to fulfil the request. You can make some sort of adjustment by opting for a particular type of viscosity oil, such as 10W-40, which is available in synthetic form.
You can visit Service My Car for perfect advice on car oil change if you are looking for appropriate performance.
Similarly, transmission fluid and coolant need to be the exact same thickness if you expect optimal performance from your vehicle. Though, these units usually grow a bit hotter if you run your vehicle for a while.
However, there is always a probability of damage if your vehicle runs on thicker fluids.
Winter is always harsh on a car’s battery
A car battery and winter are not very good friends. Amidst the low temperatures, batteries find it hard to provide enough charge to a car.
However, you can avail of jump start as an alternative to these issues, but this process is not easy and can also take a toll on the health of a car battery if there is no standard process to follow.
A jump start might put a lot at risk if it is not done properly. In general, a car should be jump started by a car with equal capacity. A difference might infuse the excessive power that can wreak havoc on an electrical system, though it is also not good for a battery.
When the temperature drops, your battery will not hesitate to surprise you, especially when it is weak or has become older.
Besides, it is always great to make an investment in testing your car battery or get a car battery replacement as soon as possible.
Frequent leaks in tyre pressure
However, there is science involved in constantly decreasing the tyre pressure. As air tends to experience some sort of expansion in hot conditions while it usually contracts in winter.
Though air is necessary for tyre pressure, there would be a lack of air pressure in the winter. It also hampers the efficiency of the engine when a vehicle runs with low tyre pressure.
However, running too much with low pressure is not good either for the car’s tyres. They receive excessive wear and tear in such a condition.
Therefore, you should be mindful of having your car’s tyre pressure checked more frequently.
Frozen fuel lines in winter
Among others, a car may develop frozen fuel lines in winter. This is quite an awkward problem to deal with when there are already a number of issues due to the cold temperature.
A frozen fuel line is a result of the presence of air inside the system, and it has gone chilled a bit more due to excess cold. Though it is necessary to understand the issue and apply a fix as soon as possible.
You can check out the symptoms of a frozen fuel line supply. Most apparent is when the engine refuses to turn over, or sometimes the engine turns over but the car won’t start.
In the event that the engine fails to turn over completely, the lines are completely frozen, and it needs some sort of intervention to clear out the line so the fuel can pass through.
On the other hand, if you have been able to turn over the car, let the engine run for some time before engaging any gear. However, sometimes a car sputters after starting properly in the case of frozen fuel lines. It might be due to the lack of fuel supply during the combustion process.
Be cautious if your car starts to sputter during a drive. Pull over and ask for car recovery from Service My Car. There are high chances of your car stalling during a ride, which could be hazardous.
Low temperatures make rubber components stiff
Metal may get frozen at low temperatures, while rubber does not freeze as much, but these materials usually get rigid. Due to this uninvited toughness, they cannot bend enough and become more susceptible to wear and tear.
For this reason, it is usually the case that your vehicle needs timing belt replacement or windshield wiper replacement more in the winter.
However, you can approach Service My Car for any car maintenance needs. It just requires booking a car service or car repair order on our website or app online.
