How Cold Weather Affects Car Performance

Extremely cold weather affects us all in a number of ways, but it also has an impact your car’s performance, which can cause a number of problems if you don’t know the right things to do to prevent damage. The things most likely to affects your vehicle’s performance in cold weather include the batter, tire pressure, fluids, and windshield wipers, all of which we’ll cover and offer some solutions to, in the paragraphs below.

Car Battery

We all know the dreaded feeling of trying to start your car in freezing weather, only to hear that quiet click that tells you your battery is dead, or at the very least, has too little juice to get your car started. And this doesn’t just apply to motor powered vehicles either; electric vehicles are also susceptible to same cold weather battery issues. The reason this happens is that a chemical reaction is need to spark the necessary current to start your car and cold weather slows down that reaction to the point that not enough current is produced to get the vehicle going.

If you live in cold weather climates, make sure that your battery is in good shape before the real cold starts. Cars with older batteries will have more difficulty in cold weather so it’s best to replace it if you have any doubts about your car battery’s ability to get the job done, especially in freezing temperatures.

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Tire Pressure

Tire pressure is a concern in all types of weather, but it’s especially pressuring in subfreezing temperatures. Colder weather, and particularly freezing or colder weather, can cause tires to tighten up, reducing their grip on the road and causing your tread to be less effective than normal. This obviously affects your vehicle’s handling, which can cause issues with driver and passenger safety, which can be compounded by wet or icy roads. Additionally, tires tend to get underinflated in colder temperatures, which can create the same sort of issues. Luckily, this is one of the easier problems to solve since all you need to do is keep a tire pressure gauge in your car and keep on eye to make sure your tires are properly inflated (which is advisable anyway). If you do need to inflate your tires, many gas stations offer free or low-cost air compressors for just that reason.

Windshield Wipers

Your windshield wipers are something that’s easy to overlook when considering issues that freezing weather can cause. The problem is that wipers can freeze to the windshield when moisture builds up, which means they won’t be operable when you need them, which can this cause visibility issues. If you need a clear view during rainy or snowy conditions, this becomes a real issue. Likewise, wiper fluid can be prone to freezing too. Both issues can be addressed by mixing in a little rubbing alcohol with your wiper fluid, which will prevent it from freezing and help you eliminate any buildup of ice on the windshield.

Frozen Fluids

Other fluids besides your wiper fluid can also experience issues in extremely cold weather. Oil can thicken up in the cold, causing not only starting problems, but also long-term engine damage if not properly addressed. The best approach to prevent this is to switch to a thinner (lower viscosity) motor oil when the temperature gets especially low. Transmission fluid can also have problems in the cold, which can best be prevented by storing your car indoors or using a car cover to keep it warm.