Cold, harsh winter weather is hard on more than just your nose and fingers. Proper winter care takes into account what cold weather specifically does to different parts of your car. Winter roads are notoriously hard to drive on once snow and ice hit, so you want to be confident you won’t run into other car problems along the way. Here are some regular car maintenance tips as we head into the colder months.
Related: Is Your Car Ready For Ski Season?
Related: 7 Tips To Maximize Winter Driving Safety
Related: How To Get Unstuck From Snow
The further below freezing temperatures drop, the thicker essential fluids in your car become. Engine oil and transmission fluid are key to keeping your car running by lubricating metal parts inside those systems. They thicken with colder temperatures and become thinner as temperatures rise. The thinner fluid is able to flow through the engine and transmission more efficient.
Another side effect of this is lowered fuel efficiency. The thicker your engine oil is, the more energy it takes to pump that oil through your car’s engine. This means you’ll burn through more fuel with freezing temperatures. When you live in a climate where winters get cold, it’s important to use engine oil with “W” on it. That “W” means that it’s well-suited for winter weather, so it won’t cause as much difficulty for your engine as temperatures drop.
It’s even more important to make sure your tires are ready for the winter than summer. While both extremes offer their own maintenance needs, harsh winter weather and slick roads mean you want your tires in tip-top shape. The more temperatures drop, the lower your tire pressure gets. If you’ve ever come out to your car on a cold morning and had a low tire pressure light illuminated, you don’t have a leaky tire, it’s just the temperature. That’s why it’s a good idea to regularly check on your tire pressure throughout the winter to make sure you stay in a safe zone.
Ensuring your tires are properly filled is especially important in the winter because lower tire pressure means an increase in wear on your tires. It also can make it more difficult to maintain a grip on the surface of the road. This can make it difficult to be able to handle and maneuver your car in tricky weather situations, making your car less safe on the road. You’ll also find you need new tires sooner than expected due to the extra wear on them. We recommend keeping an eye on tire pressure and investing in all-season or winter tires to make sure you stay safe on the road this winter.
No one wants to come out to a car that won’t start – especially when it’s freezing outside. There are a number of car problems that can lead to difficulty starting the engine, but some are more likely with freezing temperatures. In the winter, the most likely culprit is your car’s battery. Part of this can be due to the extra energy required to cycle oil through your engine due to how thick it becomes. However, it’s also true that your car’s battery gets hit hard by winter temperatures.
The fact of the matter is, when temperatures drop below freezing, your battery is less and less able to hold a charge. In fact, your car battery could be down to 60% of its typical charge capacity when temperatures hit 0 degrees. Depending on how old your battery is and how much charge it’s still able to hold, that could mean you won’t be able to get your engine started. Getting a battery test done before true winter hits can save you a lot of headaches when that first storm hits.
No matter your auto repair needs, from seasonal to regular car maintenance, the expert mechanics at AAMCO Utah are happy to help. Winter weather is hard on cars and you want to be extra sure you’re safe on the road when they get slick and slushy. Bring your car to one of our nearby locations and we’ll make sure your car is ready to get you through the winter.
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The post Top Three Ways Cold Weather Can Affect Your Car first appeared on AAMCO Utah Transmission Repair and General Car Repair.
