According to the Federal Highway Administration, over 150,000 accidents occur on icy roads yearly. Anything from poor traction to frozen engine fluid can make your car a hazard on the road. Plus, the last thing you want is to stall in the middle of a blizzard!

Ensure your vehicle is ready with a winter checklist so you don’t become part of that alarming statistic!

Preparing Your Car for Winter: How Cold Weather Affects Your Vehicle

As you plan for the holidays, remember your car needs some TLC, too. Here are some ways dropping temperatures can impact your car and what you can do: 

Battery Stress

Most people replace stressed car batteries during winter. Here’s why: the electrochemical reactions in the battery slow down, reducing power and draining the battery by 30-60%.

Sure, your battery recharges as you drive, but it cannot start in a frozen state. Additionally, cold weather thickens your vehicle’s oil, straining components like the radiator, belts, and hoses. This forces the engine to work harder, needing more power to start. In short, the engine cannot turn over with a battery weakened by the cold. 

What You Can Do

• Invest in a battery warmer: It helps your battery perform better in cold climates.
• Replace or overhaul old batteries: Prevents battery issues during winter by replacing or overhauling worn-out batteries.

Frozen Windshield

Winter temperatures fluctuate quickly, causing thermal stress on your windshield. When the outside temperature is freezing and the inside of your car is warm, the difference makes the glass expand and contract. This constant movement weakens the windshield, making it more likely to crack or chip.

Ice and frost buildup on windshields overnight during winter. If you remove the ice using sharp objects or hot water, you can scratch or crack the glass. Heavy ice also adds pressure to the windshield, weakening it further.

Additionally, even a small amount of frost or condensation reduces visibility and increases the risk of accidents. Windshield wipers may help, but they lose efficiency in extreme cold or if the blades are worn.

What You Can Do

• Use a windshield cover: Prevents ice and frost buildup overnight.
• Invest in quality wipers: Use winter-specific blades for better performance in ice and snow.
• Use antifreeze: Ensure your engine has the right amount of windshield washer fluid and contains antifreeze. It prevents water molecules from forming crystal lattices, delaying freezing.

Deflated Tires

When the temperature drops, the air inside your tires contracts. This happens because air molecules slow down in colder temperatures. Slower molecules take up less space and don’t press against the walls of your tires as much, lowering the pressure.

Your tire pressure isn’t low because your tires have lost air. It will likely return to normal once it warms up. However, driving on even slightly deflated tires is dangerous. You can lose control as the car swerves, leading to an accident.

What You Can Do 

• Invest in a reliable tire pressure gauge: Choose one with consistent, accurate readings. It includes your tires’ ideal psi (pounds per square inch). If the sticker is missing, refer to your driver’s manual. If the pressure is below the recommended psi, especially on a cold day, inflate your tires until they reach the proper level.
• Get winter tires – Swap your worn summer tires with winter ones. Winter tires have a special rubber compound that stays flexible and grippy in cold temperatures, even in dry conditions. They also have large-gap tread patterns and small slits in the tread blocks, called sipes, which improve traction on snow and ice.

Weak Spark Plugs

Preparing your car for winter includes checking the spark plugs. Cold temperatures can affect them in several ways. First, the cold thickens the oil, making it harder for the engine to crank and for the spark plugs to ignite the air/fuel mixture.

As the engine warms, the temperature change causes moisture to form on the plugs and wires, preventing proper contact and spark. The cold also causes the engine’s metal parts to contract, increasing the gap between the electrode and the spark plug tip, making it harder for the spark to jump.

What You Can Do 

• Inspect spark plugs: Check for wear, corrosion, or carbon buildup. Cold temperatures can worsen issues, so ensure they’re in good condition.
• Replace old spark plugs: Replace old spark plugs to ensure reliable ignition and smooth engine performance during the cold months.
• Clean spark plugs: If necessary, clean the plugs to remove any buildup that could cause misfires or reduce performance in colder weather.
• Check the ignition system: Cold weather can cause moisture buildup, leading to poor contact and spark. Have the ignition checked out beforehand to prevent this.

Frozen Fuel Lines

The freezing point of gasoline is between -40°F and -245°F. It usually doesn’t freeze until temperatures drop below -40°F. However, water moisture from condensation in the fuel line can turn to ice. If your car refuses to start or sputters as it goes, your fuel lines may have ice in them.

What You Can Do 

• Store your vehicle in an isolated garage: This keeps the vehicle temperature above freezing.
• Use fuel line antifreeze additives: These remove water from the fuel line and prevent freezing.
• Keep the battery fully charged: A charged battery improves the engine’s turnover rate in cold conditions.
• Keep the tank half full—During colder weather, keep your gas tank at least half full. This prevents moisture buildup and keeps the fuel line clear.

Frozen Rubber Components

Rubber and synthetic rubber don’t technically freeze but become stiff in cold temperatures. As they lose their flexibility, they can get brittle and break. For example, a stiff rubber engine belt can snap, windshield wiper blades can crack, or even the rubber gaskets along your door jambs can tear, potentially freezing your car door shut.

What You Can Do 

• Use silicone spray: Wipe down rubber door gaskets with silicone spray to keep them from freezing shut.
• Tilt wiper blades: Tilt these before a storm to prevent them from breaking under snow and ice.
• Get a winter inspection: Include inspection and maintenance in your winter car checklist to identify and address any issues with rubber parts before it’s too late.

Frozen Engine Fluids

When the temperature drops, car fluid behaves differently. For example, motor oil, transmission fluid, and antifreeze thicken and circulate slowly. As oil thickens in the cold, it struggles to circulate properly, forcing the oil pump to work harder than usual. This is why you have trouble starting your engine on a cold winter morning, and your car feels sluggish in the drive.

What You Can Do 

• Switch to low-viscosity oil—Consider switching to a lower-viscosity oil (e.g., from 10W-30 to 5W-30) or synthetic oil, which performs better in cold weather.
• Check antifreeze levels: Ensure your antifreeze is correct and mix to prevent freezing.
• Use a block heater: When the temperature drops below freezing, use an engine block heater to warm up the engine and make starting easier.
• Warm up your car: Let the engine run for a minute or two before driving, giving the oil time to circulate.
• Change your oil regularly: Regular oil changes maintain optimal engine performance, especially in cold temperatures.

Check and Repair Faulty Car Lights

Winter brings low visibility on roads already slick with black ice. Ensure your car lights work for your safety and others on the road. For example, while headlights improve visibility in dark, snowy, or foggy conditions, these also make your vehicle visible to other drivers. Similarly, bright brake lights can warn drivers behind you as you switch lanes or try to brake during a skid.

What You Can Do

• Check all lights: Test your headlights, brake lights, turn signals, emergency flashers, and interior lights to make sure they’re all working correctly.
• Clean the lenses: Regularly clean the light lenses to remove snow, ice, dirt, or road salt that can reduce brightness and effectiveness.
• Replace faulty bulbs: If any bulbs are burnt out or dim, replace them promptly. You don’t want these fizzling out during a blizzard!
• Inspect wiring and fuses: Check for damaged or blown fuses that could malfunction your lights.
• Upgrade bulbs if needed: Consider upgrading to brighter or winter-specific bulbs for better visibility in snowy, foggy, or dark conditions.

Key Takeaways – Signs Your Car Isn’t Winter Ready 

• The car takes a long time to start.
• The vehicle feels sluggish or unresponsive on the road.
• The lights flicker or appear dim.
• The windshield has visible cracks.
• The car skids instead of stopping when braking.

Preparing your car for winter is essential to prevent hazards on the road. If your vehicle needs the complete winter car checklist to be winter-ready, take it to a professional before it’s too late.

Contact Stonum Automotives for a Complete Winterizing Package

Whether you need an engine overhaul, oil change, spark plug replacement, battery inspection, or any other winter car maintenance, the experts at Stonum Automotive can help. Our team has the expertise to service and repair even the most complex auto issues on all domestic and imported vehicle makes and models.

We use the latest technology to diagnose and provide effective solutions. Book an appointment or call us at 303-485-9303 to find out how we can assist you!