Ice-cold temperatures are not only harmful to your health but your car. That's why you need to book your next service ahead of cold seasons. Dropping temperatures insert more pressure on your battery. Winter weather affects your safety and driving.
Here is how cold weather affects your vehicle.
1. Car Fluids Thickens
Extreme cold is hazardous to your driving. Fluids such as oil, brake fluid, transmission and power steering thicken. Thicker oil puts so much strain on your engine, which might stop working normally.
In the long run, this decreases the engine life.
2. Deflated Tires
When air comes into contact with cold temperatures, it contacts. Thus, the amount of pressure in the tire decreases. Lower tire pressure affects the traction leading to tire failure. Check your tire pressure when the temperatures begin to decrease.
Using all-season tires maintains low temperatures and normally hardens the rubber. It diminishes the ability of the tire to grip on the road as you drive. You can easily lose control if not careful.
3. Battery Life Decreases
Cold temperatures damage the battery life. The cold prevents the battery from holding the charge for quite a while. You're at a higher risk if your battery is old.
Before welcoming winter, let an expert check on your battery. Replace yours if it has served you for more than three years and it's becoming problematic.
4. Low Efficiency
Don't get worked out if your car takes longer to warm up in the winter. Running the heater will worsen the situation. Consider delaying your heater up the time until the engine temperature is at an operational level.
5. Clearing the Windshield
Snow debris is heavy on the windscreen. Before the engine warms up, take time to remove excess ice manually. You'll save the rubber on the windscreen from breaking.
It might appear easier to turn on your windshield wipers, but it's an easy way to damage wiper blades. The extreme temperatures make the blades hard, thus easier to break. Save yourself an extra cost.
If you need assistance getting your vehicle prepared for the cold winter months, we invite you to bring your vehicle into Westside Car Care today.