What are the common reasons cars break down during the winter?
Geoff Cudd
Geoff Cudd, Consumer Advocate, and Owner of FindTheBestCarPrice.com.
Table of Contents
Insufficient Battery Energy
The most common reason that cars break down more easily and more often in winter is due to the battery not getting enough energy to get that initial charge. To avoid this, check your battery before the temperatures start to drop.
Another common reason is that the fluids in the vehicle will freeze if temperatures get cold enough. Things like antifreeze, motor oil, coolant, and transmission fluid can thicken or become frozen, leading to a decrease in your car’s ability to use these fluids, which leads to breakdowns. Even fuel lines can freeze in the winter.
Different Liquid Formulations
The fluids that make cars go, gas, oil, steering fluid, transmission fluid, and windshield washer fluid, among others, are all designed to handle the temperatures that cars operate under (meaning mostly high temperatures). There are different formulations of many of these fluids, especially gasoline and windshield washer fluid, for different climate conditions. Gas stations will usually switch to a seasonally-correct blend at different times of the year for this reason. Having “summer” fluids in your car when it gets cold is a great way to cause something to break.
Ben Michael
Ben Michael, Director of Auto, Michael & Associates.
Kyle MacDonald
Kyle MacDonald, Director of Operations, Force by Mojio.
Overheating of Engine
Winters can be very impactful on your vehicle, especially for drivers who live in cold conditions without garages and with frequent salt on the road. Salt and water or snow significantly add rust to the underside of your vehicle, which can impact anything from the tires to the engine. Your car may break down due to an overheating of your engine, as motor oil tends to be thicker in cold temperatures, which can lead to an influx of hot oil to your vehicle.
Low Tire Pressure
The winter can be very hard on your car, especially the battery and the tires. Extremely cold temperatures can lead to low tire pressure and eventually flats. Similarly, older car batteries lose much of their power the closer you come to freezing temperatures.
Adam Rossi
Adam Rossi, CEO of TotalShield.
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