December and January can be brutal on Blaine, MN, residents and their cars. We don’t see temperatures above 30 degrees the entire time, and February isn’t much better. Why are we here at Ideal Automotive talking about December and January when it’s only October? Because autumn is an excellent time to have your vehicle inspected and serviced for potential problems that could show up once the cold weather shows and the mercury goes down in your outdoor thermometer. Here’s what we mean.
Starting Your Car in Cold Weather
A ton of things happen when you start your car, but in cold weather, three specific things are affected: the battery, fuel, and oil. You learned in school that 32 degrees Fahrenheit is freezing. You could argue degrees up and down, but basically, at 32 degrees, significant changes happen under the hood.
When the outdoor temperature goes down as far as freezing, your battery begins to lose power. The cold conditions also prevent your fuel from evaporating and thicken your motor oil. Staring your car becomes impossible because your battery is weak, the fuel does not vaporize, and the oil can’t circulate.
If the weather is even colder than 32 degrees, your battery could die completely. You must allow your vehicle to warm up if you get it started to heat up the fuel and oil. If you fail to let it get hot enough and drive off, you could harm the engine because the oil is too thick to prevent friction properly.
Driving Your Car in Cold Weather
A ton of stuff happens when you drive your car in cold weather, too. You’ve got a windshield to defrost so you can see, and you need a functioning heater core for that. You need to be warm inside the car, and you need brakes and tires ready to handle the dangerous road conditions that accompany winter.
Antifreeze also plays a crucial role as you drive your vehicle in inclement weather. When the mercury drops in December and January, your radiator tubes could freeze without fresh antifreeze in them. If they do, they won’t circulate coolant and your engine will overheat, possibly without you knowing it.
Fall maintenance inspects all of these things and more to make sure your automobile can generate power, has enough protection to avoid engine damage, and has enough traction to keep you on the road. Call Ideal Automotive in Blaine, MN, today. We’ll service your vehicle with the issues discussed above in mind, replacing worn parts and fluids to make winter easier on your vehicle.
