There comes a point in the year when it is cold freezing with windy chills, and you have to wear warmly to avoid catching a cold. If you live in an area that experiences severe cold, then you know the importance of keeping warm. Are you aware that your car needs warmth too? Severe cold also affects your car in different ways. So, you need to know how to protect it. It is obvious you have been maintaining your car well, paying for dent repair services, changing the oil, and so on. However, you might forget things like keeping your car ways from extreme cold. The following are ways extreme cold affects your car and how you can fix that.
Driving an Electric Vehicle
If you own an electric vehicle, then that is a good thing. However, if you live in areas with extreme cold, you might notice that the efficiency of your car reduces. In particular, low temperatures affect the chemistry of the battery, and this results in reduced energy. The battery requires a certain temperature to maintain its efficiency and level of acceleration. That means you should not experience so much efficiency from an electric vehicle.
Dead Battery
As mentioned earlier, cold weather affected the battery chemistry. You might notice that people who live in cold areas have problems with jumpstarting their cars. This is mainly because the battery is often dead. Fortunately, it is easy to rectify this problem. Professionals advise on keeping battery connections tight and clean. You also need to ensure you replace your battery if it is three years and older.
Tires Deflated
The air inside the tires gets colder, and this results in contraction and less pressure. Thus, the tires get easily deflated. The only thing you need to do is check the pressure more often than you would do when living in a warm place. You ought to make sure that the pressure is per the manufacturer’s recommendation. This will prevent unsafe and uneven wear of the tread. It is also a good idea to buy winter tires for such places.
Thick Oil
As the weather gets colder, the oil in the tank gets thicker and this makes it hard for the engine to pump and circulate. Due to the high viscosity, your car might keep going off after some time. The best solution is using oil with low viscosity like synthetic oils. It is always recommended to confirm with the manufacturer’s manual on the suitable oil weight for cold weather.
Windshield Problems
The cold weather can also make the rubbers on the windshield brittle and rough. This may, in turn, cause scratches or cracks on the glass. The fluid may also not work well in cleaning the glass. Therefore, you ought to purchase windshields with blades made for cold weather. You also need to ensure the wipers are not too worn or old.
Conclusion
These are the parts most affected by extreme cold. It is very important to make sure you protect your car from such and replace the old parts. This is important to maintain the efficiency and performance of your car.