Winters Can Be Hard On Your Car

With the mercury getting as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit here, winters in Racine, Wisconsin , are hard on all of us. But, yes, winter is also hard on your car, truck, crossover, or SUV. When the weather gets this cold outside, all kinds of things go on underneath the hood, not to mention the road salt on the roads to prevent us all from slipping and sliding. Let’s talk about how winter is hard on your car and how we here at Righteous Auto Care can help.

Your car’s battery loses power when the mercury drops. At 32 degrees Fahrenheit, freezing, the battery power is reduced by as much as 30 percent. The battery power continues to drop as the temperatures get even lower. By the time our temperatures are in the teens, you could be losing as much as 50 percent of your battery’s power. This is hard on the battery, so it should be tested now.

Your belts can become more brittle during cold winter weather, as well. They expand and contract as they get hot and cold depending on your engine’s temperature, and this can create a problem with them. The more brittle they are the more wear and tear they succumb to, and this can leave you with a broken belt in the spring. We’ll inspect all of them to make sure they’re okay.

Winter can also be tough on your automobile’s fluids. For example, your coolant might need to be changed now because water got into it and froze it some during the winter. Your motor oil has been frozen and likely needs to be replaced. We’ll also check your brake fluid, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid to make sure everything is a-okay with these crucial fluids.

The hoses also expand and contract between the hot and cold of the winter weather versus your engine’s temperature. This leaves them more susceptible to cracking and leaking. Once this happens, you’ve got fluid all over your garage floor and additional problems caused by the fluid loss. We’ll inspect the hoses to make sure they aren’t cracked or brittle.

Road salt is hard on your vehicle’s tires and the suspension and undercarriage. Any metal suspension part and the undercarriage can rust easily because the road salt encourages oxidation. Your tires also get chewed up by the road salt and chains if you ended up in a driving situation where they were required. We’ll inspect your tires and measure the tread depth to make sure they’re okay.

Righteous Auto Care is the best auto service shop in Racine, WI, so give us a call today for a spring automotive inspection and service.