As we head deeper into the cold and frosty winter season, our cars are out there bearing the frozen temperatures and becoming more high-maintenance. You cannot expect your car to be as smooth and perfect as in summers because cold and damp weather can do a lot of damage to your vehicle’s batteries and engine. If your car often gives you rough starts in the morning or your car simply refuses to start, your car starter is affected by the low temperature. Dim lights, trouble starting, rough starts, are some common issues that almost every car owner has faced in winters.
How Winters Affect The Starters
The cold weather has a severe impact on the performance of your vehicle as the starter is directly affected. The function of an engine starter motor is to use the electricity from the battery and start the engine. Modern car models have powerful starter motors with a stop-start function that helps the engine performance by preventing repeated on/off during heavy traffics.
Starters can often create a lot of trouble in winters as they fail to work as smoothly as they would in summers. When you turn the ignition on and you hear a clicking sound and the engine doesn’t start even after that while other functions are fine, means that the problem is in the starters.
Like other electrical systems, the starter motor needs more power to work during cold weather. This puts more load on the battery and engine because the batteries are already low in proton production as compared to warmer days. The battery fails to generate enough power, which is why the starter does not work properly.
Other Reasons Your Car Won’t Start In Cold Weather
If your car starter motor does not have any issue as mentioned above, here are some other reasons why your car isn’t starting properly.
Less Electric Current
The chemical reactions in the car engine’s battery are slower in winters. This is why it is unable to produce as much electrical current as it is needed to provide all components for functioning. When the batteries are cold, they won’t have enough charge due to which starters do not work properly.
Moisture In The Fuel Lines
If there is moisture in your fuel line, your vehicle can face a fuel line blockage, which means the engine won’t start. You will need the best fuel injector cleaner in the UK to make sure that your fuel line is free from any moisture, dirt, or debris to prevent any blockage.
Engine Oil Becomes Thicker
Another reason for the starters not working effectively is because of the thickening of engine oil. In winters, engine oil doesn’t flow so well because of getting thicker making it even harder for the engine to pump the oil through the engine pump properly. Having this issue while the battery is already low on power, can result in car starting issues.
How To Prevent This From Happening
To make sure you don’t face all these problems, get your car battery checked and replaced if required. It is better to keep your batteries covered to keep them warm and prevent fluid freezing. Avoid parking your car in open areas as well.