Posted on 10/31/2025
Cold weather can be tough on vehicles. If your car struggles to start in the morning when temperatures drop, you're not alone. Freezing temperatures affect battery strength, oil thickness, fuel delivery, and several other systems that all need to work together for a successful startup. Understanding what's going wrong can help you avoid getting stranded and know when it's time to bring your car in for service. Cold Starts and Battery Trouble Your battery loses power in cold weather. At 32°F, it can lose about 20 percent of its strength. By the time it drops to 0°F, it's operating at around half capacity. Meanwhile, your engine needs more power to turn over because oil thickens in the cold. If the battery is more than three or four years old, or if you hear slow cranking before the engine starts, it may not have enough juice left for winter mornings. A ... read more