Car Hard To Start In The Winter?

There are three main reasons your car can be so very hard to start in the winter.

1 – Like other liquids gasoline evaporates less when it is cold. When it is really cold as it has been here lately, gasoline evaporates slowly making it harder to burn it. This is important since the gasoline must be vaporized to burn. Occasionally people will spray ether into their engines in cold weather to help them start because ether evaporates better than gasoline in the cold.

2 – Batteries can have problems in cold weather as well. A battery is basically a can full of chemicals that produce electrons. The chemical reactions inside of batteries take place more slowly when the battery is cold, so the battery produces fewer electrons. That means the starter motor has less energy to work with when it tries to start the engine, causing the engine to crank slowly.

3 - Oil becomes a lot thicker in cold temperatures. When you try to start a cold engine, the engine has to push around the cold, thick oil and that makes it harder for the engine to spin. In cold areas people should use synthetic motor oils because these oils stay liquid in cold temperatures.

When the temperature drops be sure to let your vehicle warm up a bit before taking off. Your car and maybe even your wallet will thank you! 

Your Check Engine Light

The “Check Engine” light can indicate a major problem, like a bad catalytic converter, or it could be something minor, like a loose gas cap. Most times it means you will be visiting the car dealer to locate the malfunction and get the light turned off.

The Check Engine light is a signal from the car's engine computer that something is wrong. Starting with the model-year 1996, automakers standardized their systems under a protocol called OBD-II, and required that all cars provide a universal connector to access information. It's usually located under the steering column and is easy to access.

You can buy an inexpensive code reader and search for the code's meaning on online such as Engine Light Help. The Check Engine light can be turned off by some code readers, but it does not really repair the problem. In many cases the light will come back on again.

Experts have found that many drivers confuse the "service required" light on the gauge cluster for the Check Engine light. These lights are unrelated. The service required light just means the car is due for an oil change or other routine maintenance.

One must promptly address problems indicated by the light. Ignoring them could lead to larger, more costly issues later.

The first thing to check if your vehicle Check Engine light comes on is if the gas cap is loose. A loose cap sends an error message to the car's computer, reporting a leak in the vapor recovery system. If the gas cap is loose, tighten it and continue driving to see if the light then remains off.

Sometimes, the Check Engine light comes on when nothing is wrong with the car. It could be a temporary issue caused by a change in humidity or other factors. If this is the reason, the light should go off by itself after a short time.

CarMD published a list of the five most common Check Engine light codes. In order of frequency, they are:

•O2 sensor (part of the emissions system, monitors and regulates the air-fuel mixture)

 •Loose gas cap

 •Catalytic converter

 •Mass air flow sensor (monitors the amount of air mixed in the fuel injection system)

•Spark plug wires

Flat Tire Fix

Many of us may indeed be stranded if one of our vehicles tires goes flat. First you can always consult your vehicles owner’s manual. The most important thing is always be safe and get as far away from traffic as you can.

Make sure your spare is in good shape and properly inflated. If you have an air pressure gauge convenient, you will want to check the spare tire's pressure. If this tire is flat, too, you may be out of luck. But let's just assume the air pressure is perfect. That your trunk is stocked with the proper tools for the job such as the vehicles jack and lug wrench. If a flat tire needs to be changed, park your car on a flat surface.  Make sure to put on the emergency brake. It’s also recommended to put a block on the tire opposite of the flat tire. That means if your right rear tire is flat, put the block on the front left tire. Next, remove the hubcap, if your car has one. It is also a good idea to use the hubcap to hold the lug nuts.

Then use your lug wrench and place it on the flat tire’s lug nuts. Loosen them up by turning them counterclockwise. The nuts are probably on there pretty tight.  Loosen the nuts a few turns, but don’t take any off yet! Next, place the jack underneath your car. Check your owner’s manual for the correct placement of the jack. Most car jacks these days are a screw-type scissor jack, which means you simply turn the knob at the end of the jack using the provided metal hand crank. Raise the jack until it contacts the car's frame and continue expanding the jack. Make sure it’s touching a sturdy spot.

Now you must jack it up. Start cranking the jack until the wheel is high enough above the ground to remove the tire. You can remove the lug nuts from the wheel. You should be able to do it by hand because you’ve already loosened them. Once the flat tire is off the vehicle, lay it flat. You don’t want the wheel to roll off into traffic!

Take your spare tire and line up the lugs, or bolts, with the holes in the wheel and slide the wheel on. One trick that might help is to balance the tire on your foot while you move it into position. Once the wheel is on, take your lug nuts and tighten them by hand until you meet firm resistance, but not total resistance. Make sure that the wheel is fitting flush against the brake hub.  

Now you can lower the car. Keep lowering the jack until the wheel is firmly on the ground. Finish tightening your lug nuts. They must be on tight so the wheel doesn’t come flying off while driving to the dealership to get the flat fixed. As far as tightening them, use these patterns:

- For 5 bolts, use a star pattern,

- For 4 bolts, use a clock pattern (10 o’clock, 4 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 8 o’clock)

The reason you tighten the lugs now is that the tire is on the ground and it won't rotate around like it would if it was still hanging in the air.

That's it. Compact spares have a limited top speed. The tire's top speed will be written on its sidewall. If your vehicle has a full-size spare, you won't encounter this issue. With the spare installed, you should be able to reach your destination for a full fix!