Your vehicle’s performance can be affected by all kinds of different situations and conditions. Things like the way you drive, how well you maintain the car, and the vehicle’s age will all play a big role in how the components function and how everything works. One of the biggest factors that comes into play on a day-to-day basis, though, is the weather. Temperatures and moisture can seriously affect your vehicle’s ability to run smoothly or to properly make the automatic adjustments it needs to make.
Your vehicle has a series of sensors that are connected to the electronic control unit, or ECU. These sensors take data from the wheels, the exhaust, the electrical system, and many other areas of your vehicle and send it to the ECU to ensure that the car is running as smoothly as possible. Weather can affect the data these sensors are getting and cause issues with the way the car runs or even trigger the check engine light on.
Knowing how weather conditions can affect your vehicle will help you keep your vehicle running smoothly and know when you need to head to the auto repair shop.
How Extreme Temperatures Affect Vehicle Sensors
Common causes of an illuminated check engine light can include a loose gas cap, worn spark plugs, or faulty oxygen sensors. However, extreme cold or extreme heat can play tricks on your vehicle’s sensors that might make you think you have a serious issue going on or may even affect the way the vehicle runs.
One of the main ways temperature affects sensors is with the battery. In cold weather, batteries may lose their capacity slightly, which will be read by the battery sensors. Even though this is normal and may not affect the battery’s ability to charge or distribute power, the sensors might think the unit is failing. This can trigger a battery warning light, and you may think you have to replace your battery sooner than you actually do.
Extremely cold weather can also affect the mass airflow sensor, which helps set the ratio of air and fuel going into the engine’s combustion chamber. Since cold air is denser and has a higher concentration of oxygen, the mass airflow sensor could read that and start sending more fuel into the engine to match the concentration of air.
This can cause misfires, exhaust issues, and can trigger the check engine light even though the vehicle is more or less functioning as normal. When this happens, it is a good idea to upgrade the sensor to make sure it can make adjustments for cooler temperatures.
The Impact of Humidity and Moisture on Electrical Systems
Excessive moisture and electrical systems are never a good mix, and when it comes to your vehicle, humidity can have a big impact on the electronics. One of the most common ways that humidity or excess rain can cause damage or malfunctions is with corrosion.
When moisture in the air combines with oxygen, it can corrode the more sensitive parts of your vehicle’s electrical system and cause problems that will eventually trigger the check engine light. Switches, relays, and connectors can all be affected by humidity, so if your warning lights come on, this could be a good place to start.
Water is an excellent conductor of electricity, which means that excessive rain, snow, or humidity may cause short-circuiting in the vehicle’s electrical system. It can also cause insulation between electrical components to deteriorate, causing more shorts in the system. Any kind of short circuit will usually be cut off by the fuses in your vehicle’s fuse box. Because of this, if you notice that you regularly have to replace fuses, the cause could be a short somewhere in the system due to the weather.
Effects of Air Pressure and Altitude on Engine Performance
Air quality and air density will always factor into how your vehicle’s engine performs. Since your engine relies on a mixture of fuel and air to create the combustion in the cylinders, if the qualities of that air change, you may notice a dip in performance. If, for example, you live at a higher altitude, there is less oxygen in the air.
When your vehicle takes air in through the intake, it will need more to create the combustion than it would at a lower altitude with a higher concentration of oxygen. This may cause misfires or even a lower power output. Your car may feel more sluggish or underpowered when you are at a higher altitude, and it could even cause the check engine light to go on in some situations.
Air pressure also plays a big part in how your vehicle performs. Higher air pressure could improve the compression in the engine, which can create a better power output and an overall higher efficiency in the powertrain. At higher altitudes, though, the air pressure is lower, which reduces compression and affects the amount of horsepower being produced by the engine with each revolution. Most of the time, this won’t trigger the check engine light, but it could cause a noticeable change in the way your vehicle responds to the accelerator.
Seasonal Weather Changes and Fuel Efficiency Sensors
Throughout the different seasons, wild variations in weather and temperature can change the way your vehicle’s sensors detect fuel efficiency and gas mileage. In hotter parts of the year, fuel will almost always evaporate more quickly than it would in cool temperatures. This can trigger an issue with your vehicle’s EVAP sensor, which detects things like vacuum leaks and other issues with the fuel system. When this happens, you may get a check engine warning light, even though the vehicle is running relatively normally.
In cold temperatures, your vehicle’s sensors may take longer to send data back to the electronic control unit. This can cause inaccurate readings, which in turn will change the way the ECU adjusts the performance of the engine. When these things get out of sync, you may end up with problems with the fuel and air mixture, the timing of the engine, or the emissions system, all of which can trigger the check engine light. If you have been noticing severe changes in the weather, it might be worthwhile to reset the ECU when the check engine light goes on and wait to see if it comes back on before taking your vehicle into the shop for repairs.
When to Take Weather-Related Check Engine Light Issues Seriously
Most of the time, a check engine light is a good indication that your vehicle needs some attention and should be taken to the repair shop. When the weather has been especially brutal, though, a check engine light could simply be the product of a malfunction in the sensor system of the car’s computer.
While this won’t always be the case, it is worth waiting to see if the warning light will turn off or if the vehicle runs normally. If the weather changes and the light turns off, you can usually chalk it up to an issue with the warning system itself and not with the vehicle.
If your check engine light goes on and stays on, you should most likely get the professional help it needs at a service center. This is especially true if you also notice a change in how the vehicle is performing alongside the warning light.
Listen to the sound of the engine and the way the vehicle feels when you step on the gas. If the weather is affecting the different systems in a drastic way, there may be things you can do to bolster the vehicle and protect it from extreme weather so you don’t have to deal with warning lights whenever the temperature changes.
How Endurance Can Cover Weather-Related Mechanical Issues
The key to addressing issues with your vehicle’s faulty sensors and other systems that can be affected by weather is to stay on top of repairs and make sure small problems don’t turn into bigger ones. Not everyone has an emergency fund ready to make repairs to their vehicle right away, though. That is when a vehicle service contract, also known as an extended warranty, can come in handy.
Endurance offers a wide range of auto protection plans for everything from high-mileage cars all the way up to the most top-of-the-line luxury vehicles. With an Endurance plan, you don’t have to rely on guesswork when your vehicle’s warning lights come on.
Our vehicle service contracts cover a wide variety of your car’s systems, so you can get the repairs you need as soon as they come up. This includes things like the fuel system, spark plugs, oxygen sensors and other sensors, and the exhaust, all of which can be affected by the weather and trigger the check engine light. With an Endurance plan in place, as soon as your check engine light turns on, you can head to the nearest certified repair shop and get the expert help you need, so you don’t have to wonder if it is a weather-related issue or a serious problem that needs to be repaired.
Protect Your Vehicle in All Types of Weather With Endurance
If you don’t want to worry about how the weather might be affecting your vehicle’s sensors and various systems, Endurance is here for you. Endurance has auto protection plans for nearly every kind of driver and vehicle and will even cover vehicles that other providers won’t. This includes things like cars with a rebuilt or salvage title, Canadian Gray Market cars, and vehicles used for commercial purposes like rideshare or delivery.
In addition to some of the best automotive coverage on the market, Endurance Warranty plans also include a large collection of standard benefits, including 24/7 roadside assistance, trip interruption protection, and rental car coverage. For a small activation fee, you even get access to the Elite Benefits program, which comes with tire repairs, key fob replacement, and up to $1,000 in total loss coverage.* These extra perks can help keep you safe on the road and ensure that you don’t get stranded if something goes wrong with your vehicle.
If you are ready to get the best coverage for your car and protect all of its most important systems, get in touch with our award-winning customer service team at (800) 253-8203 to request a FREE quote. You can also head over to the online store and get an instant price preview so you can make the best choice for yourself and your vehicle.
Be sure to check out the Endurance Warranty blog for more auto expert resources, including advice for using code readers, frequently asked questions about warranties, mechanical breakdown insurance information for California drivers, and more DIY tips and tricks.