Why Your Car Makes Noise in Cold Weather and What To Do About It

Having spent over 50 years in the automotive industry, I can honestly say that cars do not like the cold. One challenge I faced was when customers would explain, and sometimes even record, the noises their cars were making only when cold, but stopped making once the car warmed up. Without hearing or duplicating the noise myself, diagnosing the problem was often difficult.

Although inconvenient, sometimes, leaving your car at the repair shop overnight allows your mechanic to replicate the noises. More importantly, don’t discount excessive noises when temperatures get frosty. It could be a warning signal of a much more serious issue you shouldn’t ignore.

Ahead, an ASE Master Technician will help explain the most common noises your car makes when it’s cold outside, what to look for and how to troubleshoot car noises when it’s cold.

Why Does My Car Only Make Noise In the Cold?

Frigid wintry temperatures can cause:

• Rubber to shrink, permitting fan and serpentine belts to squeal and chirp and suspension parts to grind and squeal.
• Batteries and starter motor failure, making clicking or rattling sounds when starting the engine.
• Fluids to thicken, resulting in whining, grinding, knocking or whirring noises.
• Metal and plastic to contract (shrink), placing additional stress on the engine, alternator, water pump, wheel and other bearings.
• Moisture to freeze on—or lock parts together, such as a frozen in-place parking brake cable, and brake shoes or disk pads were frozen to the brake drums or rotors.

Over my career, I found that most of these issues resolve themselves as your car and temperatures warm up. However, any noise your car makes should be inspected to ensure the problem doesn’t get worse or more expensive to repair. Here’s what you can do to help prep your car for winter.

When To Worry About Noises My Car Makes In the Cold

“Anytime a noise doesn’t dissipate in relation to increased temperatures requires additional investigation,” says ASE Master Technician Joe Simes. Simes adds that when a noise doesn’t stop “after the car warms up, or the noise gets worse, or it affects drivability or performance, it indicates that something may be wrong.” Additionally, “quickly address any new or unfamiliar noise to help prevent a potential issue from worsening,” adds Simes.

How To Troubleshoot Car Noises in the Cold

Simes recommends checking the following when your car only makes noise when it’s cold.

Fluids and lubricants

Car fluids protect, clean, lubricate and absorb the vibration of thousands of moving parts. Fluids, especially worn or contaminated fluids and oils, thicken in cold temperatures and become less effective at lubricating parts, causing them to rub against each other. This can cause engine bearings to knock, pistons to slap or rattle, the power steering to whine or growl, or the water pump to grind. To protect your car, you should always test your car’s fluids before the cold winter air arrives, and flush or replace fluids as necessary.

Rubber parts

Worn serpentine, drive and even timing belts can become rigid and less flexible in cold weather. This can cause squealing and chirping noises when the engine is first started or when the steering wheel is turned.

Inspect belts for wear, glazing, missing ribs, fluid contamination or damage. Check the belt tensioner system for squeaking, binding, clicking or rattling from a weak, rusted or busted tensioner spring, mucked-up pulley grooves from an old belt or damage from road debris.

Also, check the suspension system if you “hear an “eking” or knocking sound over bumps or potholes,” says Simes. Rubber shrinks when cold and can place excess pressure on the metal parts they are trying to isolate from other metal parts, especially the sway arm links and sway arm bushings.

Body and chassis

Metal and plastic parts throughout a car contract when cold. This can lead to misalignment of body and chassis parts, as well as body panels, that make creaking, rattling or squeaking noises as they rub against each other either when driving or simply getting in and out of your car. Jounce (bounce) your car up and down to pinpoint noises coming from body or chassis parts rubbing.

Bearings or components that spin

Just like body parts, wheel bearings and other components that spin contract in cold temperatures. As these parts contract, excess pressure is placed on their bearings, leading to such sounds as the alternator and power steering pump whining, whirring, grinding and other unpleasant sounds. Simes says, “Although these types of noises do diminish as the car warms up, bad bearing noises never really go away.”

Be alert for other symptoms, such as braking and/or steering problems, tire vibrations from failing wheel bearings, coolant leaks from the water pump, or a dead battery from a worn-out alternator.

Moisture freezing

Water from snow and slush, or moisture from the air, can freeze in cold temperatures. This can cause your car to make noises or drivability issues, including lack of power from a frozen PCV valve. A frozen parking brake cable or brakes frozen to the rotor will prevent the wheels from turning, causing poor acceleration, and a scraping noise as the tires are being dragged along rather than spinning. Don’t use the parking brake after driving through snow and slush, and Simes suggests, “do a couple controlled ‘panic’ stops to help heat up the brakes to help evaporate any moisture build-up before parking outside for the night.”

FAQ

When should I see my mechanic?

If you check all your fluids, inspect the belts and look for other causes and if the noises are still present, it’s time to talk to your mechanic to diagnose what’s causing the cold weather noises.

About the Expert

Joe Simes is an ASE and Toyota Master Technician, a Pennsylvania Department of Education certified automotive technology instructor, and preparing the next generation of automotive service professionals at North Montco Technical Career Center in Lansdale PA., as well as a PA certified emissions and safety inspection instructor and inspector.