Needing to get your car fixed is always a bummer—but in the winter, when cold temperatures make sitting in your car waiting for it to start pretty unpleasant, problems with a vehicle feel much worse.
Plus, winter is a time when many things can go wrong with a car. Not to mention the accidents that can be caused by slick roads, car owners can expect to experience everything from icy windshields to frozen door locks during the wintertime.
One TikTok user recently discovered a common winter car issue—and now, she’s sharing her experience to the internet in a video with over 600,000 views.
What’s wrong with this woman’s car?
In her video, TikTok user Adri (@hazelerea) shows the driver’s seat of a Nissan.
“Ever since it got REAL cold lately my car has struggled to start…now this morning it straight up won’t????” she writes in the text overlaying her video.
The video then shows her turning the ignition of her car, with the engine failing to start.
At first, many commenters were confused about what could be causing the issue, with some claiming that they faced similar problems this season.
“Mine too,” wrote a user. “Started in December.”
“My nissan been struggling in the cold too,” added another. “She was not ready for the sudden winter change.”
However, other commenters soon chimed in to identify the issue: a dead battery.
“That’s a classic dead battery sound,” explained a commenter. “If you have an almost dead battery, the cold will kill it.”
Why do car batteries give out in winter?
Many drivers report experiencing battery issues in the winter months. There’s actually a reason for this: simply put, your car’s battery, like most batteries, just isn’t as effective in cold temperatures.
As explained by Firestone Auto Care, car batteries are more likely to die in winter for a few reasons. First, they work harder to start an engine in the cold; second, the batteries themselves need time to warm up, and cold batteries are significantly less effective than their warmer counterparts.
Finally, car features like the heater and seat warmers can use up energy, depleting a car’s battery.
@hazelerea what gives???? why is it not turning over suddenly over night?? #carproblems #carwontstart #imjustagirl #help ♬ original sound – Adri
For those concerned about their car’s battery or experiencing something similar to Adri, it’s advisable to go to a mechanic and get their battery checked out. If these issues persist, it may also be advisable to ask your mechanic to check your car’s alternator.
In Adri’s case, her car appears to be working just fine after getting the battery replaced, noting in a follow-up video that her car’s alternator was in working order.
“A new battery has been installed!!!! thanks for joining me in my panic this morning,” she wrote in a comment under the original video. “now I know why my headlights seemed so dim too recently.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Adri via email.
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