February 16, 2025

Why Does My Car Make Noises in the Cold Weather?

Cold temperatures can cause the following issues:

Rubber contracts, which leads to squealing and chirping from fan and serpentine belts and grinding noises from suspension parts.
Battery and starter motor failure, creating clicking or rattling sounds when starting the engine.

Thicker fluids, causing whining, grinding, knocking, or whirring noises.

Metal and plastic shrink, adding stress to the engine, alternator, water pump, wheels, and other bearings.
Moisture freezing and locking parts, such as a frozen parking brake cable or brake shoes or pads freezing to the brake drums or rotors.

Throughout my career, I’ve found that most of these issues resolve as your car and the temperatures warm up. However, any noise your car makes should be inspected to avoid worsening or expensive repairs. Here’s how to prepare your car for winter.

When to Worry About Noises My Car Makes in the Cold

“Any noise that doesn’t dissipate with increased temperatures requires further investigation,” says ASE Master Technician Joe Simes. He adds that if the noise doesn’t stop after the car warms up, worsens, or affects drivability, it indicates a problem. He also stresses the importance of addressing new or unfamiliar noises immediately to prevent potential issues.

How to Troubleshoot Car Noises in the Cold

Simes recommends checking the following when your car only makes noise in cold weather:

Fluids and lubricants
Car fluids protect and lubricate thousands of moving parts. Cold temperatures thicken worn or contaminated fluids and oils, making them less effective. This causes engine bearings to knock, pistons to rattle, the power steering to whine, or the water pump to grind. Test your fluids before the cold sets in and replace or flush them as needed.

Rubber parts
In cold weather, worn serpentine, drive, and timing belts become rigid and less flexible. This causes squealing and chirping noises when the engine starts or the steering wheel is turned. Inspect belts for wear, glazing, missing ribs, or damage. Check the tensioner system for squeaking, binding, or rattling from a damaged tensioner or pulley grooves.

Also, check the suspension if you hear knocking over bumps. Cold rubber puts excess pressure on metal parts like sway arm links and bushings.

Body and chassis
Cold weather contracts metal and plastic parts, which can misalign body and chassis parts. This leads to creaking, rattling, or squeaking noises as parts rub together while driving or getting in and out of the car. Jounce your car to pinpoint noises coming from body or chassis parts.

Bearings or spinning components
Like body parts, wheel bearings and other components that spin contract in the cold. The excess pressure placed on these bearings causes whining, whirring, grinding, and other unpleasant noises. Simes says that while these noises diminish as the car warms up, bad bearing noises don’t go away. Watch for additional symptoms like braking issues, tire vibrations from failing bearings, coolant leaks from the water pump, or a dead battery from a worn-out alternator.

Moisture freezing
Water from snow, slush, or the air can freeze, causing drivability issues. A frozen parking brake cable or brakes frozen to the rotor will prevent the wheels from turning, causing scraping noises and poor acceleration. Avoid using the parking brake after driving through snow, and Simes suggests performing controlled “panic” stops to heat up the brakes and evaporate moisture before parking outside for the night.