It’s comforting to know that, no matter how cold it is outside this McHenry winter, when you run out to your vehicle, your car, truck or SUV will start. When you have that kind of comfort, you don’t even think about it. It’s subliminal. But if you don’t have that confidence …

If there is a weakness in your car, truck or SUV charging and starting system, a McHenry winter is likely to find it. There are a number of issues that could give your vehicle trouble starting when the temperature drops.

• The charging system: The charging system recharges the battery and operates the electrical systems while your car, truck or SUV is running. If it doesn’t provide enough electricity, such as with an alternator that isn’t up to speed, the battery will slowly lose its charge while the charging system will fall short of providing the energy required to keep the vehicle running. Either the vehicle won’t start one day or you’ll find yourself stranded on the road somewhere.
• The battery: The battery is a diminishing component; over time, it will fail by losing its ability to hold a charge. But, thankfully, the battery should keep your car, truck or SUV starting for several years before you need to worry too seriously about that. As it gets older, and loses the ability to hold a charge, it will find it increasingly difficult to provide the amps needed to turn the engine. This problem is increased in the cold when the engine oil is thicker.
• The starter: The starter is connected to the electrical system and has a gear that turns a gear connected to the engine. The starter requires a certain amount of amperage in order to do its job. While an insufficient charge in the battery will cause problems, a starter that wears out and requires additional amperage to operate is liable to cause the same problem.
• Connectors and wires: If the wires and connectors that keep the amperage traveling through your electrical system aren’t clean and in good condition, you can have problems there, too. One of the common places to find a problem with electrical connectors is at the batter. Cleaning connectors can make the difference between a vehicle that will start and one that won’t.
• Belts: Most cars, trucks and SUVs today have a serpentine belt. But, whether your car has a serpentine belt or an older-style ‘V’ belt, something needs to turn the pulley on the front of your alternator. If it stops turning, the alternator will put out precisely zero amps and your vehicle will quickly come to a halt.

Winterizing your starting and charging system means checking that all of these components are in good condition and performing their jobs as intended. If everything is in tip-top shape, you have no worries. But at least you’ll know. If something is wrong, you can either figure it out ahead of time or wait for winter cold to point it out for you.