Frequency 1FR / Winter

The days after Christmas often come with a welcome slowdown. Families return home, bags get unpacked and cars finally get a break after long holiday drives. It’s also the moment many drivers first notice something was “off” with their sound system during the trip. Maybe the radio cut out once or twice. Maybe Bluetooth was flaky. Maybe navigation froze at the worst time.

When temperatures drop, most drivers prepare their batteries, tires, and fluids for winter. What often gets overlooked is the factory radio. Cold weather can bring out issues that stayed quiet all year, and many of the messages we receive in December share the same theme: “My radio was fine until it got cold.”

Here’s a simple, practical guide to why that happens, what cold temps really do to car audio components, and how to protect your radio through winter.