As many parts of the country get ready for the frigid cold, consider your car — dead batteries and deflated tires are common in this weather. We asked local experts for tips on how to brace your car for the cold.
Check your battery
“It’s my no. 1 tip,” said Dom Vitale, owner of Dom’s Auto Repair, which is now known as 1939 Auto, in Philadelphia. “In ice-cold weather, (batteries) lose their potency. If the battery is more than two or three years old, it’s possible that the car won’t start once temps drop.”
As with excessive heat, cold weather can take a toll on batteries and diminish their power. Every battery has a cold cranking amps (CCA) rating that indicates its ability to start an engine in cold weather. You can check your CCA rating online or — better yet — head to your local auto shop to get a battery test to determine whether you need a replacement.
How to jumpstart your car with cables
If your battery does die, having a way to recharge it is key. Here are two ways of doing so:
Jumper pack: A type of battery booster that can be as small as your wallet and comes with two cables, red and black. It lets you charge your vehicle without another car’s assistance, making it a great savior if you are stranded. Connect red to red and black to black. Once the battery is charged, the indicator will turn green.
Jumper cables: Most come with an instruction card or label, but it’s always helpful to refresh your memory on how to use them. If you remember one thing, it should be to never connect the negative cable to the dead battery’s negative post. Here’s a 10-step guide to jumping a car.
Add air to your tires
Tires are more apt to go flat in the winter.
“When it gets cold, the air molecules condense inside the tire and drop the pressure,” said George Dieser, owner of Carl’s Haddonfield Service in Haddonfield, Pennsylvania.
“Most cars starting in the early 2000s will have a tire light that shows up on the dashboard when your pressure’s getting low. It looks like an exclamation point inside a horseshoe shape — don’t ignore that symbol.”
Maintaining the right air pressure helps prevent tires from wearing prematurely, Dieser pointed out. Once the treads get worn down, they won’t grip the road as well, especially in wet and snowy conditions. (As a bonus, proper inflation improves fuel economy.)
Look for a sticker by the driver’s-side door to find the recommended pressure for your car. If you can’t locate the sticker, refer to the owner’s manual.
Go in for a check-up
The lead-up to deep winter is possibly the best time for an overall automobile checkup — even if you don’t need an oil change.
“It’s a good idea to come in twice a year and have a qualified individual take a look under the hood,” said Dieser. “Checking all of the fluids and belts can do a lot to prevent issues before it’s too late.”
He recommends Nov. 1 as the best time to get your preseason checkup, with enough time in the season to address any issues. But, if you missed the cut, try to get your car inspected as soon as possible.
One of the main things that mechanics will examine is the coolant system, said Bob Ramsey, owner of Ramsey’s Service Center in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Antifreeze keeps the coolant in the engine from freezing, but that coolant can deteriorate over time.
Ramsey recommends having your antifreeze tested every winter to see if it’s still good. “If your engine freezes, it won’t turn over and you won’t be able to start your car.”
Replace your wiper blades and check your washer fluid
A pair of dull blades makes for bad vision. “Fresh wipers are essential — especially in wintertime, where salt can cause a film on your windshield,” Vitale said.
Make sure your windshield washer fluid reservoir is full, too. Clearing off the slushy residue that collects on your car can require plenty of wiping.
Emergency essentials for your car
If you do end up stranded, be prepared. Here’s a checklist of items to keep stowed in your car:
—Jump packs or jumper cables (the longer the better)
—Ice scraper
—Flares
—Flashlight (with a fully charged battery)
—Blanket
—Sweatshirt
—Hat and gloves
—Handwarmers
—Water bottles
—Energy bars
—Window washer fluid
—Shovel
