Cold Temperatures Can Impair Your Car

For some, it was quite the process getting to work this morning. If you’re not one to wake up early and let the car warm up, first of all you probably had trouble getting it to start and then everything was likely stiff from power steering to a stick shift. According to some towing companies, there are a few tips to avoid another late morning.

The phones are ringing off the hook at towing companies like Carnahan's Towing and Repair and Carl's AutoCare. Chuck Bartels is the Service Manager and Dispatch at Carnahan’s. He says, “it’s harder for everything to work. Fluids are heavy, they’re cold, they’re thick, and it just takes some time to get them warmed up and ready to go”.

It's the first real cold spell in Great Falls this winter and some people may have been caught off guard. The best way to avoid a late morning is preventive measures. Assistant Manager, Paul Halcro at Carl’s AutoCare says, “have your antifreeze tested, have your battery tested, have the block heater tested if you have one, if you don’t look at getting one”. Block heaters keep the engine warm, so the starter isn't working with an ice cold engine.

Additives are strongly recommended when it's this cold out. Halcro says, “lot of people don’t put heat into their tank which is really a good idea to keep the moisture out. If the fuel line freezes, then it won’t start and you have to tow it to a warm shop”.

If your vehicle takes diesel and it gels u, the fastest solution is to take it somewhere warm to thaw out. Any car should be warmed up before taking it on the road because all oil is cold. Switching to synthetic oil in the winter may not be a bad idea since these oils are a little less thick.

Of course having a good battery is one of the first steps to getting your car to start. Bartels says, “running your car frequently is very important and not just down to the grocery store and back”. To get a good battery charge, it’s recommended you drive your car at least half an hour a day.

If you need a jump, you may want to call the professionals. Bartels explains, “we had an instance this morning when folks called in and figured out they had actually hooked the cables up backwards”. Jumping a car battery incorrectly can not only damage a car, it is dangerous.

Some towing companies today were so busy with jump starts and diesel gel-ups that their wait time was over double the normal time. Since this cold weather is here to stay, it may be a good idea to get a head start on getting your car ready tomorrow morning.