Car care tips for cold weather

By Octavia Mitchell
Anchor / Reporter
Published: November 19, 2008

Freezing temperatures challenge the body but could also take a toll on your automobile, but there are things you can do to keep your car running smoothly.

News 2 checked with John Petters at A-Plus Auto Service in North Charleston.  He says you should make sure your oil is o-k, and don’t put off scheduled car service.  Also, make sure your coolants are flushed so the anti-freeze will not freeze and cause damage.  Check your battery terminals, make sure they’re in good condition.  Cold weather is particularly hard on batteries.  Petters also says if you warm up your vehicle for a long time in the morning, you don’t have to.  He says, “With the new fuel injection cars they tend to warm up and drive pretty well, without warming them up. I would say you wouldn’t let it warm up over 5 minutes.  It’s nice to have heat when you get in but as far as anything longer than that.  You’re pretty much wasting your gas.“
 
Petters also says make sure tires are properly inflated. Experts recommend you check your tires regularly,because they lose pressure as weather gets cold.  also make sure you check the pressure on your spare tire as well.