During a sustained cold spell, many roadside assistance programs warn that starting your car can be more difficult. A significant increase in roadside assistance calls are always the result of a cold spell.  Drivers need to understand the impact of sustained cold on their car’s battery. Though a weak battery may have enough power to start a car one day, it may not have enough to start it the next.  As the temperature drops so does your vehicle battery’s power. At 0 degrees your car or truck’s battery loses over 60% of its power and the engine needs about 2/3 more power to start. We recommend that if your battery is aging you should have it tested by your repair shop.

Cold weather also takes its toll on your vehicle’s belts & hoses making them more likely to break. We recommend that all of your belts & hoses be inspected regularly.

You should allow your car to run for about 5 minutes in cold weather to keep it running at its best.