How to Get Your Car Ready for Bitter Cold

A bitter blast of cold air is moving into Connecticut this weekend, with temperatures expected to dip to zero, but feel much colder, and that could spell trouble for your vehicle.

John DeSimone, owner of Modern Tire in West Hartford, said it is important to take preventative measures now to prevent a headache later.

"You have to be more aware of your car, treat it more like it is an investment, but it is also a casket on wheels if you do not take care of it,” DeSimone said.

DeSimone recommends having your battery checked. Typically batteries last 3 to 5 years. They are one of the prime culprits for causing drivers problems during cold weather.

He also recommends having your serpentine belt checked. If it is cracked or stretched, it could also prevent your car from starting.

It is also good to put a winter blend of windshield wiper fluid in, make sure you have decent traction on your tires and repeatedly check your tire pressure because it fluctuates in the cold and could go flat.

“You cannot push the limit. It is winter time. It is bad enough that you need tires, but if you do not have an all-season tire or a snow tire in this kind of weather, it is kind of hard to drive,” DeSimone said.

It is a lesson drivers like Brian Waddell, of West Hartford, know all too well.
   
“I came back to a flat tire and I had to drive it down here and manually do it on a Monday morning. It was great, but those are the things that if you are checking your air pressure the right way, you could have avoided, I guess,” he said.

To get the latest forecast, download the NBC Connecticut app.
 

Contact Us