Local mechanic shares essential car maintenance tips for freezing temperatures

ABILENE, Texas — When a winter storm hits, a lot of people remember the four p’s, people, pipes, pets and plants, but you can’t forget about your cars.

As temperatures reach below freezing, mechanics said a few simple checks can prevent major breakdowns.

“Main thing is going to be you’re going to want to check your antifreeze, your coolant levels, and make sure you’ve got plenty of antifreeze in there, maybe test it or have a shop test it and make sure it’s good to negative temperature,” said Bradley Conaway, a technician at My Mechanic of Abilene.

Cold weather can also strain your car’s battery, especially if it’s already aging. (KTXS/ Scott Martin)

Cold weather can also strain your car’s battery, especially if it’s already aging. Conaway said a weak battery can leave drivers stranded.

“It’s probably going to kill the cell in the battery, and then you’re going to go out in the car and its not going to start,” Conaway said. “You’re not going to probably be able to jump it off either. ”

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Tires are another major safety concern since pressure drops as temperatures fall.

“You want to make sure you have plenty of tread and your tires are not older or worn out and things like that,” Conaway said. “You want to make sure the tread is good, you got good all-terrain tires, and like I said, mainly check your tire pressure. Make sure they’re all set to where they should be for the car. ”

Tires are another major safety concern since pressure drops as temperatures fall. (KTXS/ Scott Martin)

Coolant is especially important in freezing conditions to prevent serious engine damage.

“It keeps the radiator and all from freezing,” Conaway said. “That’s what keeps your car when it’s running, keeps it cool in the summertime and things like that, but in the wintertime, your coolant is going to keep it from freezing inside your radiator. Then, it’ll crack your radiator and do damage, and then you got a lot of problems.”

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When clearing your windshield of ice, mechanics said skip the hot water.

“The best thing to do would be just be room temperature water, and then just try to scrape it off,” Conaway said. “If you throw straight hot water on it, you can take a chance of damaging or cracking the windshield doing that.”

When clearing your windshield of ice, mechanics said skip the hot water. (Sinclair)

Conaway also recommended letting your car run for a few minutes before driving to let fluids circulate.

“Give it a minute or two to get all the fluids and the oil pressure built up before you take off,” Conaway said.

If you must travel during the potential winter storm, make sure to give yourself extra time to reach your destination.