Cold weather car preparation

If you have underlying car problems, the cold weather will display them.

The first thing you want to do and can do on your own is check your coolant levels with a coolant tester. What the tester does is check your coolant levels to see where it will freeze, and it should freeze anywhere from -30 to -70 degrees.

John Memmer, the President of Stateline Auto, said the coolant test cost anywhere from $8 to $12.

50/50 Antifreeze should test out to -30 to -50 degrees, and 70/30 Antifreeze should test out to -70 degrees.

“Make sure the antifreeze is plenty enough to withstand the cold temperatures. If not, you can end up having a lot of catastrophic problems inside of your engine that could cost you thousands of dollars. That is the cheapest and easiest thing you can do,” Memmer said.
Be sure to get your battery and alternator checked as well.

You can have that done at any auto parts store or car service shop.

“An alternator test and a battery test pretty much coincide with one. Whenever you test the battery prior to starting, it will give you an output. Whenever you put a load test on it, and how many cold-cranking test amps that battery currently has. Whenever you start the vehicle with that same machine attached, it'll tell you what the output is of that alternator. It'll also kind of tell you the health of the starter because it will tell you the duration of crank time,” Memmer said.

Memmer shares a few more ways to prep your car.

“You want to make sure your washer fluid is an antifreeze washer fluid is also an antifreeze washer fluid because if not, it can bust your washer fluid tank, and then whenever you need it, it's broken and may no longer have fluid in it. Make sure you got plenty of air in your tires because if you haven't checked them since the summertime, more times than not, that air pressure inside that tire has decreased,” Memmer said.

He said you will also need tools for your window.

“Make sure you get an ice scrapper, if your car is parked outside. They also make cans to deice your windshield and all of that. As far as don'ts, don't take a boiling pot of hot water dump it on a windshield, or dump it on a door. You risk the chance of breaking a windshield,” Memmer said.