Cold Weather Essentials for Vehicles

DULUTH, Minn.– Cold weather is prime time for battery failures and other car issues. During this time, there are numerous things to keep in mind.

When the temperatures drop, there are a handful of things to keep tabs on with vehicles.

The owner of Auto Medics in Duluth told FOX 21 to check up on fluids and tire pressure.

The average car battery has a shelf life of 5 to 6 years.

And when they do die from the cold, jumping them can take 30 minutes.

When a breakdown happens, warm clothes and blankets is important but there are other things to consider.

“Nowadays, a lot of people have the little jump start pack. You can buy a small jump start pack, that comes with different adapters that you could charge your cell phone out of, or you could charge a light. A small little LED light of some sort. I keep a small LED light that’s plugged into my center console at all times,” said Mike Archer, owner of Auto Medics.

Another piece of advice Archer is sharing with this weather, be mindful of where you park. And to check if your car is leaving traces of leaking fluids.

“With this truck behind me, he had no idea he had a coolant leak until he brought it into the shop for something totally different. We put it in the air and it’s going drip, drip drip. He’s got a hose that’s leaking. It probably started by the fact it’s cold,” said Archer.

Archer also said by letting your car warm up before driving it lowers the risk of popping hoses, and other cold related issues.