Mechanic offers tips for car care during extreme cold spell

BEATRICE, NE — We’ve all seen the forecast - 10 days of lows in the single digits… or even lower. You can feel the brutal cold the second you step outside. Your vehicle can feel the cold as well, which could cause several different problems, beginning with simply starting the car.

“If the battery is only testing at 50 or 60 percent, chances are the engine will crank too slow and it won’t start - if it cranks at all,” Randy Kempf said.

Kempf runs Precision Auto Tune, Inc. in Beatrice. He recommends that you start your vehicle every couple days this week even if you aren’t driving it. When you are preparing to drive, give your car time to warm up before hitting the road.

“It takes time for the components to warm up and get that clearance taking care of," Kempf said. "If you start driving it when it’s cold and there’s excessive clearance there, you can actually cause damage to the pistons. Plus, the oil isn’t flowing as smoothly as it should and some components may not get the lubrication that they should get.”

Other tips include avoiding parking into the wind so snow doesn’t blow under the hood, making sure your windshield wipers are shut off before turning off your car and routinely checking your tire pressure.

“Anytime anything gets cold it contracts," Kempf said. "Air contracts so there’s not as much pressure inside the tire. Another problem you have is the rubber doesn’t seal like it should and you can actually get leaks around the valve stems and places like that.”

Here are some items recommended for a Winter Car Emergency Kit as written by almanac.com.

• Blankets, mittens, socks and hats
• Ice scraper and snow brush
• Flashlight, plus extra batteries (or a hand-crank flashlight)
• Jumper cables
• First-aid kit (band-aides, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, antiseptic cream, medical wrap). See a first-aid kit checklist.
• Bottled water
• Multi-tool (such as a Leatherman multi-tool or a Swiss Army knife)
• Road flares or reflective warning triangles
• Windshield cleaner
• A bag of sand to help with traction (or bag of non-clumping cat litter)
• Collapsible or folding snow shovel
• Blanket
• Tire chains and tow strap
• Hand warmers
• Tire gauge to check inflation pressure in all four tires and the spare tire
• Rags and hand cleaner (such as baby wipes)
• Duct tape
• Foam tire sealant for minor tire punctures
• Nonperishable high-energy foods such as unsalted and canned nuts, granola bars, raisins and dried fruit, peanut butter, hard candy.
• Battery– or hand-crank–powered radio
• Lighter and box of matches (in a waterproof container)
• Scissors and string or cord
• Spare change and cash
• Compass
• Paper maps