ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Freezing cold is not going anywhere, but you still have to get going.
Hopping into a cold, frost-covered car is not any fun, especially if you are running into issues because of the low temperatures.
News 6 stopped by a local mechanic for some helpful reminders as the cold continues.
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At Magic Mechanic on Lee Rd., General Manager J.D. Runner uses his more than 40 years of experience to care for cars.
“We’re a full-service automotive garage and we’ll fix anything,” he said.
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Runner gave a rundown of what you might see if you hop in your car in these freezing temperatures.
“They’ll have problems with batteries dying because it gets so cold, the voltage drops tremendously. Sometimes cars won’t crank if they have a weak cell in the battery, and tire pressures will drop,” he explained. “Always check the tire pressure when it’s cold because when they warm up, the pressure will rise.”
Runner said one thing people might not think about right away is properly caring for their frosty windshield.
“I can tell you about the key thing with that is: if the windows are frosted, don’t work wipers because it will get worse, especially if you squirt the windshield. It will make the whole windshield ice up. So the thing to do is to remove the ice off the windshield first,” he explained.
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If you find yourself having issues with your battery, Runner recommends jumping it off a jump box instead of jumper cables.
“These are safer because of all the computerized systems in the vehicle,” he said.
While you can not prepare for everything, Runner said it is important to be aware of the impacts the weather can have on your car in case you run into any of these issues.