Tires among parts hardest hit by cold
Staff writer
When the temperatures fall below freezing levels like Tuesday morning’s low of 12 degrees, Webster Auto Service owner Barry Allen knows to expect a little more business.
“I don’t know if I blew a fuse or what’s going on,” a frenetic customer explained. “But right now it’s freezing out there, I have to make it to work, and I need heat.”
While inclement weather can cause heaters to fail, Allen said there are problems some motorists do not think to check.
“The worst thing that gets neglected is tire pressure,” he said. “The colder it gets, the pressure goes down in the tires. That can cause excessive wear on the tires, and lessen gas mileage.”
Allen said it is also important to continue maintaining fluids, regularly changing out oil filters, and washing the vehicle’s undercarriage of grime buildup from salt and road treatment materials.
“It’d probably be a good idea to get that washed off,” he said. “If you don’t, it’ll rust. That’s probably the worst thing to have on your vehicle.”
Mike Regnier of Marion Auto said he noticed the store sells more diesel fuel additive and batteries during cold months.
“Diesel fuel will jell up at a certain temperature if you don’t have an additive in there to prevent it,” he said. “And cold weather is extremely hard on batteries.”