(WKYT) – Temperatures this weekend may drop below freezing overnight in some areas, and a local mechanic says drivers should prepare their vehicles along with themselves.
Tire pressure
When temperatures drop, it can cause issues for vehicles that aren’t prepared. Checking tire pressure is one of the easiest starting points.
Kenneth Cross, manager at Dean’s Auto Care, said cold air becomes denser, which lowers tire pressure.
“If you’ve got 30 pounds of air in your tires, as it gets cold that goes down, the cold makes the air denser so the pressure of the tires drop,” Cross said. “If that happens, you could have a blowout, you could have a flat tire. A number of things could happen with low tire pressures.”
Fluids and battery
Cross also recommends switching coolant and windshield wiper fluid to a winter mix to prevent freezing within the engine. He said cold temperatures can also negatively affect car batteries.
“Batteries are hard to diagnose cause they’ll be good today and tomorrow they won’t be, but you can always take it to a center like us, and we can check it for you,” Cross said. “Make sure it’s up to snuff for now cause if it drops below about 60%, it’s time to get a new one.”
Cross said taking precautions to maintain a vehicle as the weather changes helps prolong its life and keep drivers safe while traveling.