The oncoming cold weather season brings a host of problems to automobile owners. Cars subjected to frigid weather are prone to breakdown and malfunction. Because of this, the American Automobile Association (AAA) has given motorists tips on how to avoid car breakdowns due to extreme weather condition.
They have released it in response to the meteoric rise of number of vehicles breaking down in our roads. In fact the auto club has been receiving calls for emergency road assistance which has double the number than what they have last year at this same season. Of all those requests for assistance, the club is prioritizing those calls from motorists stranded on expressways or caught in the middle of traffic.
Since the number of motorists experiencing breakdown of their cars while on the road, the association has issued tips to the motoring public. One main concern during cold weather is starting a car and to start a car in a severe cold weather, a good battery is needed. Due to the drop of the temperature, starting power of a battery is also reduced. At zero degrees, the battery's starting power drops by 35 percent and that is for a good battery. So old batteries or faulty ones are big liabilities for cars during cold weather. When the temperature drops to negative 20 degrees the battery's starting power is cut down in half. AAA advises motorists to have their battery undergo a load test if it is more than three years old.
AAA also advises motorists to park their cars in a garage or if a garage is not available, car owners should cover their vehicles with tarp especially the hood or park it in a manner that the hood will be protected from prevailing winds. And to keep doors from freezing shut, AAA urges motorists to place a trash bag between the door and the frame. To avoid freezing up of fuel lines because of the extreme cold air, colder even than the air generated by a , motorists should keep their fuel tanks at least half full.
Door locks are also prone to freezing, to avoid such occurrences; lubricant should be applied to the locks that will insulate it from freezing weather. If in case you forgot to lubricate the door locks and it freezes, heat your key to help melt ice formed on the locks. Holding a plastic jug filled wit hot water against the door panel or lock area will also help to unfreeze the door locks. Throwing hot water into the car is not recommended since the water would only later on freeze and would only manage to crack glass. And this, we know, is not a good thing at all.
In cases of really severe weather, where the car and the motorists get snowbound, AAA advises motorists to stay in the car since the interior of the car will provide shelter from the cold and it also makes locating the motorists much easier. Snowbound motorists can start their engines and keep it idling enough to keep them warm. Running the car's engines will mean that exhaust gases will be produced so it is important to check that the tail pipe should not be blocked by snow. Emergency supplies would also be a big help for stranded motorists so AAA advises them to keep in their car cell phone, boots, hats, gloves, blankets, a "coffee can heater", flashlight and reflective triangle.
The American Automobile Association also reminds drivers and motorists to drive carefully when a tow truck is in the vicinity and give them a "brake". This will help the tow truck operators do what they are supposed to do easily.