{"id":98731,"date":"2019-01-08T13:38:05","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T18:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=98731"},"modified":"2019-01-08T11:39:45","modified_gmt":"2019-01-08T16:39:45","slug":"%ef%bb%bfdont-let-the-next-cold-snap-make-you-a-non-starter-says-aaa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=98731","title":{"rendered":"\ufeffDon\u2019t let the next cold snap make you a non-starter, says AAA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

AAA Northeast urges motorists to make sure their vehicle is ready to start and run in this week\u2019s expected cold weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe average vehicle on the road today is\nnearly 12 years old and as dependable as it may have been, it may not be ready\nfor the worst that winter has in store for us,\u201d said Ed Welsh, AAA Northeast\nRegional General Manager. <\/em>\u201cPreparing now before<\/em> your vehicle\nbreaks down can save you time, money and aggravation when the mercury settles\ninto the teens and single digits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motorists can be prepared for adverse cold\nweather conditions with these tips from AAA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battery and charging system:<\/strong> Have the battery and charging system tested\nif your vehicle’s battery is more than three years old. Even a good battery can\nlose up to 50 percent of its capacity when the temperatures drop to zero. Even\nat 32 degrees it can take up to 30 percent more power to start a cold\nengine. If your vehicle started with a jumpstart you have only fixed the\nsymptom but not the problem. A well-maintained vehicle should start in nearly\nany weather condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coolant:<\/strong>\nCheck the coolant level in the overflow tank when the engine is cold. If the\nlevel is low, add a 50\/50 solution of coolant and water to maintain the\nnecessary antifreeze capability. A 50\/50 mix of antifreeze and water will\nprotect your car\u2019s engine to -34 degrees. You can test the antifreeze\nprotection level with an inexpensive tester available at any auto parts store.\nCheck the cooling system hoses for leaks, cracks or loose clamps, too. Any\nhoses that feel brittle or spongy when squeezed should be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ignition: <\/strong>Today\nwe don\u2019t think about tune-ups like we once did with older cars, but ignition\nsystems can fail. Damaged ignition wires, a cracked distributor cap or worn\nspark plugs can make starting difficult. If\nthe check engine light is flashing<\/strong>, this indicates an engine misfire that\ncould be a result of a malfunctioning ignition system. Driving with a flashing\ncheck engine light may permanently damage the engine or catalytic convertor – a\nvery expensive repair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oil:<\/strong>\nThis is a year-round recommendation, but certainly worth taking care of with\nthe rest of your winter prep. Always have your oil changed per manufacturer\nrecommendations. You should have your vehicle’s transmission fluid level\nchecked at the same time. Synthetic oil is a benefit in every vehicle and will\nallow for quicker starts in very cold weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tires:<\/strong>\nIn areas with heavy winter weather, installing winter tires on all four wheels\nwill provide the best traction. Winter tires are also formulated to work better\nin very cold weather conditions due to the stickier rubber compounds.\nAll-season tires work well in light-to-moderate snow conditions provided they\nhave adequate tread depth. Examine tires for tread depth, uneven wearing and\ncupping. Uneven tire wear can indicate alignment, wheel balance or suspension\nproblems that must be addressed to prevent further tire damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washer fluid:<\/strong> Fill the windshield washer fluid reservoir\nwith a winter cleaning solution that has antifreeze components. Some window\nwasher solution is rated to just 20 degrees, but in cold weather this solution\ncan freeze and damage the washer system. Look for washer fluid that protects\nwell below freezing temperatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wipers<\/strong>:\nWiper blades should completely clear the glass with each swipe. Replace any\nblade that leaves streaks or misses spots. Consider installing wiper blades\nthat have a one-piece plastic beam frame or winter blades that wrap the metal\nframe in a rubber boot. Both designs help prevent snow and ice buildup that can\ninterfere with blade-to-glass contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engine warm up:<\/strong> Extensive engine warm ups are not necessary\neven in very cold weather. A more fuel-efficient technique is once the car is\nrunning and you are settled in with your favorite radio station and your seat\nbelt fastened, drive reasonably until the engine comes up to operating\ntemperature. This will help extend the life of your vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with 62\noffices in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire\nand New Jersey providing more than 5.7 million local AAA members with travel,\ninsurance, finance, and auto-related services.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AAA Northeast urges motorists to make sure their vehicle is ready to start and run in this week\u2019s expected cold weather. \u201cThe average vehicle on the road today is nearly 12 years old and as dependable as it may have been, it may not be ready for the worst that winter has in store for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime","category-top-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p43meu-pGr","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/madisoncountycourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/AAA-logo.jpg?fit=226%2C138&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/52174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}