SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – When temperatures drop below zero, some cars struggle to start, and drivers need to prepare their vehicles for winter weather conditions.
Tad Rystrom, the Fixed Operations Director with Sioux City Ford, said his team often sees problems with vehicle batteries when very cold weather sets in. He suggests giving your vehicle time to make the trip.
“Try not to make it a quick trip. So if you’re going to the store and it’s only going to be five minutes there, five minutes back, let your vehicle idle for 10, 15 minutes before you do that. Otherwise, it just puts extra strain on your battery, and it doesn’t have time to charge that battery. And eventually you’re going to end up in a position where it needs to be jump-started or something like that,” Rystrom said.
Another recommendation is keeping your fuel tank at least three-quarters full.
“You want to have, you know, as much fuel in your tank as you possibly can, especially if you’re going to be going somewhere. You don’t know what kind of road conditions are out there, what kind of accident on the highway or freeway you may run into. So you want to just be prepared for all situations. And yeah, a full tank of gas is part of that,” Rystrom said.
With the growing popularity of electric vehicles, Rystrom says those drivers should be aware cold weather can affect them as well.
“Super cold weather like this obviously takes a huge toll on those electric vehicles, as well. So, they’re going to see their range decreased, and they’re also going to require some more charging time, too,” Rystrom said.
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