The recent winter weather isn't just bad for us. The cold temperatures are taking a toll on our cars. A car is one of the most expensive purchases we make, but we don't always treat them that way, and neither does Mother Nature.
"A lot of dead batteries, no heat in the vehicles, wipers," said Nick Rock, Manager of the Midas on Columbia Avenue in Lancaster County. Rock said he's seeing more cold weather issues, including dead or drained batteries. "Batteries that don't have enough charge to actually turn the vehicles over," said Rock.
His advice to keep your car running like the chariot you first fell in love with? Regular maintenance.
"We are not used to this cold weather, so things that people lapse on, as far as maintenance, becomes a much bigger issue in vehicles that are 10 or 15 years old," said Rock.
Cold temperatures and glass don't mix either. Add the cinder building up on the roads, and you have the perfect equation for chipped and cracked windshields.
When you start your car in the morning, chances are you'll probably turn on your defroster, which can be a big mistake if you have a chip. "The glass actually shrunk over night, as cold as it was, and when it gets hot, and it expands. When it does it will crack out," said Kirk Piper, Sales Manager with Safelight Autoglass.
So the next time you hit the defroster, don't set it too high, let the windshield warm up gradually. "Typically, a chip repair is about four times less than a windshield replacement," said Piper.
While business is booming for Safelight Autoglass, the frigid temperatures are proving to be a double-edged sword. "We are having to reschedule some mobile appointments. We are a mobile-based company so we don't get to the mobile work because it's too cold outside," said Piper.