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SALT LAKE CITY — Extreme cold, like what we're facing now, can be very harmful to your car. Mechanics say there are three main things that car owners need to keep a close eye on.
Tires
With temperatures this cold, ice on tires just won't melt.
"It's collecting not only in your fender wells, but it's also collecting on the rims and the tires themselves, or behind your hubcaps," said Richard Jacques, service manager at downtown Salt Lake Midas.
He said some people have come into the shop complaining about feeling their car shake when they drive. Ice on the wheels may be throwing the balance off, and the result may be a more unstable-feeling drive.
The solution may be as simple as kicking the ice off the tires. Jacques said that was the only thing three of their customers needed earlier this week.
Plus, closely watch the tire pressure. When the air cools, it shrinks, making the tires deflate. Jacques said this is why a lot of customers feel their tires are not gripping properly.
The electrical system
When the battery has a medium charge, it will work just fine in warmer weather. But it will struggle in temperatures like these.
Along with their battery, Jacques recommends that people check their alternators and starters.
"When the battery is testing low, it could mean that the alternator is just not holding a charge," he said.
Antifreeze
This time of year, a lot of people come to see their mechanic saying their heating systems aren't working well enough. Jacques said that's normally because the system doesn't have enough antifreeze. If you catch yourself needing to fill up your car's antifreeze every week, you'll need to have a mechanic find where the liquid is leaking from. Jacques said antifreeze doesn't just evaporate out of the system.
"It's under pressure," he said. "It's a sealed system. So, if there is air into it and the pressure is down and the coolant is low in there, it has escaped the system, somehow."
