Cold weather can have serious impacts on your car, what you can do about it

DAYTON — Bitterly cold temperatures are starting to make an appearance in the Miami Valley, and they can take a toll on your car.

News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke with a local auto body shop owner about the potentially dangerous impacts cold weather can have on your car.

Matt Miller, owner of Carl’s Body Shop & Towing, said the most common issue he sees every winter is dead batteries.

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Low temperatures put severe stress on your battery and can drain anywhere from 30-60 percent of its power.

Miller said to make sure your battery is charged, even for electric cars, because once it gets below half it’s possible it could die while you are out in dangerous weather.

It’s also important to check the pressure of your tires, Miller said.

When temperatures are colder the air outside your tires becomes less dense and your tires lose pressure faster than normal.

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In order to make sure your tires can hold up to any wintery road conditions, you’ll want to ensure they have proper traction.

Miller shared a simple trick to check this, take a penny and place it into the groove of your tires.

If you can no longer see Lincoln’s head then you are good to go. If you can’t see him then your tire grooves are not deep enough.

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