Winter Car Tips

Tools

By Sarah Gravlee

Story Published: Dec 11, 2008 at 8:06 PM MDT

Story Updated: Dec 11, 2008 at 8:06 PM MDT

BILLINGS - The travel agency AAA predicts five million Americans will have car trouble that will leave them stranded this holiday season.

Don Marty, the owner of JR's Repair in Billings, said people should check their car before the temperature falls into negative territory this weekend. "If you invest $30 dollars every 3,000 miles it's going to save money down the road," he said.

Marty said there are five main parts of a vehicle to check before the cold weather hits, starting with the battery.

"Batteries are only good for about 5-6 years," he said. "You can tell it's bad when you try to start it and it takes awhile for it to turn over." Next, check the fluids including oil, antifreeze and washer fluid. While the hood is up make sure to check the belts for cracks and wear.

"If you lose a belt you lose air conditioning, power steering, alternators," Marty said. "It'll basically cause a car to die." He added that car-owners should get new wiper blades, check air pressure in their tires and make sure tail light bulbs are working correctly.

Marty said most of these things will be checked in a regular oil change.

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