Expert Has Cold Weather Car Tips For Delaware Valley Residents

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Automobiles and all their parts are built to perform at their best when it's 77 degrees out.

And just like us, this cold makes them a little cranky.  So, there are a few things you need to remember about your car in the cold.

You know that sound:  (Sound of car failing to start)

Carl Hill, of Speedy Lube in the Grays Ferry section of the city, sees a lot of battery problems in the winter.

"Batteries get cold.  The cold-cranking amps, they just don't turn the car over in the morning," he told KYW Newsradio.

The cold-cranking amps he mentions is a rating for the amount of power a battery will send the starter when it's freezing.  At this time of year in our area, you need a high CCA.

But that's only the beginning of the problems caused by the cold, Hill says.

"Air comes out of the tires faster in the winter," he points out.

Hill says a slow leak can quickly become a flat tire when the temperature drops.

And he warns that too heavy an oil has a harder time circulating in the cold, leading to damaged seals, gaskets, and generally worse wear on the engine.

Another tip: warm your car up. Though that practice is generally frowned upon, Hill says it's a must when the temperature gets below freezing.