Protecting your car In freezing cold - WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren Ohio

BOARDMAN TWP., Ohio - The freezing cold can take it's toll on car engines.  Here are some tips from the experts.

To get started you need power, and at zero degrees your battery can loose up to 60% of it's power. If your battery is more than 2 years old you can do a battery check with a hand-held meter or get it checked at your dealership.

If your car won't start, you can use a battery pack, or the battery of a second car using jumper cables, making sure you connect the positive and negative cables properly.

"Just make sure both cars are off" advises Tony Valiquette, a service technician at Sweeney Chevrolet.

Valiquette says you also want to check the anti-freeze or engine coolant.

There are indicators on the actual reservoir, as long as it's up to the line you'll be ok, but you always want to inspect it to see if there's any leaks" said Valiquette. 

A 50/50 mixture of coolant with water will protect your cars engine to 35 degrees below zero.

Oil is the life blood of your car's engine, especially in cold weather, check the level and condition of the oil, in cold weather dirty oil can become sludgy.

It's also recommended to keep your gas tank between a quarter and half full, otherwise condensation may form and freeze in the fuel system.

These simple checks should keep you on the road and out of the repair shop.