\u201cIt\u2019s freezing!\u201d How many times have you said that, this winter season? You\u2019re not wrong! In fact, according to recent data, this winter has been the 12th coldest on record! The news is inundated with headlines like \u201cBitter Cold To Invade Wisconsin\u201d and \u201cWinter Storm Jasper to Batter North Carolina.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s freezing!\u201d is an understatement! If you\u2019re like many families across the country, you know the deal. You head out to your car in the mornings to warm it up before your commute. Nothing\u2019s worse than riding to work or school utterly frozen. But you should be cautious, there are some do\u2019s and don\u2019ts when it comes to defrosting your car. Take note, so you don\u2019t accidentally cause any damage that might hurt your head worse than a brain freeze down the road!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Don\u2019t warm up your car too much<\/span><\/strong> The techs at Apple recommend not storing iPhones or iPads at temperatures below negative -4 degrees<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Don\u2019t pour boiling water on the car<\/span><\/strong> Don\u2019t juice a dead battery<\/span><\/strong> Make sure to keep your gas tank above half full, especially in freezing cold temperatures to prevent your fuel lines from freezing<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Running outside in the morning to turn on your car and let the cabin (and engine) warm up is a tempting idea. But is it safe to let your car idle for 15 or 20 minutes in frigid temperatures? How long is too long? The Environmental Protection Agency says it\u2019s a good idea but keep it brief. Newer cars really shouldn\u2019t take more than a few minutes to warm up and your engine will actually warm up faster by you driving the car!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you grew up in the old days (don\u2019t ask how old), you might\u2019ve seen your parents bring out a pot of hot water to defrost the windshield or even the door handles. It made total sense back then! But looking at it now, if your parent\u2019s car never got a cracked windshield or a (re)frozen lock afterward, call them up and tell them how lucky they were! As soon as the water cools off, which will be quick thanks to the brick weather, it could shatter the glass from the shock. Not to mention drip down into hard-to-reach crevices causing other issues later on.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The headline here is, you don\u2019t want to blow up your car. When you try to start up the engine and get nothing, you\u2019re probably thinking \u201cgreat! Now my battery is dead!\u201d It might be. But if the temperatures are super low, don\u2019t grab your jumper cables right away. The battery may be frozen, and a surefire way to tell is if the sides are bulging. This happens when the battery freezes and all the liquid moves to its sides. If you hook this up to the cables, you risk a dangerous fire or explosion! If you\u2019ve got AAA or your insurance policy includes roadside assistance, go ahead and give them a call. You won\u2019t be able to solve a frozen battery problem on the side of a road.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n