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Many Cars Not Ready for Winter Weather

STROUD TOWNSHIP — Cold weather always seems to bring on some car troubles. Places like Jack Williams near Stroudsburg and many auto parts stores were busi...

STROUD TOWNSHIP -- Cold weather always seems to bring on some car troubles.

Places like Jack Williams near Stroudsburg and many auto parts stores were busier than usual on Monday, tackling all of those cold car problems that could continue through this week, especially with single-digit temperatures in the forecast.

It was a busy day of battery changes at the Advanced Auto Parts store in Bartonsville with cold weather finally chilling the Poconos.

"It's pretty cold out," said Tom Martini, Advanced Auto Parts. "We're doing some batteries today. People are waiting until the last second and today we're installing lots of batteries."

Tito Huertas of Reeders says his car had a hard start and he decided it was time to buy a new battery before things got worse.

"I think we got a little spoiled with the 45, 50 degree weather," said Huertas. "All of a sudden today it jumps down to 15, 20."

Workers tell us most people have been putting off preventative maintenance until now, leaving lots of washer fluid, antifreeze, and other cold-weather products for drivers to buy.

Because of the mild start to winter, there's so much ice melt still in stock, it doesn't fit on the shelves and ice scrapers are still on hand, too. Usually they're gone by October.

Jack Williams Tire and Auto Center in Mount Pocono was busier than usual, too, this chilly January day.

"We've been pretty hectic, a lot of people coming in with low tire pressure lights, worrying if there's something in their tire or if it's just the cold weather making it go down," said Clint Bednar.

They say winter tire sales have been extremely low, but it's still a good investment because they're not only for snow.

"When it gets below 32 degrees outside, the rubber gets harder. On a winter tire, it doesn't get as hard as an all-season tire. It actually gives you better traction, so we like to call them winter tires because they're not just for snow."

The car experts we talked to say preventative maintenance is the best thing you can do to avoid having any car troubles.

Many shops including Jack Williams will test your battery for free and let you know if you'll need a new one to get through the rest of the winter.

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