Prepare your car for freezing winter temperatures to prevent damage, stay safe

Not only do you need to get ready for dropping temperatures this weekend, but so does your car.

ABC-7 met with expert Austin Adams, owner of A&W Automotive in East El Paso, he says the main thing is to check on your battery and make sure your car has proper freeze protection.

The cold weather makes engine harder to start, so before taking off, let your engine warm up.

Wait until the gauge reaches the middle — which should take 10 to 15 minutes — making it safer to drive.

During this time of year, they mostly replace batteries, as he says winter time is the hardest time of year on the battery. 

"Nothing's worse than trying to get ready, run early in the morning to get to school, and the battery just clicks," says Adams. "So, make sure that's good."

He recommends you have your battery checked often especially during every vehicle service. 

Another important thing is to check your tires.

Use a penny to test the tire tread, put it upside down on the grooves of the tire, and if you can see the crown of Lincoln's head, the tread depth is too low.

It's important to check the tread depth since there are slicker road conditions in the winter.

Also, check for tire inflation — you can see what tire pressure your car needs on the side of the driver’s door. 

Since there might be wet conditions, it's important to check wiper blades and see if they're torn. 

Also make sure to check your lights if they work for low visibility days with fog.

You also go to your local repair facility or an O'reillys or Autozone store to get your battery tested.