TAMPA, Fla. — AAA says it is now seeing a spike in calls for service due to dead car batteries during this Florida cold snap.
What You Need To Know
AAA is seeing a spike in calls for service during the cold weather
Common issues are dead batteries and low tire pressure
AAA says it’s a good idea to get your battery checked if it’s more than three years old
Checking tires and car batteries is keeping mechanics busy this week at the AAA Car Care Center in Tampa.
“We’re early in the going with this cold snap and we’re already seeing cars come into the car care center here, being towed in with dead batteries or people coming to get their batteries checked,” said Mark Jenkins with AAA.
Jenkins says it’s a good thing to get your battery checked before it dies in these cold temperatures.
“Here in Florida, car batteries go through enough to with the extreme heat,” Jenkins said. “Now we’re talking about extreme cold temperatures, which is another round of pressure on your batteries, which can really weaken it over time.”
AAA says it’s a good idea to get your battery checked if it is more than three years old or if your car seems slow to turn on, as this cold snap is lasting longer than most do in Florida.
AAA also says to keep an eye on your tires.
Mechanics are seeing a lot of low tire pressure in tires due to the cold — which can lead to tire blowouts.
If you’re unsure what pressure it should be at, check the vehicle sticker at the driver side door.
“Now is an important time to have your vehicle checked out, especially the battery. Don’t wait for it to fail,” Jenkins said.