It's been a relatively warm winter, hasn't it?  Even up through Christmas, Butte and most of Southwest Montana were spared the brunt of Mother Nature's winter storms, snowfall and subzero temperatures.  Make no mistake, though, cold temperatures are coming and towards this weekend we may see some areas dip into the subzero range overnight.

Thermometer on snow shows low temperatures in celsius or farenheit.
Photo: Townsquare Labs-Getty Images/MarianVejcik
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This is the time of year when jumpstarts and dead batteries are common with Montana motorists.  Ideally you would have a fully-charged battery and a heated garage to get you through the winter but for the vast majority of us, that is not the case.  Here are some tips to help you and your vehicle make it through the cold stretch.

TURN EVERYTHING OFF

image of Car air conditioning
Photo: Townsquare Labs/Getty Images-ponsulak
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Before you start you engine, make sure the heater, the wipers, the stereo and the defroster to make sure your battery has enough juice to get the engine started.  Once the engine is going, feel free to turn on whatever accessories you need.

WARM IT UP A BIT

Driver hand tuning air ventilation grille, fresh air is coming out
Photo: Townsquare Labs-Getty Images/humonia
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Although you do not to warm your vehicle to the point where is warm inside, it is a good idea to let your engine run for a few minutes.  The fluids in your vehicle get thicker in cold weather, making them less capable of doing what they're supposed to do at full efficiency. Hoses get stiffer in cold weather as well. Letting the engine's fluids and components to warm up a little before putting strain on the engine while driving can help prevent serious problems for your vehicle. In most cases, a few minutes should do it.

OTHER TIPS

Additional considerations should include regular maintenance such as oil changes to make sure those fluids and parts are in the best condition possible to handle cold conditions.  Also, remember to scrape your entire windshield before turning the wipers on.  Failure to do so can easily strip the wiper blade's motor mechanism.

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