Officials warn to get your car checked before temperature drops

JACKSON, Tenn. — As the temperatures start to drop, you need to make sure you are taking care of your car.

“You would want to make sure the battery is up to par, and a lot of times the winter will take the battery out,” Rita Jones of Old Hickory Care Service said.

Jones says this is the best time to have your car checked out before putting it on the winter roads.

“Everybody comes in with their tire lights on because, as the temperatures fluctuate in this part of the country, the tires fluctuate with the temperatures,” Jones said.

She also says you want to make sure your tires have good tread to handle snow or rain, and drivers should also make sure their antifreeze is full.

“You want to crank your car early enough for the wipers to defrost so you don’t break something,” Jones said.

Experts say starting your car and letting it warm up is critical.

When you do go outside to warm up your car, law enforcement officials say remembering to lock your car is the key.

“I think the most important things to remember is to have an extra set of keys because if you are going to start your car, we want everyone to lock their cars up,” Madison County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tom Mapes said.

This time of year is when law enforcement officials say they see an increase in reports of stolen vehicles.

“You have the front door and the big door. You want to leave the big door open, because if someone comes by and see your car running and they see the door open, they know someone is watching,” Mapes said.