Preparing a vehicle for a drop in temperatures

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) -  Taking care of your car is just as important as taking care of yourself in this frigid weather.

Experts say vehicles are at their happiest in mild weather, so if there is a spike or a drop in temperature, drivers need to be prepared.

Taking a look under your hood before driving will help you avoid an emergency. Experts warn before it gets really cold, make sure your fluid levels are full. Also, check rubber hoses and tubing because when the temperatures drop, those can become brittle and break.

Russ Villard with Beck Service Center says during this time of year, there are a lot of vehicles on the side of the road. Villard says sometimes the damage was done months ago.

“Typically what a lot of people don't know is when a battery that doesn't start for you on a cold morning usually got damaged in the summer. The extreme heat of the summer is what kind of tears the inside of the batteries up, but then they rear their ugly head when it's really really cold,” says Russ Villard from Beck Service Center.

Villard recommends checking your tires. He says a lot of newer vehicles have tire pressure warnings which will go off because tires deflate a bit in cold weather.

Do not get your car washed. The excess water will get into crevices like inside the door and that's when you might have problems with your lock freezing or your door freezing shut.

Have an emergency kit on hand in case you do become stranded. Pack things like a blanket, warning flares and a fully charged cell phone. And make sure your have at least a half a tank of gas at all times.