How to keep your car working in freezing temps

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Tackling the freezing weather means more than just turning up the thermostat or putting on a coat and gloves.

You might still be left in the cold when you head out the door because your car won't want to start.

"Starting it up early in the mornings, it's not wanting to warm up, it takes about 15-20 minutes to just get my car warmed up in the slightest little bit and the frost and the snow definitely doesn't help so it's kinda a pain," Said Jacki Hanni.

Aaron Cisneros said, "My car slowly loses power and I look at the display screen in front of my vehicle and it shuts off and then my car just dies."

It is no secret why some people have car problems in this weather.

"With the colder weather, we been having a very common issue is people's batteries start dying." Said Alexander Sawyer, a service specialist with O'Reilly Auto Parts. "This happens because with the below-freezing temperatures batteries don't work as well and when they get a bit older they will just die. Which will leave you stranded with a dead car."

The cold weather could make you late for work, but there are some things you can do to prepare no matter what the forecast is.

"Simple fixes for most people is if you have access to a garage, leave your car in a garage over the winter, that will keep your battery a little bit warmer so it doesn't freeze." Said Sawyer. "Don't leave your car sitting for a long period of time. Never leave your gas tank below half full because it will allow more moisture to build up in your gas which can lead to some fuel issues and whenever you park at night pull your windshield wipers arms all the way up, so they are not sticking on the windshield and that way it won't freeze to the windshield."

If your car battery is not working the way it should, auto parts stores and repair shops can test a battery, an alternator, or a starter for free.