It's not an uncommon sight in southern Saskatchewan. You wake up and start your car only to find that it won't turn over. Yesterday, Estevan saw temperatures plunge to -35oC and last night wasn't much better. It can take a toll on a vehicle. 

"The biggest thing that we see when the temperatures drop is tire lights going off," explained Dallas Work, Manager at Estevan Kal-Tire. "So your tire pressure monitoring system alerting them to low tires. They're not actually low because it's just the temperature outside that's causing it. The best thing you can do is just stop in we can check your pressures for you and make sure that they're set right."

As well, he has noticed an increase in calls regarding batteries.

"The cold weather does bring about a lot of battery troubles especially if it gets cold enough that the acid freezes. If that happens, you're going to have what's called a bad cell and you're going to have to have your battery replaced."

He advises caution if you plan to purchase a battery blanket.

"They do help but they can also cause more problems. Your battery is actually more susceptible to heat than to cold so if it overheats the battery, it'll wreck faster."

"The best thing is to make sure that it's plugged in."

He suggests then letting your vehicle run for two to three minutes before driving. 

"That's just so that everything inside the engine is up to proper running temperature and the coolant is freely moving."