Sheldon, Iowa — The temperatures in northwest Iowa have gone up and down by several degrees in the last few weeks and you may have noticed the same thing is happening to your tire pressure. We’re supposed to have lows near 10 below on Wednesday night, so your tire pressure could drop too.
Charles’ Law says that a decrease in temperature will lead to a decrease in volume, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with these cold temperatures. Experts tell us that for every ten degrees in temperature change, the tire pressure can change up to one pound per square inch, or PSI. The proper inflation pressure is located on the inside of the door of most cars and on the tires themselves.
According to Mike Christians, who runs Larry’s Repair in Sheldon, it seems like it’s more of an issue now than it used to be, but he says with the new technology in cars, people are just more aware of it. But he says it could be an issue that you should have checked. He says in addition to the cold and pressure issue, there may be other things going on as well.
Cars can develop other issues too in the cold. He says if a car won’t start, more than likely nowadays, it’s the battery.
He says if your battery is more than five years old, you should consider replacing it. According to Christians, in subzero weather, it’s best to start a car and let it warm up a little before you take it down the road. He says working a very cold engine and other parts isn’t good for them, and you might save yourself some trouble — and keep yourself warm — by letting your car warm up first.
Many cars also have remote-start, and sometimes that will fail to work, especially in cold weather. Experts tell us that could be due to a low battery too. Plus, if the “check engine” light is on, on your dashboard, many times that will prevent remote-start from working.
Christians says if you have issues, he encourages you to give him or another mechanic a call, and they’ll give you some help.
