Car Battery Dead In Polar Vortex? You're Not Alone

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The bitter cold temperatures in Minnesota and Wisconsin can cause issues for car batteries.

Bobby and Steve's Auto World in downtown Minneapolis told WCCO Sunday was a really busy one. They received dozens of calls for jump-starts and tows as cars struggled to get going.

Colton Sinn at Bobby and Steve's shared some advice on what to do before you drive off.

"Letting your vehicle warm up in the morning gives that motor time to get the oil worked through the motor," Sinn said. "That cold start is really hard on motors, and by jumping in and just taking off right away, it doesn't give that engine time to get that oil through right away, and that can be really detrimental to the engine."

AAA also shared some reminders:

• Have your battery and charging system tested by a trained technician. That's especially important if your vehicle's battery is more than three years old.
• Try not to let it sit outside without starting it for days at a time.
• Even a good battery might lose up to 50% of its capacity when the temperature drops to zero.