AAA Chicago Has Cure for Common Winter Cold

AURORA, Ill., Sept. 28 -- AAA Chicago has developed a cure for the common cold -- common winter cold, that is. The kind that drains the energy out of your car battery and makes for sluggish engine starts in the morning. Motorists can't avoid the winter cold, but they can act now to help ease its effects on their vehicles with a free October Car Care inspection at participating AAA Approved Auto Repair (AAR) facilities in Illinois and northern Indiana.

The inspections -- which will run through October -- are part of the AAA's 2006 October Car Care program. This is a free public service for all motorists; AAA membership is not required.

Components inspected by the AAR facilities include battery load and terminals, anti-freeze, oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid and transmission fluids, belts, hoses, tires and wiper blades.

The most common deficiencies noted by AAR technicians include old or corroded batteries, worn or damaged wiper blades, clogged air filters, low windshield washer fluid, dirty or low motor oil and low anti-freeze levels.

Faulty batteries and/or faulty terminal connections cause more car starting problems than any other factor. Cold weather is brutal on a battery's starting power. As the temperature drops, so does the battery's cranking power.

"Older batteries are especially troublesome in winter," said Robert Kaczor, AAA's assistant vice president for automotive services. "And a variety of high-tech devices ranging from DVD players to automatic, sliding car doors are placing even greater demands on a vehicle's electronic system."

As part of its October Car Care program, AAA recommends motorists closely monitor the condition of their vehicle's battery, especially batteries more than two years old. Although batteries can carry warranties of up to 7 years, a warranty is no guarantee an older battery will continue to perform in cold weather.

DON'T BE "FUELISH"

The free, annual AAA October Car Care inspections not only help prepare vehicles for the rough winter ahead, they also can help improve fuel economy. Among the automotive components tested by technicians is the air filter, tire pressure and tread depth. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing a clogged air filter can improve fuel economy by as much as 10 percent (saving about 15 cents per gallon). A new air filter also keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Properly inflated tires with good tread depth can add another 3 percent to the fuel savings tally -- about 5 cents per gallon.

Illinois and northern Indiana residents can obtain an October Car Care inspection at any of AAA's Approved Auto Repair (AAR) facilities statewide, which are regularly inspected by AAA to meet its stringent standards in terms of customer satisfaction, staff qualifications, and scope of services. AAA recommends its network of approved repair facilities to motorists for all of their automotive maintenance and repair needs. To find the AAR facility nearest you, call 866-YOUR-AAA (866-968-7222) or visit AAA.com, enter your ZIP code and select the AUTOMOTIVE tab.

Formed in Chicago in 1906, AAA Chicago celebrates its centennial in 2006. For more information on any aspect of AAA Chicago's breadth of service including AAA's home, auto and life insurance products; travel-related services, AAA's Show Your Card & Save program; and/or any AAA membership service including emergency roadside assistance, please visit our website at http://www.aaa.com/ or call 1-866-YOUR-AAA (968-7222).

AAA Chicago offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services to more than 850,000 members throughout Illinois and northern Indiana. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with approximately 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization with more than 49 million members in the United States and Canada.