(Radio Iowa) — With temperatures dropping to record lows — experts are urging people to take the necessary precautions to avoid disaster with their cars. Affordable Auto Recyclers service manager Kelly Asquith tells K-C-R-G- T-V that one thing to keep track of is that you have the right kind of anti-freeze. “It needs to be down to negative 34 degrees Fahrenheit, actual temperature not wind chill temperature,” Asquith says.

Asquith says the fluid should also be swapped at least every three years and always be full. Asquith said this week they’ll probably see a lot of people with cars that just won’t start. “We see a lot of batteries fail, alternators can sometimes fail which is the unit that charges the battery and keeps it maintained,” he explains.

To avoid battery issues, avoid short trips that don’t give the car time to recharge the battery. The batter faces a heavier load when it is this cold outside.