As the snow and dangerously cold temperatures continue in New Jersey, some motorists could find themselves stranded if they have faulty car batteries.
The crew members at Freedman Auto in Edison say that they have replaced 22 car batteries in the last two days due to the cold.
“Stacking up to a busy week, during a normal week in a year, we do maybe one or two batteries, so it’s been way over the top,” says service advisor Troy Lombardo.
Freedman Auto doubled the number of a batteries that they normally order due to the ongoing cold temperatures. Temperatures in New Jersey have not been above freezing since Christmas.
Mechanics say that motorists should make sure that their vehicles are up-to-date on maintenance with fresh antifreeze and oil when temperatures get this cold.
“Tires are probably the most important thing in the winter driving,” Lombardo says. “Car starts, that’s great. But if it can’t slow down or stop…you’ve got to be careful with that stuff.”
A spokesperson for AAA says that the company has rescued more than 61,000 customers across five states and Washington D.C. due to bad batteries and flat tires. This is up 25 percent from last year.
A blizzard is expected to hit parts of New Jersey Thursday, followed by record-breaking cold temperatures.