WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The bitter cold temperatures can cause issues for your car. AAA says that when temperatures hit freezing a car’s battery loses a third of its power and when it hits zero degrees, a car’s battery can lose more than half of its power.

AAA also says that if your car’s battery is more than 5 years or older it may be time to replace it. They add that if you can have your battery checked as soon as possible, which often can be checked for free.

“If you have had trouble starting your car, or if you need to make several attempts to get it started, you should probably be thinking that your battery may be close to dying and you should be thinking about getting a replacement,” says Mary Maguire of AAA Northeast.

Maguire adds that the tires of your car are also affected by the cold and to make sure that they are inflated.