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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Many of us don't like frigid temperatures and neither do our cars.

As negative temps blow in, vehicles often don't start easily.

Curtis Blackwell of Jack Blackwell Tire Company gave KTVO some tips to keep cars running smoothly.

First he said it’s time to get a new battery if an older, weaker one is sitting under the hood.

Motorists often get stranded when a battery is no good. He said the battery will lose about half of its cranking amps in the severe cold.

If this does happen, it could help to take the battery to a warmer environment. When drivers replace it, the car should start right up.

Second, folks should never skip an oil change.

“The longer you leave the oil in, the thicker it gets. So that can do damage to the internal parts of the engine like lifters and crank shafts and stuff like that because it takes longer and longer for the oil to get hot enough to start to move freely to lubricate that," said Blackwell.

He also warned that residents should keep a watchful eye on antifreeze levels.