The chilly temperatures this week appear to have been taking their toll on vehicles.

Liz Kulyk is the corporate manager of government and community relations with CAA. Kulyk says Tuesday was their busiest day in a long time with wait times up to ten hours in the City of Winnipeg, and between two and three hours in the most rural areas.

"We have a great contractor network all around the province, I know some particularly in the Steinbach area that have been on their toes and ready to help us when our members are calling, just to make sure people weren't waiting as long as that ten hours in Winnipeg."

Kulyk says it's important to make sure a vehicle has had its battery tested and is strong enough to start in the cold temperatures, as well, making sure the vehicle gets plugged in to warm up internal components which make the vehicle start more easily and run smoother in the adverse winter weather conditions.

"Checking your battery, that's one thing that people always forget about and they take for granted that their car just continues to start. But, once you hit that five-year mark you're pretty much on the edge of what manufacturers consider being too old to have enough charge to turn over, especially in cold weather."

Kulyk notes it is advised not to plug a vehicle in while it's in a garage because there it becomes a greater safety hazard if a fire were to occur. She says the vehicle should be parked outside and plugged in instead, adding if the garage is insulated, the vehicle is probably alright to not be plugged in.

Service Advisor Nikko Loewen says plugging in a vehicle, especially when the temperature is below -20ºC will help prevent damage, cut down the vehicle's warm-up time, and help it run smoothly.

"When you get colder temperatures your oil is going to get a lot thicker and if you plug your car in, it's going to keep that up, that way it doesn't take as long for your car to run. Your oil stays a nicer temperature so it can actually run through your engine, if you have really thick oil it's not running through properly and has a higher chance of damaging things. Not only that, when you get into your car, it's going to heat up a lot quicker too."

Lowen says a few other things to check on a vehicle during the winter is tire pressure, engine coolant, and cabin air filter.

Devin Penner is the service manager at Ledingham GM. Penner says fluids in the vehicle should be checked and it's also best to run winter tires.

"Anything colder than -7ºC, they just give you a better stopping distance and better handling. There are still lots of people that don't use winter tires, so it would definitely be a good idea to invest in a set of winter tires if you can."

Penner adds tire pressure can drop in colder temperatures and may need to be topped up.

Kulyk adds it's important to have a road-side safety kit in the vehicle in case of an emergency and check road conditions before heading out on the highway.