Weather the cold with tips from CAA-Quebec

Press releases
Published on January 10, 2022

After assisting no fewer than 8,500 members January 3 and 4, CAA-Quebec is readying its teams for action again as they brace for the extreme cold forecast for Tuesday. The entire organization and its partners are on alert to pitch in when help is needed.

A few tips on starting your car in cold weather

The intense cold Quebec is experiencing can make it tough to get your car started, and you may even require emergency roadside assistance or towing. Here are a few handy tips to help you avoid breakdowns and start your car like a pro:

  • 4-10-30-CAA: A maximum of four attempts for 8 to 10 seconds each, 30 seconds apart. If that doesn’t work, it’s better to throw in the towel and call roadside assistance.
  • Block heater: Plugging in your car for 3 hours brings the main engine components to an ideal temperature for cold weather starts. If you have an electric vehicle, programming it to heat the vehicle interior while it’s still plugged into the charger will boost your range and ensure you don’t compromise defrost performance until you get to your next charging station.
  • Check your battery: Buy a good quality battery and don’t let the contacts get corroded. At -30° Celsius, your battery only has 25% of its maximum capacity to get your vehicle started—and that’s if it is in tip-top condition.
  • Top up your tank...or your charge: Keep your gas tank at least one-quarter full at all times. If you drive an EV, make sure it’s fully charged before travelling in very cold weather, when your maximum range can drop by as much as 30% to 50%.

CAA-Quebec Roadside Assistance by the numbers

  • +1,200 vehicles on the road: Extra staff are on duty for busy periods, and our entire network pitches in all across the province. Several dozen extra service vehicles are available to provide booster service as required.
  • 2,800 calls: The average number of calls on a normal winter day. A busy day can see as many 6,000 calls!
  • 14,700 members assisted: Our one-day record on January 8, 2015. it was -30°C.
  • 3 to 4 times more staff: Operators, dispatchers, contact centre staff—colleagues from every department pitch in to help out on busy days, tripling or quadrupling our capacity so we can take exceptional measures to deal with the exceptional weather. 

For CAA-Quebec Roadside Assistance, call us at 514-861-1313 (Montreal) or 1-800-222-4357 (toll-free). More and more of our members use the CAA Mobile app to put in a service call. It’s a faster way to contact us, and it lets them track the service vehicle in real time!

About CAA-Quebec

CAA-Quebec is a not-for-profit organization that assists each of its members by providing mobility, travel, insurance, and residential benefits, products, and services. CAA was named Canada’s most trusted brand in the annual Brand Trust Index for 2021 by the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria.

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