Altoona gets a lot of visitor traffic alongside its own commuters, which means vehicles from all over sitting in parking lots for long stretches and then not wanting to start.
Long stays in a lot on a cold day are hard on a marginal battery, and that is a large share of what we see from here through the winter.
How the roads run around Altoona
I-80 runs along the north side and the interchanges there carry heavy volume, particularly at weekends and around events.
First Avenue and Eighth Street SW carry the local traffic, and Hubbell Avenue connects back southwest toward Des Moines.
My car will not start after sitting in a lot all day in the cold.
Usually the battery. Cold reduces the capacity available and a battery that was already weak will not have enough left after several hours parked. We will test it rather than guess.
Do you handle vehicles that are not from around here?
Yes, regularly. Tell us where you need it to end up and whether you are on a schedule, and we will be straight about what can be done today and what cannot.