It's getting to be that time of year — the time of dead batteries and frozen fuel lines in cars. When the fuel line freezes, your car might start, but you're not going to get very far. Here, you'll find out what causes the problem and what you can do to thaw the lines and prevent it from happening again this winter.

Cause of Fuel Lines Freezing

There are two things that can cause the fuel lines in your car to freeze:

• The fuel has water in it.
• Water vapor became trapped in the lines and froze.

It doesn't take a whole lot of water to cause fuel lines to freeze in frigid temperatures.

Thaw the Frozen Fuel Lines

Thawing the lines can't be done in a hurry. If you try to rush through it, you could end up damaging the fuel lines or causing a fire or explosion. Honestly, the safest way to thaw frozen fuel lines is to push, pull, or tow the car into a heated garage and allow it to thaw slowly. If this isn't an option for you, there are a few safer techniques that can work.

Heat from the Front

Place a heater at the front of the car — torpedo heaters work very well. Unfortunately, if you place the heater too close to the car, you can cause damage to the paint and body of the car.

Heat Gun or Hairdryer from Below

Slide under the car, locate the fuel lines, and use a hairdryer or heat gun to heat the fuel line directly. Keep the heat several inches away from the fuel line and take your time — heating it too quickly could damage the line.

Dry Gas Mixture

Adding this mixture to the fuel can help eliminate the water that's mixed in with the gas. Pour the mixture directly into the gas tank and shake your car around a little bit to mix it in with the fuel. It will take time, but eventually, it can thaw the freeze.

Prevent Future Freezes

There are three things that you can do to try to avoid this from happening again this year:

1. Use dry gas additives when the temperatures are dipping well below freezing.
2. Use a car cover to protect your car from the cold temperatures.
3. Avoid getting fuel when the tanks are being filled at the station.              

Hopefully, you won't have to deal with this issue, but if you do, now you know what to do about it and how to prevent it from happening again.

For more information, contact a local auto repair service.