Warming Up Your Ignition Interlock This Winter

Snowy, icy mornings are rarely met with a smile, especially when you are already in a hurry to get to work. It is cold, you are not quite awake, and your warm bed is calling your name. When you have a car breathalyzer or an ignition interlock device, you have to remember to take a little bit of extra time, too, in order to test your breath sample before heading out for the day. So, when your ignition interlock takes too long to warm up, it can be tempting to just give up, get back in bed, and hibernate until spring shows its sunny face.

But, you have to work, and your friends and family will miss you if you are not around. So, instead, you can just take a few steps to ensure that your ignition interlock is in top shape during the winter months, then get back to business and resume your life as normal.

A few things to keep in mind about your ignition interlock device during winter:

• The device has delicate circuitry that can be affected by moisture. When moisture freezes, it does not evaporate… so, your breath sample is essentially frozen onto the device when you start up your vehicle and the temperatures outside are freezing.
• Those extra minutes needed to warm up your ignition interlock before you can start your car can be programmed into the device.
• Your car battery plays an important role in the reliability of your ignition interlock, and your car, and winter can be tough on that power source. During your winter car maintenance, make sure your battery is in top shape to avoid problems.

We all want to spend more time in our warm beds during winter, but, life does not slow down just because it is cold outside. Since you need your ignition interlock to get around, no matter the weather, properly using and maintaining your device is the best way to get through the cold months.