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How to heat up your car, without fear of having it stolen

With Wednesday’s temperatures expected to bring a higher risk of frost bite, many drivers will want to warm up their cars before hitting the road.

MOLINE, Illinois  --  With Wednesday's temperatures expected to bring a higher risk of frost bite, many drivers will want to warm up their cars before hitting the road.
Custom Whips in Moline installs around 10 remote start devices into cars each day in the winter.

"It not only warms up the car, it warms up the engine," owner Duan Kerr said.

The devices allow drivers to start their cars, without having to go outside.

"It takes 10 to 15 minuets just for your car to unfreeze and to be able to drive it in these weather conditions," Kerr said.

Starting your car a few minutes before you leave is recommended.

"Start it once or twice in the bitter cold and let it run for a little while so it gets warmed up," Eriksen Chevrolet owner Tom Pospisil said.

Pospisil recommends letting your car warm up, but says leaving it unlocked can turn the car into a target for thieves.

"If you do not have a remote start, then you do not want to start your car and leave the keys in it, because there have been a lot of vehicle thefts lately," Pospisil said.

During the winter months, police say they tend to see an increase in car thefts.

"People are going to want to go outside and warm their cars up," Moline Police Detective Michael Griffin said. "Then, they go back inside to the warmth of their house while they warm their cars up. Unfortunately, during that time is when they are usually stolen."

While remote starts can add a layer of protection, not everyone can afford the device. For drivers without remote starts, police say sitting in your car while it warms up is the best option.

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