Few things can be more frustrating than jumping into the driver’s seat on a frosty morning, turning the key in the ignition and failing to hear the engine roar to life.
Frigid weather can cause trouble with a car’s battery. Some drivers do not understand why, but getting the facts can help people avoid having to deal with dead batteries on cold winter days.
Cold temperatures wreak havoc on batteries because they slow the chemical reaction inside of the battery. Though batteries can function under myriad conditions, the cold weather tends to degrade high-quality batteries and may render subpar batteries useless.
Related: TIPS FOR DRIVING ON WINTER ROADS
There are various ways to protect a battery from failure in the cold, and some of them involve taking precautionary measures even before the arrival of cold weather.
Here’s a few tips to avoid a dead battery
- Assess the age of your battery. If your battery is old, now may be the time to replace it. Batteries differ in how long they last, but many last anywhere from five to 10 years. If your car is still running on its original battery and your card is several years old, it may be a good idea to get a new battery before the arrival of winter. Battery size will not necessarily provide better starting. It’s important to buy the correct battery for the make of your car, which can usually be found inside of the owner’s manual.
- Verify that there is no corrosion. Corrosion can prevent a car from starting just as much as a worn-out battery. Corrosion is caused by a faulty connection that allows battery acid to escape and corrode surrounding areas. Regularly inspect the battery to keep abreast of issues that may cause corrosion. Carefully clean away any corrosive residue that has formed and make sure the battery is correctly seated.
- Install a battery blanket. A battery blanket is used to wrap around the battery and fit inside of the battery cover. A cord with a plug runs from the blanket to a wall outlet. The blanket can produce enough heat to keep the battery fluid from freezing. A trickle charger can also be mounted on the battery. It will deliver enough power to the battery while the car is off to keep it from freezing.
- Minimize the use of automotive accessories. Do not start the car with the heater and the radio on. They can use up the power coming from the car’s alternator and prevent the battery from charging. Do not leave the heat and the radio on while the car is idling. Otherwise the car will not be putting out enough power for the alternator to charge the battery and power the electrical systems.
- Disconnect the battery. If your car will be stored in a garage for the winter, disconnect the battery. Certain devices, such as clocks and alarm systems, continue to drain battery power when the vehicle is off. If your car will not be driven enough to recharge the battery, keep it disconnected when the automobile is being stored.
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Thanks for using “myriad”, correctly.
Monitoring your car battery warranty period, and insuring the reason your vehicle will start or not depend on the battery and cables secure connection and corrosion free. At the first sign corrosive material build-up on batteries posts, therefore we need to clean them to insure a proper connection and to prevent corrosion damage to the battery area in your vehicles engine compartment.
When I turn my ignition on as I release the ignition it comes on instead of right away I’m guessin its to cold outside or I have a habit of leaving my car radio on without turning it off when I’m not drivin had no idea it kills ur battery I’m from queens n.y
My car battery was troubling me a lot last winters then my auto mechanics suggested to use a battery warmer. It works great specially in winters.
i don’t store my car but i use it infrequently because of poor health.
ho difficult is it to disconnect a battery if i am not using the car for a few weeks–am about to re[place a battery after 17 months. its a 1989 ford tarus. i now have a battery warmer on it to try to get it started to go to garage.
Instead of disconnecting the battery, you can get a “battery disconnect”, which is a device that mounts between the battery cable and the battery, and has a contact that screws into the device to make or break contact.
Here’s an example: http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-disconnect-switch-97853.html
Cheap, and easy.
GREAT IDEA KEVIN….a battery disconnect gadget easily installed on your NEGATIVE battery post.
I have one on my car up here in cold cold Massachusetts. Mine cost me like 10 bucks on ebay
January is the worst time of the Winter as the temperature drops low. That sound of the car not even turning is depressing. Looking at your list, I never knew that there was a battery blanket to keep the battery warm during those moments. I will want to test that out.
I noticd my battery didnt want to start my car when i went to warm it up for work but i cant use a battery blanket becausd my batterey sits down there by the tire so im going to try and cover my hood with a blanket and see will that help.
I appreciate the tips. I especially appreciate the tip of disconnecting my battery when I’m not going to use my car for a while. It isn’t something I normally do when putting my car in storage for the winter. However, I may start taking the battery out and storing it somewhere warm from now on.
The problem that I see with a battery warmer is the fact that it has to be plugged in. I live in an apartment and my car sits a long way from the building so there is no place to plug it in.
I just wrapped a thick towel arounf my battery. Will remove wen gojng to drive. See if that helps
They used to say years ago to cover the battery when it gets down to the teens. Right now as I am in CT, I am going to put plastic first around the battery and a coat that used to keep me nice and warm. I will let you know tomorrow if it helped. I remember also they mentioned newspaper, but sadly I don’t have that. Good Luck to all in this cold season.
The battery of a car is vulnerable to extreme temperature. So, suitable initiatives should be taken to protect the battery from the disastrous impacts of the extreme temperature. The battery plays critical role in the performance of the vehicle and any sign which indicates that the battery has some sort of mechanical issues shouldn’t be ignored and the reason behind the appearance of such abnormal sign should be identified and fixed in time to keep the vehicle in working order. It is really essential to conduct a volt test prior to the arrival or the winter as weaker and older battery are prone to get affected by the cold temperature.
useful tips
My dad would go on a long road trip this coming month; that’s why he’s been thinking of having its radiator fixed before the trip. I’m glad you shared this; I’ll make sure to remind him to have his car’s battery checked, and replaced it with a new one if necessary. Also, I never knew that corrosion may eventually cause battery acid to escape, which is quite dangerous.
I have 1 year old battery in my Subaru Forester
And it was dead when cold winter arrived.
Do I need to buy new battery or use those devises like battery blanket?
Yuri . Evansville IN