Car Battery Care During Cold Weather
Here at Auto Clinic of Franklin our team of highly skilled automotive technicians wants to share with our valued clients some important tips on how to properly care for your car battery. These useful tips will help keep your battery and vehicle running at peak levels during the cold winter months.
IMPORTANT TIPS FOR BATTERY CARE
We all know full well that car batteries just do not operate as well in cold temperatures. Car batteries operate by generating electricity by way of a chemical reaction. This process slows down greatly in cold weather temperatures, thus generating less power to the vehicle. With that said, here are some helpful tips to help your battery perform in cold weather months.
- Covered Parking – When you park your vehicle in a garage or under a covering of some sort you are contributing to proper car battery cold weather care. Any type of car covering helps with the overall performance of your battery since the heat trapped in the surface where the vehicle is parked will keep your vehicle warm and ultimately shelter your battery from the extreme cold.
- Turn off all the Extras – Cold temperatures cause battery power to be minimized which means that your engine will need more power in order to start up. To ensure that your engine can turn over in the morning hours be sure to turn off all accessories and extras such as heaters, headlights, wipers and the likes, that actually draw additional power from your battery. After you start up your vehicle in the morning, then surely you can turn all the extras back on again.
- Don’t allow your vehicles to sit for long periods of time – Vehicles can typically sit in near to subzero temperatures overnight, especially if they are properly maintained. However, regardless of how well you maintain your car battery sitting for days or even for weeks can cause grave problems with your vehicle. With the cold weather, batteries are many times unable to self-discharge which can ultimately lead to other more serious problems such as damaging connections and cracked battery cases.
- No over-cranking – If your engine will not start up be sure to avoid over cranking the vehicle. Over cranking the starter in excess of a few seconds can cause risks of overheating. If the engine does not start right up, be patient and wait a few moments before trying again. Whatever you do – don’t over crank.
- Invest in a cold weather battery – If your battery is in excess of three years old the team here at Auto Clinic of Franklin highly recommends you replace it long before the cold winter months arrive. This may be the ideal time to invest in a car battery that is designed specifically to operate in the cold. As we all know, not all batteries are the same. Some batteries have higher cold cranking amps and will certainly perform much better in cold weather than everyday batteries.
- Inspect for Corrosion – Corrosion frequently occurs on battery cables and battery clamps which can ultimately obstruct the flow of electricity causing the battery to function from a much lower power level. Our technicians will inspect your battery and clean away any corrosion that may be present.
THE PROFESSIONALS YOU CAN TRUST
If you have followed the above suggested tips and find yourself still faced with battery problems, then it may be that you simply need a replacement. If you replace your battery and still encounter problems you may have a bigger issue with your alternator. Whatever the case, the professionals here at Auto Clinic of Franklin stand ready to help. For more information about proper car battery care in cold weather, or to schedule a service appointment, reach out to one of our team members today!