How to Provide Cold-Weather Protection for Your Car Battery
Posted on: 13 May 2021
When you own a car, you need to take steps to protect them from malfunctions, and breakdowns. After all, if your car isn't dependable, you can find yourself stranded. Unfortunately, if you can't find help, you could end up stranded for quite a bit of time. The battery is one automotive component that often gets overlooked, especially where cold weather is concerned. Here are four tips to help you keep your battery fully charged this winter.
Protect the Cranking Power
When it comes to ensuring proper operation during cold weather, the most important thing you can do is protect the cranking power on your car battery. Without full cranking power, your car might struggle to start when the weather gets cold. You probably know that you need to keep your car parked in a covered space during the winter. But, you also need to keep it covered during cold, windy days as well. You might not realise this, but freezing wind can do just as much damage to your battery as ice and snow.
Give the Alternator Time
If you like to crank up the accessories as soon as you start the car, you could be causing serious damage to your battery, especially during the winter. Your battery does have enough charge to power up your accessories as soon as the engine turns over. However, the alternator hasn't had enough time to give your battery a fresh charge. Unfortunately, that means your battery will lose charge before it should, which can leave you to face a dead battery. To avoid that, give your alternator a few seconds to charge your battery before you power up the accessories.
Reduce the Resistance
If you haven't cleaned your battery terminals in a while, there may be too much resistance to work through. Your battery is a self-contained electrical component. If it's dirty, resistance can build up between the battery and your car. Unfortunately, that resistance can prevent your car from starting. Luckily, there are steps you can take to reduce the resistance. All you need to do is clean the battery terminals whenever you see a build-up of corrosion.
Maintain the Charge
Finally, if you want to avoid winter battery problems, be sure to maintain an adequate charge. If your battery loses charge, it won't have the power to start your car, especially on those cold winter days. The best way to ensure that an adequate charge is to have your battery tested at least once during the winter. It's also a good idea to have your battery tested as soon as you notice a lag in power when you try to start the car.
For more help, contact auto battery services.
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