Car Battery Tips For Colder Weather

Make Sure Your Car Battery is Ready or Winter Weather

A Simple car battery checkup can reduce chance of being stranded

When winter is on the way, it means more than just cold weather for your car battery.

A dead car battery in extreme cold can strand motorists and in some cases cause life-threatening situations. The best defense — and safety measure — is checking the car battery and keeping it sufficiently charged during winter, according to the experts at Exide Technologies, a global leader in lead acid batteries for automotive and marine applications, battery-powered vehicles, and computer & telecommunications networks.

Car-Battery-Tips

If the car is difficult to start, get a load check on the battery, and if the power is marginal, it’s probably time to get a new battery. This type of test can be performed quickly by your technician.

When buying a battery, the principal consideration should be power. Automotive batteries are ranked by two factors, starting power, called “cold cranking amps” (CCAs), which indicate the power available to start the engine, and reserve capacity (RC), the number of minutes the battery will operate essential accessories if the alternator fails.

The more electrical devices in the car, such as electronic fuel injection systems, electric windows, sun roofs and audio systems, the more power the battery should have. If the car will be exposed to extreme weather, either heat or cold, the best guarantee against failure is a battery with a high level of cold cranking amps, at least 550, depending on the type of engine in your vehicle.

Several tips for good auto and car battery maintenance to prepare for cold weather:

  • Keep the car engine in good condition. Tune up and change the oil regularly. In cold weather, use multi-viscosity winter-grade oil.
  • Watch for terminal corrosion on the battery and make sure the battery cables are tight.
  • Ideally, park the car in a garage at night, providing some insulation against low temperatures, ice and snow.

Dont get stuck out in the cold this winter! Contact Fifth Gear Automotive, and get your car battery ready for the colder months ahead.
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