It is a frustrating feeling to find your car’s battery has died on a cold winter day. Cold temperatures affect the physical properties of your battery, therefore it is important to have your car battery occasionally checked to determine it’s state of charge and your charging system’s overall condition. Even the most well-maintained battery will eventually die, so ask your technician or auto service writer to give yours a check.
Have you recently replaced your car with a new battery? Great! Here are some maintenance tips to extend the life of that new battery:
1. Clean: If you’re capable, remove the clamps and battery terminals to clean away grease, dirt & oxidation. Start with disconnecting the negative terminal first and reconnecting the negative terminal last. Dirty connections cause a voltage drop and slows the charge rate of the battery.
2. Insulate: Park in an insulated garage to keep the battery warm. No warm garage? Insulate the battery using an insulation kit.
3. Drive Longer: Winter often means we drive less frequently and fewer miles, which prevents the battery from fully charging. Cold weather and a weakened condition make it more difficult to for the battery to store a charge. Make sure your vehicle warms up all the way up to fully charge the battery. You will know you are fully warmed up when your heater produces hot air from the ducts.