How To Keep Your Car Battery From Giving Out In The Brutal Cold

Think it’s tough to get your own personal batteries warmed up in this weather? Pity your poor car.

It sits outside on your driveway, on the street or in a cold garage, while the bitter conditions do a number on the vehicle. Some people found their doors frozen shut Tuesday night, after temperatures plunged 20 degrees in just a few hours. Others couldn’t get their vehicles started at all.

This bone chilling weather will be with us for a few days and the CAA is already warning motorists it will be at least a 45 minute wait if they need a battery boost. 

The Association’s Edyta Zdancewicz tells CityNews.ca  it’s normally about a half an hour wait, but predicts call volumes will go up during the day and there’s a chance that delay could stretch even longer as many find their batteries simply won’t turn over in the cold.

Toronto Police have also issued a warning about the danger of warm-up thefts. They occur when you leave your car running to get it nice and toasty, while you wait inside in the comfort of a heated home.

But cold hearted thieves often use that opportunity to simply back it out of your driveway and your long ride to work suddenly gets a lot colder.

What can you do to ensure your car starts when it’s supposed to, as the icy grip of Old Man Winter puts this latest Arctic blast into gear? Here are some ways to keep your car battery charged in the face of the seasonal snap.

The Assault On Your Battery
According to the American Automobile Association, your battery loses up to 60 percent of its strength when the temperature reaches the minus 18C mark. Even at just freezing, it’s 35 percent less effective.  

Heaters
Many people use a block heater to keep their engines warm and a battery charger to keep the cell powered up in the cold weather.

They’re not as common in the GTA, but in places like Calgary and other brutally cold climates, you’ll not only find them in every garage but often attached to parking meters and parking spots to ensure a vehicle will turn over when the owner comes out.

The Age
Batteries weaken with age, even if your car is supposed to charge them up every time you start it. Find out how old yours is and if it’s between five and eight years, consider replacing it.

Check The Cables
If one becomes loose, it may seem like your battery’s dying when the fault really lies elsewhere. Check this first before replacing anything.

Load Tests
A mechanic can perform a load test, which will tell you how much juice your battery has left. If it fails, replace it before you get stuck somewhere.

Clean The Terminals
Sure you wash the car, but what about the connectors that keep the battery running? They can get dirty or corroded, affecting the life of your battery. Keeping them clean may help your car run longer.

Watch For Signs
There are sure indications your battery may be on its last power legs – including dimmer lights when you turn on the engine. There may also be an indicator light on your dashboard warning you of problems to come.

Spare The Accessories
A weak battery will have trouble turning over in the cold and any additional strain will make it worse. Turn off all your accessories – the radio, the heater, the CD player, the lights, windshield wipers – before starting your car. All put an additional load on the system, especially when things are this brutal.

Other tips:

Let’s Get It Started
Turn the ignition to the start position and crank the engine for no more than 5-10 seconds. Don’t pump the accelerator. If the car doesn’t start in 10 seconds, return key to off position. Wait 30 seconds between attempts to prevent possible damage and try again. If the car refuses to start, you may need a battery boost.

Avoid Long Warm-Ups
You really only need to warm up the car for one to two minutes. Avoid hard acceleration in the first few minutes of start-up to give a chance for fluids to lubricate through the engine. Unnecessary idling wastes gas and increases pollution.

Tanks A Lot
Keep your gas tank at least half full, otherwise ice crystals can form and freeze your gas line.

Parking Parameters
Park your car where the sun will hit in the morning to help the snow and frost or inside a garage where it’s warmer.

Some tips courtesy: CAA South Central Ontario

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