Winter in Ontario can be a challenging time for your vehicle. From slush-laden highways to night driving reminiscent of a spaceship going into hyperdrive, winter driving in colder climates can be challenging even for the most experienced drivers. Adding to the issue is the toll it can have on different parts of your car, especially your car battery. Maintenance and care are essential during this time of year, but what do you need to do to ensure your vehicle battery’s performance and safety? That’s why our Morison Insurance professionals share their top car battery tips to prevent you from getting stranded and ensure your car stays functional, no matter how cold outside.
The team behind our insurance company cares about your safety. In addition to having the proper car insurance, we know that your car battery is one of the most essential parts of your car. By following these winter car battery tips, you can ensure proper car battery maintenance and car this winter season and have a reliable vehicle to get where you need to go.
Winter car battery maintenance is so important because the last thing you want when it’s -20°C outside is to be stranded somewhere because your battery needs a boost. While car batteries can die at any time of year, their chances of doing so significantly increase in the colder months because the reaction that produces power in the battery greatly slows, requiring increasingly higher charges the colder it is.
In a car battery, electric charges are produced by liquid electrolytes mixing with lead battery plates, which creates the rate of reaction that produces the electric current that delivers voltage to the car starter and keeps the voltage stabilized. Normally, the rate of battery voltage increases in hot temperatures, allowing it to deliver the energy needed more easily. But under colder temperatures, that rate decreases, resulting in automotive battery drain and making it harder to deliver that necessary voltage to start the car engine and keep it running.
To give you an idea of how much harder it is, when it’s 0°C, a battery loses about 35% of its strength, and at cold winter temperatures of about -17°C, it loses 60%. As car batteries naturally weaken throughout their lifespan, they can have extreme difficulties delivering the charge needed during winter.
Because of this, it is crucial to prepare your vehicle for winter, including proper car battery maintenance.
With the stress that extreme temperatures place on your car battery, how can you prevent issues from occurring and getting yourself stranded? Our Morison Insurance brokers share their top winter car battery tips to help you with winter car battery maintenance and to better ensure you can get to where you need to be safer with winter.
One winter car battery tip our insurance company cannot stress enough is to check your car battery before the cold temperatures set in. Whether you do your own vehicle maintenance or take it to a trusted auto care professional, getting regular testing to ensure battery health is a good habit to form for car battery maintenance.
Remember that car batteries have an average lifespan of about 3-5 years, so if they need replacing, another aspect of this car battery winter tip is not to put it off. Getting a timely battery replacement can spell the difference between getting home safely or being stranded in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter.
While it can be hard to find parking, whether it’s at home or a shopping mall, our next winter car battery tip is to do your best to park either underground or in a garage. Ideally, you would be able to park your car in a heated garage most of the time, but when you can’t, try to find sheltered parking, as it can help protect your vehicle from the worst of the extreme weather outside.
If you are unable to find sheltered parking, another winter car battery tip is to not park on the bare ground, as your vehicle is then exposed to moisture and other issues that can cause problems. Try to park on solid surfaces that are clear of snow when possible as part of your overall vehicle and car battery maintenance.
It can be easy to forget to turn off the headlights in your car, but leaving them on for even a few hours in the winter can result in a dead battery. A good car battery maintenance task you should perform whenever you turn off your car is to ensure all your windshield wipers, lights, and other features are turned off before exiting the vehicle. This winter car battery tip ensures that these features are draining the battery when the vehicle isn’t in use.
This car battery winter tip can also apply when the vehicle is in use. As stated above, the different features of your car can drain your battery because it needs more energy to use them. While several features in modern vehicles may be convenient, ask yourself if you really need the seat warmer on when driving to the grocery store or if your cell phone charger needs to be constantly plugged in. It can be the difference between being able to start your car up or battery failure.
Another form of winter car battery maintenance is to drive it occasionally. One of our winter car battery tips is to drive your car at least 10 km a few times a week in order to ensure the alternator is charging the battery properly and replenishing its power, resulting in a healthier battery in winter weather.
Make sure you drive it, though. Idling the car for 15 minutes in your driveway is not just a waste of gas; it doesn’t do much in terms of car battery maintenance and recharging it. If you aren’t going to use your car for a long time in frigid temperatures, our car battery winter tip is to either store it inside, disconnect and store the battery somewhere safe, or look into investing in a block heater, battery heater, or battery blanket to help keep the battery warm and protect and maintain your vehicle.
Our next winter car battery tip is to use a battery charger. This car battery maintenance tip is especially crucial if you can’t take your car for long drives but still need to get somewhere a short distance away.
Like block heaters, battery charges are installed under the hood of your car with a plug hanging out at the front, and you simply plug them into a nearby electrical outlet to charge. This can also be a good form of winter car battery maintenance if you have an older car, as they can give you peace of mind knowing that your car battery has a steady stream of power.
There are two types of automatic battery chargers: Trickle chargers, which provide a continuous, slow charge to your car battery while they are plugged in, and tender chargers, also known as smart chargers, battery tenders, or maintainers, which provide a faster charge and shut off once your car battery is fully charged. No matter which form you get, this winter car battery tip can help ensure your car battery is charged despite the winter chill outside.
Auto battery damage can result in leaks and build-up of lead sulphate crystals on the battery terminal, preventing your car battery from turning over and your car from starting. One winter car battery tip is to take a mixture of warm water and baking soda and use a stiff wire brush to gently scrape away the build-up of the corroded terminal as part of your vehicle and car battery maintenance. Be sure to wear protective gear like gloves while doing so, or take it to your local mechanic to get the job done.
Because sulphated batteries can indicate an underlying problem even during normal conditions, part of this car battery maintenance tip is checking your car battery out.
This content is written by our Morison Insurance team. All information posted is merely for educational and informational purposes. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Should you decide to act upon any information in this article, you do so at your own risk. While the information on this website has been verified to the best of our abilities, we cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes or errors.
