Do you maintain your vehicle battery in cold weather? Don’t get caught short in the cold. Make sure you prepare yourself and your vehicle for the cold weather so that you stay safe, and keep your battery running smoothly.

What Happens When a Car Battery Gets Too Cold?

Cold weather slows down your battery, making it harder to start your car in winter. The ideal temperature for your battery is 27°C, and even a fully-charged battery will struggle at 0°C as it’s lost around a third of its starting power by this point. The cold weather also means that more energy is needed to get your engine started, compounding the issue. That means breakdowns are more likely in winter, potentially leaving you stranded in the cold, waiting for road-side assistance.

How Can I Tell if My Car Battery Is Going to Fail?

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell when your vehicle’s battery will run out; there are various factors that contribute to your battery’s shelf life. A battery that’s been struggling but is still able to start your engine may fly under the radar for months, until it’s exposed to one bad frost or particularly cold night and it’s just too much for your battery to cope with.

One of the greatest determining factors of your battery’s health is its age; you should replace the battery in your vehicle every 4 years. Cars with batteries 3 years old are far more likely to succumb to the cold than young ones. If you have an older battery, the safest option is to take your car to a mechanic. We can provide you with a Battery Health Check, free of charge, to help identify if a battery failure is imminent.

Our health check can also tell you battery condition, state of charge and charging rate.

Once you have identified if your battery needs replacing, or if it’s in good working order, then you should know how to proceed to keep safe on the road this winter.

What Can I Do to Prevent a Flat Car Battery?

The simplest answer is don’t live somewhere cold, but this is not a luxury a lot of us have, especially in the North West. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make sure that you maintain your vehicle battery meaning your battery is protected and given the best chance to survive the cold weather:

• Park your car in a garage or under cover – this isn’t an option for everyone, but it makes a massive difference as it limits the amount of extreme weather your vehicle’s exposed to.
• Take your car out for 30-minute trips every few days – keeping your car idle will slowly drain the battery, as driving is what warms up and charges the battery, so try to go for a drive every three days in winter. Likewise, make sure that your journey is at least 30 minutes long, as this is how long it could take for your car to warm up; shorter journeys will just use up power without giving it a chance to recharge.
• Consider investing in a trickle charger (also known as a battery maintainer) – this will slowly charge the car battery and make sure it’s full all winter. This is especially useful if you aren’t able to take your car on regular journeys or if you have an older vehicle.
• Make sure you turn off your electronic systems when you leave your car.
• Don’t overcharge your battery – although this sounds counterproductive if you are using an external charger, you can overcharge your battery and inadvertently damage it in the long run.

The most important thing to do it to keep on top of your regular vehicle checks – which includes checking your battery life every six months – as this will help you to spot problems early. If you notice the your battery is draining quicker than normal, then this could be a sign that your battery is coming to the end of it’s life. A fully charged battery is less susceptible to freezing, but if your battery can’t hold its own in normal weather conditions, then you are seriously at risk of a breakdown when the temperature drops.

If you need a Battery Health Check or have questions about how to maintain your vehicle battery, please give us a call on 0161 477 6266 and we will be happy to assist you.