We get many phone calls from clients who discover a dead or weak battery.
Really cold or really hot weather will make an already weak battery worse. Have you noticed that your car struggles a little more on a cold morning after sitting overnight? Well, That could be a sign of a weak battery.
#1 Get the battery checked
Did you know that the average lifespan of a battery is less than 5 years? We suggest at least every other fall. Because, cold weather creates extra stress on your battery. Furthermore, most cars do not alert drivers to a weak battery condition. But, there is good news! Some auto parts places will check your vehicle battery for little to no charge. That will help you prevent a weak battery.
#2 Keep the battery clean
A clean battery is a happy battery and helps prevent a weak battery. The dirt on the top of your battery is bad. Also, keep an eye out for “junk” building up on the battery post. So, consider a battery terminal sealer. It sprays just like a can of paint. It seals your battery terminals and prevents that buildup.
#3 Drive Further
Is the grocery store, work, and church close by? Your vehicle may not have enough time to properly charge the battery. So, Make sure you are able to drive at constant speed for a little while. That way, your car will have time to charge the battery!
#4 Drive more often
Here’s an example. Many times we hear about grandma’s car giving her starting trouble. What happens is, her car is sitting for about a week before it gets driven. Then, she starts up the car, cranks the heat and goes 4 blocks to see the grand kids. So, the battery never got charged from her starting it! Furthermore, the car had been sitting for a week and that battery is always slowly draining. That’s because, today’s new cars are equipped with many computers. And, these computers put more strain on the battery. Car batteries needs fully charged so they don’t become a weak battery.
#5 Excessive Idling
Try to avoid sitting still with the all the power robbing features on. As an example, you may find yourself warming the car on a cold day. But, you need to help your battery. So, turn off your rear defroster, heated seats, and headlights and fog lights. Furthermore, turn your heater fan down from full blast.
#6 ECON Button
Keep the ECON button off in the winter. We feel that certain cars give the battery less of a charge with this button on. Also, check with your dealer and make sure your car has all the latest computer/software updates!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us today!
I really appreciated this post because I recently had to replace my car’s battery. I want to make sure to take better care of my new one. I didn’t realize that excessive idling can be bad for the battery. Thanks for sharing this.
Keeping your battery clean sounds like a really good idea. I know that my battery often has a ton of corrosion on it whenever I look under my hood. I’ll have to either get a new battery or keep vigilant on cleaning up the contacts when I see it. Thanks for the great advice!