How to Maintain Your Car Battery This Winters?

With the winter season upon us, you may stock up on your warm clothes, get those cosy woollen mittens out and purchase new winter boots to strut in. But while you brace yourself to face the cold season, you may forget to give your car the attention it deserves. Just like us humans, your car battery too requires warmth, nourishment and care to survive the long, frigid winters. Most people neglect their car battery thinking that if the car is starting properly, the battery must be in top shape too. However, improper care of your car battery can cause it to die a quick death.

A car battery has an average shelf life of 2 to 5 years, but lack of regular maintenance can cause your battery to break down much sooner. Imagine commuting to work on a particularly cold morning only to have your car die in the middle of the road. Not only would you be late for work, but you’re also stranded on the roads with no one around to help you jumpstart your car. To avoid getting into such unfortunate situations, you must tend to your car battery every few weeks.

A quick battery check may keep you updated about the state of your car battery and provide you with sufficient time to get a car battery service if it’s in bad shape. However, you may get more usage out of your battery during the winter season by implementing certain additional measures to prevent it from breaking down in the first place. Read on to find out how.

1. Ensure that the Car Battery is Fitted Properly

When caring for your car battery, check whether all the battery terminals and cable connections are in place. A loosely fitted or ill-positioned car battery in winter may not be able to carry current efficiently throughout the car. As a result, you could end up with a battery damaged due to lack of sufficient heat. To avoid such situations, clean the battery terminals regularly with a toothbrush coated in a mixture of water and baking soda. This will not only prevent corrosion build-up but will also keep the battery from freezing, thereby allowing your car to run smoothly.

A word of caution - Always wear the right protective gear such as gloves and eye goggles when dealing with a car battery for your safety.

2. Keep Your Car Warm

Just like humans, the car battery also needs a minimal degree of warmth to survive the frigid winters. It has been observed that low temperatures increase the electrical resistance of the car and thicken the engine oil. The thickening and freezing of the engine oil puts tremendous pressure on the battery and forces it to work hard just to turn on the ignition. This extra pressure can cause the car battery to fail if not taken care of. That’s why it is important to keep your car covered with a thick cover to regulate its internal temperature and to prevent any mishaps that may cause your battery to blow its fuse.

3. Always Keep Your Car Battery Charged

People who don’t take their car out much during winters may be dealing with the problem of under-used or undercharged batteries as opposed to overworked batteries we saw earlier. An undercharged battery is equally bad for your car’s health as it slowly starts to go flat over time and considerably reduces the overall life expectancy of your car battery. In such instances, you may benefit from fully charging your battery with the help of a car battery regenerator to increase its shelf life. The battery regenerator works by generating impulses in the car battery that prevent and slow down the usual ageing sulphating effects.

4. Park Your Car in a Shady Spot

Just as we require protective layers to keep us warm, a car also needs extra protection to shield its internal components from the extreme cold. Parking the car in open areas subjects it to unwanted cold that may end up freezing the car battery. A car battery needs to be hot enough to start the ignition but leaving your car unattended without any protective cover can freeze your battery and cause it to die. To avoid such mishaps, you must always park your car in the shade. When commuting to work via your car, park it in a shaded parking lot or carry a cover to keep your car battery warm. When parking at home, don’t leave your car in the driveway and make sure that you park it in a closed garage to prevent the cold atmosphere from freezing your car battery.

Last but not the least, always take your car for regular maintenance which includes a car battery service. And if you’re looking for professional car care and battery installation services, look no further than AIS Windshield Experts. We offer battery check and replacement services with only high-grade, quality equipment fitted by our trained technicians that will keep your car operating smoothly all year round. Get all your car needs covered with AIS Windshield Experts! Get in touch today.