Winter is fast approaching now, evident by the cold weather and dark evenings, so it makes sense to think now about the ways in which we can protect our car batteries through the harsh winter months.
Battery failures are more evident during the winter; we use our cars more frequently and for shorter journeys and our batteries have to cope with the additional load required to power heaters, de-misters, lights and windcreen wipers, often all at the same time. A little TLC lavished on the battery now and a few sensible precautions taken during the next few months will ensure a healthy battery through to Spring and avoid the dreaded non-starters on those cold mornings.
Here are our top tips for battery survival through winter.
Before starting the engine, alway make sure electrical appliances such as air conditioning, lights, demisters and radio are turned off; these drain a huge amount of energy from the battery which is needed to start the engine. Once the car is running, the alternator will share the work of running these circuits, but make sure you turn them off as soon as the car is warm and the screens are clear to allow the alternator to concentrate on replacing the energy expended to start the engine. It is also a good idea when cold starting to depress the clutch pedal; this stops the battery having to cope with the drag of the gearbox cogs and bearings in the thick oil (thanks to Chas Carter for passing on this tip).
Try to do at least one twenty minute trip each day to top up the battery charge and in really cold weather, limit the number of short trips you make to preserve battery charge. If the weather turns really cold and you have to leave your car outside, use a battery charger or conditioner to maintain the charge and prevent freezing.
If your starter motor is slow to turn over one morning and you suspect the battery is low on charge, get it checked immediately. Don't wait for it to fail completely the next day. A Battery and Charging System Tester will tell you how well your battery is performing under load, i.e. when running the engine in addition to heaters, lights, demisters etc. and will indicate if the battery needs charging.
Check the water level in the battery. This may involve removing six plugs, maybe a rectangular clip-on cover and some batteries even have a see-through case with the water level marked on it. Maintenance free batteries are not designed to give access to the cells for topping up, but sometimes you will find filler holes hidden under a label.The water level should just cover the lead plates that you can see in each cell. Using distilled water only, top up the water as necessary. If you use a battery hydrometer to do this, you can test the electrolyte value at the same time. The readings on each cell should correspond within 0.05 of each other, and in any case above 1.250 on the scale, to tell you if the battery needs to be recharged or is in good health. If just one cell has gone bad, showing a lower reading than the others on the hydrometer, the plates in that cell may have become heavily sulphated. Unfortunately, in this case, the battery is probably past saving.
A sulphated battery showing low but fairly equal readings across the cells can be brought back to life with Ametech Battery Restorer. Although this treatment may be uneconomical to use on the average family car where a secondhand or replacement battery is still relatively inexpensive, it will save a fortune on the more expensive commercial batteries.
A good battery, or a battery rejuvenated with Battery Restorer, can be protected and preserved with the use of Ametech Battery Shield. Battery Shield prevents evaporation of electrolyte, corrosion and explosion and offers protection against extremely cold weather, down to -50ºF. Treated with Ametech Battery Shield, a battery will last 3 times longer than its normal life expectancy.
Escape of electrolyte from the battery causes corrosion on the battery cover and terminals. Wipe down the top of the battery with an old cloth if it looks damp or dirty, then discard the cloth. Clean around the terminals. Prevent battery terminals from corrosion by smearing something like Vaseline around them (not necessary once you've used Battery Shield).
Take care when cleaning batteries or topping up fluids. Battery electrolyte contains sulphuric acid which will burn skin and eat holes in clothing. If splashed, rinse off immediately in clean water.
Never leave your battery in a discharged condition - the longer you leave it, the more difficult it will be to bring it back to life. Never leave a discharged battery outside in freezing weather - it can burst just like frozen pipes do.
Check your car whenever you leave it to make sure all lights are off. If you have to leave your car with sidelights on, remember to switch them off as soon as you can. Always be sure the interior light and radio are switched off before leaving the car for the night and fix faulty lights, like boot lid lights, which can unadvertently drain power from a battery overnight if left on.
If you have a flat battery, check if it'll take a charge first before spending money on a replacement. No battery will last forever, but you can avoid spending money on an expensive new battery this winter if you look after the one that you have.
Lastly, if you have to disconnect the battery for any reason, remember to make a note of the radio code first.
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