When the temperatures plunge, so does the charge on a lot of car batteries. AAA is fielding a lot of calls, but sometimes a slow start doesn’t always mean you need a new battery.
The average battery lasts anywhere from three to five years. When the temps are this cold, your car battery loses 60% of its starting power. AAA has been responding to a number of calls lately where cars need a jump or a new battery all together.
Todd O’Hara, a battery technician with AAA says he always cleans the terminals first and tests the battery to see if there is any life left before determining if the driver needs to get a new one.
“It’s like the warmer temperatures in the summertime will deplete the battery and once it’s really, really cold out, if it didn’t kill it in the summertime it will definitely kill it in the wintertime,” said AAA Battery Technician Todd O’Hara. “And age requirement is a big factor. Make sure the battery is clean up top. Just start it up a little bit earlier than normally, let it run, let the fluids warm up in the vehicle before taking off.”
Another good piece of advice—when you’re about to turn off your car—turn everything else off—like the headlights, heat and the radio. That will help save your battery life.
For more information on car batteries in the cold, click here.
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