Cold Weather Car Battery Tips: Keep the Charge Alive
Nothing is worse than being late to work, rushing out the door, and finding your car won’t start because your car battery is dead. Winter mornings are already tough, but a dead car battery doesn’t have to ruin your day. There are several tips you can follow to maintain a healthy battery and keep your car running smoothly in winter. Most of these tips are simple yet effective, and we’ll break them down for you!
How to Keep Car Battery Warm in Winter?
Park in a Garage
If you have access to a garage, a covered area, or an underground space, use it to shield your car from cold and extreme temperatures. These closed spaces provide extra insulation which helps maintain your car battery’s temperature overnight.
Test Your Battery
Before winter hits, conduct battery checks with a trusted battery specialist to ensure your car battery is working properly. A specialist can test its voltage, identify any issues, and provide necessary suggestions to keep your battery going during the winter months.
Use a Battery Blanket
Using a battery blanket can keep your battery warm in cold weather. These tools provide consistent heat and help to maintain your battery’s efficiency during winter months.
Stay Prepared
In winter, engine oil thickens and flows slowly, forcing the engine to work harder which strains your car battery. It’s recommended to get a fresh oil change before the winter season to ensure your car runs smoothly.
Drive Your Car Often
Driving your car often is essential to keep the battery charged. Experts recommend that you should drive your car for at least 30 minutes two or three times a week to prevent the battery from losing energy. Driving your car, even for quick trips, is better than letting it run idle, as it allows the alternator to recharge the battery while keeping the engine active.
Read More: Signs of a Bad Alternator vs Bad Battery: The Ultimate Guide
Clear the Way for Power
One of the keys to getting better performance is lowering your battery’s internal resistance. Clean the white, ashy corrosion on your battery terminals using water, baking soda, and a toothbrush. If left untreated, this internal corrosion can weaken connections and reduce efficiency.
Go Easy on Your Battery
Cold weather automatically slows down the chemical reactions inside your car battery, so it’s important to go easy on it during this season. While being a good friend and jump-starting someone else’s car is kind, doing it too often can strain your own battery.
Install a Winter Battery
Winter batteries might not be cheap, but they’re worth investing in for smooth and dependable performance during cold temperatures. Unlike a typical car battery, a winter battery has higher cold cranking amps (CCA), enabling it to deliver the extra power needed to start your car in severe weather conditions.
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How Does Cold Weather Affect Car Battery Performance?
When the temperature drops, your car battery’s ability to provide power decreases drastically, at 0°C, it operates at about 65% of its capacity, and at -18°C, it drops to just 40%. Moreover, the use of heated seats and other electrical systems puts extra strain on the battery, leading to a very unfortunate situation where a car battery dies in cold weather. A reliable cold-weather car battery is your best defence against those frosty morning fails because it enables you to stay on the move, no matter how low the temperature drops.
What Is a Cold Weather Battery and Why Do You Need One?
A cold-weather battery is designed specifically to perform better in freezing and cold temperatures, which is something drivers in Canada need. With higher cold cranking amps (CCA), it provides the extra power needed to start your vehicle in harsh winter conditions. There are several types of cold-weather batteries, including absorbed glass mat batteries (AGM), enhanced flood batteries (EFB), and lithium-ion batteries. It’s recommended to ask a specialist about the best winter battery for your car, as each type of battery has its advantages.
How Long Should You Run Your Car to Charge the Battery in Cold Weather?
If you don’t use your car daily, it’s important to drive it for at least 20-30 minutes two or three times a week. These trips keep your car battery charged and engine warm, and your alternator working efficiently, and they’re better than letting your car run idle. Driving at higher speeds, like on highways, allows the alternator to recharge the battery more effectively than idling in your driveway.
If you haven’t used your car for so long, you might face issues like a frozen car battery, which can leave you stranded in the cold. However, even if you’re stuck with a broken-down car any time of the day or night, we’ll not leave you out in the cold! Our car towing service is available 24/7, all you need to do is to
Read More:
- How to Tow a Car with Another Car: Step-by-Step Guide
- Car Stuck in Snow? How To Get Your Car Out Of Snow in 10 Steps
If a Car Battery Dies in the Cold, Will it Recharge?
Unfortunately, if your car battery dies, it can’t recharge on its own, especially in cold temperatures where chemical reactions are even slower than usual. The good news is if your “dead car battery” isn’t completely dead, a jump-start, a portable charger, or other battery boost services can help restore it. However, if your battery lifespan is near its end, your battery might not be able to hold a charge and will require a replacement.
Explore our battery boosting service areas.
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Do Batteries Die Overnight when Cold?
Yes, car batteries lose their ability to perform efficiently when it’s cold, which can lead to them dying overnight. Due to the slow chemical reactions caused by freezing temperature, the battery’s capacity to generate and hold charge is significantly reduced. If the battery is already weak or low on charge, the cold can drain it entirely, leaving you with a dead car battery that can’t start the engine.
How to Prevent Car Battery Drain in Cold Weather?
Following these tips can prevent your car battery from being drained in cold weather:
- Avoid Short Trips: These trips won’t allow your car battery to charge fully and frequent short trips in winter can drain your battery very quickly, leading to battery failure.
- Buy a Winter Battery: Investing in AGM batteries, the best car battery for winter, is highly recommended to avoid battery drain in freezing temperatures.
- Get a Trickle Charger: If you don’t drive your car regularly in winter, get a charger to keep your battery charged over time.
- Test Your Battery: Regular battery checks can help you identify issues with your battery, the battery’s life, and whether it needs to be replaced.
- Keep the Battery Fully Charged: A fully charged battery is less likely to drain or die in cold temperatures, so you should drive your car regularly or get a trickle charger to stay powered.
- Don’t Use Accessories: Accessories like seat warmers, music players, and phone chargers are cool, but they put an extra load on your battery. Unplugging these accessories can prevent your battery from dying by reducing the load on it.
- Clear Up Resistance: Clean your battery terminals from internal corrosion regularly because it increases the resistance between the terminal’s connections, putting extra load on the battery and reducing its performance and life.
What Is a Cold Battery and How Does It Affect Your Car?
A cold battery is a car battery that has been exposed to cold temperatures, resulting in several battery issues such as lower performance, reduced capacity, and eventually complete failure. Cold weather slows down the liquid electrolytes inside the battery, which reduces the chemical reactions needed to generate and store energy. Getting proper battery maintenance and using winter batteries for your car can reduce the likelihood of battery issues resulting from cold temperatures.
Why Do Batteries Die in the Cold?
Car batteries die in the cold because the cold drains battery power by slowing down the electrochemical reactions inside the battery. This reduced efficiency means the battery struggles to generate and store power, leading to rocky starts and total failure in some cases. Moreover, using seat warmers, heaters, and defrosters in winter puts an additional strain on your car battery, further reducing its efficiency.
At What Temperature Does a Car Battery Freeze?
-22°F is the temperature at which a car battery can die if it’s not fully charged. At this temperature, the liquid electrolytes inside the battery start which stops the chemical reactions needed to generate power and start the engine. Even before reaching this freezing state, cold weather significantly impacts your battery’s life by reducing its capacity and efficiency.
How Often Should I Start My Car in Cold Weather?
You should start your car every 3-5 days in cold weather to avoid drained or dead battery. However, starting your car alone isn’t enough— it’s highly recommended that you drive your car for at least 20-30 minutes to allow the alternator to recharge the battery effectively. These trips are better than letting your car run idle because idling wastes fuel and can lead to unnecessary wear over time.
What Is the Best Car Battery for Cold Weather?
The best car batteries for cold weather are absorbed glass mat batteries (AGM), enhanced flood batteries (EFB), and lithium-ion batteries. These batteries work well in cold and freezing temperatures by providing more starting power. Absorbed glass mat batteries and enhanced flood batteries are suitable for traditional vehicles, while lithium-ion batteries are great for hybrid or electric vehicles.
What Are the Best Car Batteries for Cold Weather in Canada?
If you want to invest in a winter battery, here are the best car batteries for cold weather in Canada:
- Optima Batteries RedTop 35
- Odyssey 65-PC1750T Automotive and LTV Battery
- DieHard 51R
- ACDelco Gold 48AGM Battery
- Exide Edge FP-AGM24F Flat Plate AGM Sealed Automotive Battery
- ACDelco Gold 94RAGM Professional Battery
Each one of these batteries has its advantages, but all of them are designed to perform well in harsh winter conditions.
What Are the Best Truck Batteries for Cold Weather?
The best truck battery for cold weather is the Optima YellowTop D34/78 Dual Purpose AGM Battery. It provides sufficient starting power and offers long-lasting performance in adverse weather conditions. There are also other batteries that you can get for your truck in winter such as:
- Odyssey 34-PC1500T Automotive and LTV Battery
- ACDelco Gold 48AGM Battery
- Weize Platinum AGM Battery BCI Group 94R
Does Cold Weather Affect Electric Vehicle Batteries?
Yes, cold weather affects electric vehicle batteries and they may experience a slight decrease in range, longer charging time, and reduced performance. To avoid these issues during winter, it’s recommended to charge your EV indoors or in a sheltered area to protect the battery from freezing temperatures.
How Does Cold Weather Affect Hybrid Vehicle Batteries?
Cold weather can significantly affect your hybrid vehicle battery by reducing its ability to store and generate energy. It slows down the electrochemical reactions inside the battery, causing it to recharge slower than usual.
Preventive Battery Maintenance for Winter
- Check Your Battery Condition: Routine battery checks are always important, especially in winter
- Check Your Connections: Examine cables, connections, and terminals to ensure they’re tight and clean.
- Keep Your Battery Warm: Park in a garage or a sheltered area, use a battery blanket and drive your car often to keep the battery charged.
- Unplug Unnecessary Accessories: Devices like seat warmers and phone chargers put an extra load on your battery, so it’s better to stop using them if not needed.
- Buy a Battery Charger: A car battery charger is worth investing in because it will protect you from unexpected dead batteries, especially in cold weather.
- Get a Winter Battery: Winter batteries such as absorbed glass mat batteries (AGM), enhanced flood batteries (EFB), and lithium-ion batteries are your best option in winter.
- Join Our Membership: Our program for the best roadside assistance in Canada is designed to keep you safe on the road with 24/7 support, and it’s just one click away 1- 866-519-4001!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cover my car battery with a blanket?
If you mean a regular cotton or wool blanket, then the answer is no! However, there are blankets designed specifically for your car battery to keep it warm during winter months. These battery blankets are safe to use, easy to install, and a great investment to keep you going all winter.
How do I keep my car battery from dying in the cold?
There are several effective methods you can follow to keep your battery from dying in the cold, including:
- Parking in a garage or a sheltered area.
- Getting a battery blanket.
- Unplugging unnecessary accessories such as phone charging cables.
- Using seat warmers and defrosters only when needed.
- Driving for at least 20-30 minutes two or three times a week.
What happens if a car battery gets too cold?
If your car battery gets too cold, it’ll lose charge quickly and struggle to deliver enough power to start your car. This happens because the chemical reaction between the lead and the sulfuric acid inside the battery slows down in freezing temperatures.
What is the best battery for cold weather in Canada?
Absorbed glass mat batteries (AGM) are the best cold-weather batteries in Canada because they offer high Cold Cranking Amps (CCA), ensuring your car starts easily even in harsh winter conditions. They are also durable and recharge faster than other batteries.
Can you jump-start a car in the cold?
Yes, you can jump-start your car if the battery isn’t completely dead. However, we recommend against jump-starting your car in temperatures below -4°F, because it’ll be harder for the battery and engine to start.
What is a battery Blanket?
A battery blanket is an insulated cover designed specifically to warm up car batteries in winter. It often includes a built-in heating element that prevents the battery from freezing. Battery blankets are safe, easy to install, and plug into a standard electrical outlet.
Is it OK to leave batteries in a cold car?
Although it’s safe, we don’t recommend leaving batteries in a cold car, especially in freezing temperatures. The freezing temperature slows down the chemical reaction inside the battery, causing it to gradually lose its capacity till it completely dies.
Should I bring my car battery inside for winter?
If you use your car regularly, then it’s better to keep your battery inside your car. However, if you’re planning to leave your car for a while, especially in freezing temperatures, it’s a good idea to remove the battery and store it indoors in a cool, dry place.
Will a trickle charger keep a battery from freezing?
The short answer is yes! A trickle charger can keep your battery While a trickle charger doesn’t directly warm the battery, it keeps it charged, reducing the chances of ending up with a frozen, dead battery in the winter.
Is a battery ruined if it freezes?
If your car has been parked in a cold place for an extended period, then the battery may freeze if it’s not fully charged. When the electrolyte inside the battery freezes, it expands, which can crack the casing and damage the internal components. A frozen battery is often irreparable and may need to be replaced.
How can you tell if a car battery is frozen?
You can tell if a car battery is frozen if:
- It’s swollen and it feels solid when you move it or tap it.
- It has visible cracks or leaks.
- It won’t hold a charge.
- It won’t respond when you try to jump-start it.
Roadside Assistance Services in Your Area
If your car battery dies or you find yourself stranded in harsh winter conditions, our roadside assistance services are here to help. We offer reliable, 24/7 support across multiple locations to get you back on the road safely. Our service areas include: