As winter temperatures get increasingly colder, keep in mind that your car’s battery feels the cold too, and a cold winter morning is when you’re most likely to be stranded with a faulty battery.
When the mercury drops, your car battery’s ability to provide sufficient power to start and run the engine is reduced. Due to the cooling of engine lubricants, more power is required to start your vehicle than in normal weather conditions, and as such, failure is more likely to result.
The age of the battery and the drop in the temperature will also influence the recharging of the battery. The increased drain from the battery requires a longer engine running time to replace the charge that was used during the heavier start. If your trip is too short, the charge cycle will be insufficient, and your battery’s capacity will gradually decline until it can no longer perform as intended.
It’s a known fact that the number of battery replacements increase in winter as aging and weaker units succumb to the increased loads they are subjected to. Lockdown regulations have also seen many Zimbabweans leave their cars unused for extended periods or only used for short trips with quick starts and stops that prevent the battery from fully recharging. These are some of the primary causes of battery failure.
There are easy ways of reducing damage and keeping your battery running smoothly for as long as possible. Here are a few tips to getting the most out of your battery:
- Keep your car sheltered
Ambient temperatures can cause your battery to fail if they drop too low. Where possible, park your car indoors, or under a car cover. If you must park outside, do so in a sheltered area.
- Maintenance
Modern-day batteries do need a minimum amount of maintenance to keep running efficiently. It’s important to keep the top of the battery and the area around the terminals clean and dry. Make sure the battery terminals are securely connected to the terminal posts and check for any leaks.
