United Tire and Service News

If you find your car battery dead in winter, you are one of many drivers who have had winter car battery problems. These problems often happen when the temperature falls below freezing for an extended period. Such issues occur because cold weather weakens your car's battery. This may cause problems starting your vehicle. Thankfully, there are measures that you can take that will prevent battery problems in cold weather. Read on to learn more about how cold weather affects car batteries.

 

If you are concerned about how cold weather may affect your car's battery, you should know that cold temperatures can significantly weaken your battery. This is because your battery relies on an electrochemical reaction to work. The speed of this reaction slows down significantly as the weather gets colder. This results in a less powerful chemical reaction, which gives your battery less electricity that it can send to your starter and your vehicle's other systems.

 

The effects of cold weather on car batteries start to become pronounced when the temperature drops below freezing. At a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, your battery will lose about 30% of its power. Your battery will continue to get weaker as the temperatures get colder. In fact, your battery will lose about 60% of its power at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 

Related: Common Signs of Battery Failure

 

Batteries that are weakened due to cold weather may not be powerful enough to start your vehicle's engine. This is because your vehicle's starter requires a great deal of power to start the engine. If the battery has been sitting in below-freezing temperatures for hours, you may hear nothing but a clicking sound when you turn the key. This is a sure-fire sign that your car's battery cannot power the starter.  This problem commonly occurs when you first attempt to start the vehicle in the morning. You will need to get a jump-start to get your vehicle started.  

 

 

If your battery fails due to cold weather, you may need a jump-start or even a tow. If you are unable to get a jump-start or a tow, you could find yourself stranded in the cold. Thankfully, it is relatively simple to prevent this from happening. 

 

Newer batteries, especially high-quality batteries, are powerful enough to reliably start vehicles in temperatures well below freezing. If you have an old battery or a low-quality model, you should replace it with a high-quality battery to ensure you will not have problems starting your car in the cold.

 

If you want to prepare your vehicle for cold weather, you need to have your battery checked. The highly trained technicians at United Tire can check your battery to determine whether it may cause your problems during the winter months. 

 

If this is the case, United Tire can provide you with a replacement battery that can handle cold weather. This could keep you from being stranded in dangerously cold temperatures. Call your local United Tire location or schedule an appointment online.