AAA Northeast replaces thousands of batteries per month and that number climbs as the weather gets colder. The average life of a battery in the northeast is just under five years old. Even though the winter is when most batteries fail it is the summer heat that causes damage to a battery.
“The higher the temperatures inside a battery the quicker it degrades. Checking your vehicle battery periodically is the best way to prevent battery failure and being stranded. Once your vehicle’s battery is three years old it should be checked on an annual basis,” said John Paul, AAA Northeast Senior Manager of Traffic Safety and the AAA Car Doctor. “As important as checking the battery condition is inspecting the battery cables and connections for corrosion. If there are any signs of corrosion, remove the cables and clean the connections. AAA can provide mobile battery testing and replacement or drive to your local repair shop for testing. Checking your vehicle’s battery before winter should be as routine and checking the engine coolant.”
If batteries suffer damage during the hot weather, why do they fail in the cold weather? According to AAA research, when the temperatures drop to 32 degrees your vehicle battery loses 35 percent of its capacity. When the temperatures get even colder, your engine requires up to 50 percent more energy to crank over and start all while the battery has even lost more of its strength.
So, what can a motorist do? Starting a car and letting it idle in cold weather does very little to keep the battery charged. In fact, many vehicles today only recharge their batteries when the car is under way. If you don’t drive often, start your car and go for a 30-minute drive to help keep the battery charged and prevent other systems from rusting from lack of use.
Remember, if your car started with a jumpstart, you didn’t fix the problem, only the symptom of it not starting, says AAA. Have the battery, starting and charging system tested. This entire process can be completed in just a few minutes and help prevent a breakdown in the future.