How to Winterize Your Car Battery for Icy Winters
Car batteries rely on chemical reactions to generate power, and cold weather slows down chemical reactions. The winter season greatly reduces battery capacity, reducing battery power up to 50 percent at a time when your car's chilled engine actually needs more power to get started. The prospect of a dead battery on an icy road is not a welcome one; always include battery maintenance as an essential part of your car's annual winterization process.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Distilled water
- Battery cables (optional)
- Handheld multimeter (optional)
- Battery charger
- Wire brush
- Baking soda
- Lint-free cloth
- Battery tender (optional)
Instructions
-
-
1
Inspect your battery thoroughly before the winter season. Tighten any loose connections and examine the battery cables for cracks and breaks. Replace any worn or cracked cables.
-
2
Clean any corroded posts or connections. Scrub the posts and connections with a small wire brush and a paste of baking soda and water. Wipe them clean with a lint-free cloth.
-
-
3
Uncover the battery's refill hole, or holes, by removing their caps. Check the battery fluid level. If it is below the bottom of the cap, top it off with distilled water.
-
4
Check your vehicle's volt gauge on its dashboard, if so equipped, or use a handheld multimeter, set to a 50-volt scale, to obtain the battery's level of charge. Contact the multimeter's red meter lead -- the tip at the end of the red wire -- to the positive battery terminal and the black lead to the negative terminal. Hold the leads in place for a few seconds until the meter's digital or analog readout stabilizes. A reading of 12.6 to 12.8 volts indicates a fully charged battery, and a reading of 12.2 to 12.4 volts indicates a half-charged battery. Readings of 12.0 volts or below indicate a discharged battery. Connect a discharged battery to a battery charger until fully charged.
-
5
Take your car to a certified automotive repair shop for a battery load test if your battery is older than three years. Replace your battery if advised by the mechanic. The mechanic should also clean up corrosion and top off your battery fluid, if needed.
-
6
Remove your battery and connect it to a battery tender if storing your car for the winter. Tenders “float” car batteries, meaning they keep them at a consistent power level rather than constantly charging them. This keeps your battery ready to perform once the winter passes.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you decide to replace your battery before winter, never buy a battery with a manufacture date that is six months or older. When purchasing a new battery, select one with a high cold cranking amps, or CCA, rating. CCA ratings of 600 or above cater to cold climates.
Wear heavy gloves when performing battery maintenance; charged batteries contain immense amounts of energy, so it's best to keep your hands insulated.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
