Car battery maintenance guide in cold seasons

Consider a cold winter morning, after a cold night, when you plan to drive to work early in the morning. Maybe you also think about whether the car will start or not before you get into the car. Actually, starting the car on cold days is a concern of many drivers. In this article, we are going to talk about the best way to maintain the car battery in cold seasons and give practical tips in this field so that you can start with confidence in the good condition of the battery.


Car battery maintenance principles in cold seasons

By turning on the car, we make sure that some important parts of the car, including the battery, are healthy. In other words, for the car to start, first of all, the car’s battery must work properly, and if the battery is healthy, the car will start and turn on. But after starting the car, the battery will still be needed. Audio equipment, xenon lights, coolers, etc. take the necessary energy to work from the battery. On the other hand, the general condition of the battery in cold weather is not as good as in hot weather. In cold weather, battery performance usually slows down, and for this reason, we need to ensure battery health during the cold months of the year by applying a few important tips.

What types of batteries are more suitable for cold weather?

There are two types of car batteries, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages and is suitable for different conditions. These two types of batteries are as follows:

1- Dry or atomic batteries

You have probably heard terms like battery water or battery acid. Dry batteries, which are also called atomic or sealed, do not have battery water, and for this reason, they are called dry. These emerging batteries have simplified the work for drivers and car owners. Due to the cap on the surface of the dry battery, access to the cells of dry batteries is not easy, and although they contain electrolyte, the material of the plates is designed in such a way that there is no need to add distilled water.

Dry batteries are usually slightly more expensive than acid batteries and sometimes last up to twice as long as lead batteries. But the most important problem with these batteries is their high cost compared to acid batteries. But on the other hand, lighter weight and more functionality are the strengths of shielded batteries. Another advantage of this type of battery is the absence of liquid and the possibility of evaporation and leakage. In a general view, car battery maintenance in cold seasons is much easier for atomic batteries.

2- Acidic or non-shielded batteries

Lead acid batteries have been used in cars for years and most people are familiar with their maintenance method. Among the most important differences between this type of battery and sealed batteries is the presence of acid in these batteries. In addition, acid batteries cannot be serviced or even repaired.

Does maintaining the car battery in cold seasons help the car’s electrical equipment?

To maintain the car battery in cold seasons, you only need to pay attention to a few key points. Although the car battery needs attention in hot and cold seasons, the cold is a potential danger for the car battery. In other words, in addition to the battery, cold weather also challenges the operation of other parts, which also affect the performance of the battery.

The activity of the car battery is the result of chemical reactions that take place inside the battery. One of the destructive effects of cold on the battery is to slow down these interactions. Considering the fact that the slowing down of chemical reactions inside the battery leads to disruption and slower power supply, many electrical devices inside the car, such as the audio system, will not perform optimally in cold weather. Meanwhile, these equipments need more electricity to work in cold weather.

What factors cause battery power to decrease in cold weather?

According to the research of Electro Sanat Tehran regarding car battery maintenance in cold seasons, the changes caused by the cold in the car oil lead to a decrease in battery power in cold seasons. As the temperature decreases, car oil, which is a liquid substance, tends to become concentrated. As the weather gets colder, car oil becomes thicker and therefore harder. Car oil hardening has many effects on different parts of the car. Among these, we can mention the reduction of battery power up to 50%, which will eventually lead to the difficulty of starting the car. You definitely know that the health of the battery is the most important and necessary factor for starting the car.

In this way, knowing all the dangers that cold weather has for the car battery, we should try to maintain the car battery in the cold seasons in the best way so that we don’t see the car not starting or incur the cost of buying a battery. In the following, Ariano draws your attention to tips on car battery maintenance in cold seasons.


9 tips for car battery maintenance in cold seasons

  • The first step in car battery maintenance in cold seasons is to keep the battery warm. But keeping the battery warm does not mean using direct heat. The first condition for ideal battery maintenance in cold seasons is to park the car in a covered parking lot. The temperature of the indoor parking lot is usually warmer than the outdoor area, so the battery does not get colder than usual during the cold hours of the night.
  • If it is not possible to park the car in a covered space, it is better to use different types of car covers so that the cold is not transferred to the car through the hood and finally to the battery. In addition, if you decide to put the car in the parking lot for a long time and it is likely that it will not start for a long time, the use of the cover will delay the freezing of the battery fluid.
  • To store the car battery in cold seasons, if you plan to store the car in the open air, and you are sure that you will not use the car for a while, disconnect the negative connection of the battery but keep the positive connection still connected. Also keep in mind that you need to connect the negative connection every few days.
  • Keep the car battery clean. In the previous parts of the article on car battery maintenance in cold seasons, we said that the performance of the battery is the result of the interactions that take place in the battery and as a result, the battery provides the necessary conditions for starting the car. Although these chemical reactions take place inside the battery, they sometimes emit hydrogen, which collects as a white mass around the terminals of acid batteries.
  • Regular cleaning of this mass from around the battery poles has a great effect on increasing the battery life. For this purpose, you can use household compounds such as water and baking soda and clean the battery pole. After cleaning the poles, you can use grease or petroleum jelly to prevent the batteries from being sulfated in the future. This work is also effective in maintaining the car’s battery in cold seasons, because not cleaning this white powder also leads to the risk of sudden shutdown of the car in cold weather.
  • In cold weather, pay attention to the battery charge. Research has shown that when the battery is fully charged, there is no risk of the battery fluid freezing even at temperatures as low as minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. But if it is empty of charge, the battery liquid will freeze at minus 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold is one of the causes of electrical resistance.
  • The average life of a car battery is between 3 and 5 years. We must not forget that cold is a destructive factor that damages even healthy and new batteries. It is better to drive regularly to maintain the car battery in cold seasons and prevent damage caused by cold. But be careful that driving short distances is also harmful because the battery will not have enough time to charge. Also, if you decide to drive for a long time, avoid frequent stops.
  • Starting and turning on the car is the first sign that the car is healthy. But in addition to providing the necessary energy for starting, the energy required for the work of other parts such as the cooler, xenon lamps and the audio system is also in charge of the battery. For this reason, it is better to give the alternator time to charge the battery before turning on this equipment. Also, wait a while to turn on parts that use battery power.
  • The last tip for car battery maintenance in cold seasons is to remove the snow and ice from the surface of the hood as soon as possible when it snows so that the cold does not penetrate into the hood and battery.

Summary of car battery maintenance in cold seasons

In this article, we have provided a guide for car battery maintenance in cold seasons, and while expressing the importance of battery maintenance in cold seasons, we have pointed out the possible damages that may be caused to the battery due to the cold. Considering the importance of the battery in turning on the car and starting it, in the following article, we also mentioned 9 essential tips to keep the battery healthy in the cold season. But you should remember that buying a high-quality car battery is the first step to ensure that the car starts in the cold season.

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