Does winter weather kill car batteries?

During the colder months, more and more drivers are faced with a vehicle that simply won't start. Is cold weather to blame? The answer is more complicated than it might seem, especially for drivers from the south. Learn more about the effects of cold on car batteries here. 

How cold weather affects car batteries

So cold weather is killing your car's battery? Yes and no. Cold temperatures put a serious strain on your battery, so the winter season is often the catalyst for car battery replacement. In cold weather, your car faces two problems at once: loss of power due to slow chemical reactions and oil/engine problems.

Loss of power and slow chemical reactions

Frosty weather drains the battery by 30-60%. Your battery naturally recharges while you drive, but first you have to deal with the issue of starting it up. Why does cold drain the battery?

Most batteries work by an electrochemical reaction that sends power signals to your terminals. This chemical reaction slows down in colder weather, weakening your battery's power. 

Oil and engine problems

In cold weather, your car's oil becomes much thicker. Low temperatures also stress internal components such as the radiator, belts and hoses. Combined, this slows down your engine, causing it to need an extra boost of power to start. Combined with the fact that your battery has less power, this can prevent your engine from turning over. 

The secret of dead car batteries in winter

You may find yourself thinking, "This is not too cold - why is my battery dying?" This is a common problem for southern drivers. Frosty winter temperature battery loadbut that's not often what kills your battery. Ultimately, the real killer of car batteries is the summer heat. This causes internal battery corrosion and vaporizes the electrolytes your battery depends on.

Summer damage then renders your battery unable to deal with the stress of cold weather. For southern drivers, this means that your car battery wears out a lot in the summer. Then, when the weather turns cold, your battery doesn't have the structural integrity to handle the additional seasonal challenges. If you need help getting to a mechanic to change your battery, here's our guide to helping your car start when it's battling the cold.

Tips for protecting your car in winter

Luckily, there are some steps you can take to combat winter battery problems. Here are some tips for protecting your battery from cold weather. 

• Target corrosion: Corrosion on a battery can drain its charge. It can also suppress the electrical conduction that is responsible for starting your car. If your car doesn't start well, corrosion, and not necessarily the battery, may be the cause of these problems. That is, you can extend battery life by having a technician clean or replace rusted terminals. 
• Change of oil: It's worth repeating that engine oil plays a key role in protecting your battery and engine. Make sure you follow your oil change schedule, especially during the winter months.
• Summer car care: We cannot stress this enough. The summer heat here in the south destroys car batteries from the inside, leading to immediate failure or failure during the winter season. It is necessary to protect the car battery from the summer heat and bring it for scheduled preventive examinations.
• Park your car in your garage: When possible, parking in a garage can help protect your car and battery from the effects of cold weather.
• Cover your car for the night: Car covers can also help you keep some of the heat in and protect your car from ice. 
• Minimize battery usage: Be sure to turn off car headlights when not in use and unplug all chargers to minimize battery drain. 
• Give the battery time to charge: The alternator recharges the battery while driving. Short trips and frequent stop/start trips don't give your battery much time or support to recharge. Take the car on longer trips from time to time, this can help recharge the battery. Here are some winter driving tips.

Chapel Hill Tire Battery Maintenance

Whether you need new terminals, rust cleaning, car battery replacement or oil change, Chapel Hill Tire is here to help. We have nine offices in the Triangle area in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex and Carrborough. Chapel Hill Tire is proud to offer transparent prices on our services page and coupons to make our car services as affordable as possible for drivers. You can make an appointment here online or give us a call to get started today!

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