Battery Care Tips This Winter

The blog this week is about taking care of your car battery this winter. The weather at the moment is very wet and cold and looks to be lasting for some time. Our tips are to help you be more prepared to avoid a flat battery. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising, food costs are soaring etc so when it comes to owning a car, we need all the help we can get to keep costs down. Read on to find out more:

It makes great financial sense to look after your car battery throughout the year. However, if it is going to let you down, chances are  it will happen during the winter! Please see some handy tips below to help you care for your car battery and save you money.

1. Always start the engine before switching on any systems such as your heater, radio, heated rear screen, de-mister, lights or anything else. That way, the alternator gets to share the work of running these circuits. Once you are on our way seeing clearly, remember to switch everything off you don’t need so that the alternator can get on with replacing the energy lost whilst starting the engine.
2. In really cold weather limit the number of short trips you make to preserve battery charge. Make sure that you do a longer run during the week to top up your battery charge. If you have a diesel car you need to ensure that you protect your DPF filter.
3. If you have a battery charger or conditioner, use it if the weather turns particularly cold. If your car is going to be sitting in the garage for some time unused it is best to put it on a trickle charge.
4. If one morning the starter motor sounds a bit sluggish, get your battery checked at your local independent garage. Don’t wait for it to fail completely tomorrow because this may bring avoidable additional charges.
5. Wipe down the top of the battery if it looks damp or dirty. Clean around the positive and negative terminals. Once clean, smear something like Vaseline on the terminals to prevent them from corrosion. If your car is regularly serviced your local independent garage will normally put grease on the terminals for you.
6. If you have a flat battery, check if it will take a charge first before spending money on a new one.  
7. Inevitably no battery will last forever but if you ever have to disconnect your car battery for whatever reason, REMEMBER to make a note of your radio code first! Write it down in your owner’s manual. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire.