Your Car Battery – Issues Getting Your Car Started In The Cold?

The blog this week is about car batteries. When temperatures drop and you find yourself having issues starting your Volvo or Toyota, more often than not the issue lies with your battery. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising, food costs are soaring, insurance costs are rising 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:
During the current cold and damp weather, we are experiencing, it can play havoc on your car batteries as your vehicle electrical systems have to work a lot harder at this time of year. Your starter motor requires all the current it can get to start the engine on these cold mornings. With more and more vehicle equipment demanding electricity this is more of a problem than ever. Ensure everything is off before starting your car – such as heaters, heated seats, radio etc. We recommend checking and, if needs be, charging your battery at least once a week during the winter months, particularly if it is more than three years old.
Cold temperatures affect the chemical process inside the battery that produces and stores electricity, effectively slowing it down and reducing the battery’s ability to hold the charge. Older, weaker batteries will typically already have reduced performance, and cold temperatures will often drastically reduce this further, to the point where the battery will discharge or go flat very quickly. If you are doing lots of short journeys and using everything then you may find your battery depleting quickly.
Remember to:
- Switch off all loads including lights, wipers, heater, radio. AC etc before switching off your engine at the end of your journey. This prevents any unnecessary drain on the battery the next time you start up. Check that everything is switched off before turning the ignition on
- Avoid using your heaters, heated windscreens, heated steering wheel, and heated seats for longer than you must as they all put high demands on the vehicle’s battery.
- Some satnavs, in-car DVD players and iPods can also drain the battery if left connected – so ensure they are disconnected or are off.
- Check that there are no interior lights, including boot lights, left on or any accessories such as phone chargers left connected. We have had many a vehicle in with battery issues only to find that the boot light is at fault.
- If you are doing lots of short journeys but using a high load you will be putting a big strain on your battery. Putting you at a higher risk for starting issues.
- Park your vehicle in a garage whenever possible, to keep it dry and warm
- Get your battery tested, particularly if it is over three years old, you can always ask for this to be done during your regular servicing schedule.
If your battery does need replacing, call in and we can advise you on which battery you need and safely dispose of your old battery. Please do not put your old battery in your bin at home - it must be disposed of in the correct manner. So, you must take it to your local recycling centre and put it in the appropriate area. 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