Your car’s battery is more sensitive than you might think, particularly when it comes to temperature. Choisser Automotive Services has some advice about how you can keep your battery running well even when the weather is working against you.
Start the Car Every Few Days
Your car’s battery drains a little bit every day, even when the car isn’t on. That’s why if you don’t drive the car all that often, you might want to go ahead and start it once in a while. That’s even more important in colder weather, because low temperatures take a toll on your car’s battery. Letting the car run for fifteen to twenty minutes is plenty of time to get a charge back into the battery.
Make Sure You’re Up to Date on Services
When you are behind on some of the routine services that your car needs, your battery can suffer. That’s because every system in the car works together to keep everything else working properly. Skipping routine services like oil changes puts a strain on the engine, which in turn puts a strain on other things, including the battery. You can avoid that by simply sticking to your car’s maintenance schedule.
Turn Off Accessories and Lights
Most cars don’t require that you turn off lights and accessories, because there’s an auto-shutoff that ensures they don’t pull from the battery when the car is off. But just in case, it’s good practice to make sure that when you leave your car, you turn off lights and accessories. That helps to serve as a failsafe, just to make sure you’re not accidentally draining the battery.
Get the Battery Tested
Not sure how old your battery is or how well it’s holding up? The best way around that is to get the battery tested so you know exactly where you stand. When you have a solid understanding of what’s happening with your car’s battery, you’re able to make a change before you end up with battery trouble or worse, stranded somewhere with absolutely no battery power.
When you need to know what’s going on with your battery, contact Choisser Automotive Services in Davidsonville, MD and set up an appointment for service. We’ll help you to stay on top of whatever your car’s battery needs and help to make sure that you don’t end up stranded on the side of the road with a dead battery.