Tips for maintaining batteries year-round so you aren’t stuck in the cold

As winter weather conditions intensify Canadians increasingly find themselves sitting in the driveway in a car that won’t start. According to Canadian Energy, contrary to popular belief it is actually the intense heat of summer, not the cold of winter, which has ceased your car from starting.

“Batteries store better and last longer in cooler conditions and climates than they do in hot climates. During summer months, high temperatures under the hood of your car can be extreme and cause the active material in the battery plates to deteriorate rapidly and the grids to corrode,” said Randy Anderson, National Technical Sales & Training Manager, Canadian Energy. “We don’t normally notice a loss of performance in the summer months because the vehicle is much easier to start when warm. However, in the cold of winter the fluids in our engines are less viscous and the cold reduces the power available from the battery, resulting in your car not starting and the belief that the cold killed the battery.”

Canadians are more reliant on batteries as they power how we move for both work and play. Canadian Energy recommends following these simple tips to help avoid getting stuck in the cold this winter:

– Have batteries tested by a qualified technician annually, this can be done when putting on winter tires as part of an overall vehicle winter preparedness routine.

– Electric vehicles, such as golf carts, featuring traditional wet flooded batteries need to be properly maintained and should have the electrolyte levels checked and topped up every 15-20 cycles, this means topping with distilled water when the levels reach the low point.

– Cable and terminal connections should be cleaned and re torqued on all battery types on a regular basis to ensure good connectivity as corroded terminals and connectors can result in machine run time issues, charging issues and damaged terminals.

– High performance recreational vehicles with electronic ignition, fuel injection and electric starters are hyper sensitive to low battery voltage and state of charge. It’s very important that these batteries be maintained in a full state of charge while not is use so that they do not lose their ability to power these vital components.

Canadian Energy

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