Winters Almost Here: 3 Easy Ways To Protect Your Battery

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Winter is just about here, which means it's time to start thinking about your car battery. The cold weather can wreak havoc on your battery. Cold weather can drain the energy, which can lead to slow starts and dead batteries. If that happens, you can find yourself stranded. Even if you're not going to be using your car during the winter, the cold weather can still cause damage. Here are four ways to protect your battery during the winter.

Remove the Corrosion

Cold, wet weather can lead to corrosion, that white powdery substance on your battery. Excessive corrosion can interfere with the connection between your car and the battery. When that happens, your car won't be able to get the power it needs to start the engine. Here are some simple instructions for removing battery corrosion.

Supplies You'll Need

Directions

  1. Loosen the nuts that connect the cables to the battery.
  2. Carefully remove the cables and set them to the side.
  3. Use a cloth to wipe the battery posts off and remove some of the loose corrosion.
  4. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda onto the posts.
  5. Dip your toothbrush in the water and scrub each of the posts.
  6. Use the cloth to wipe the posts clean.
  7. Place a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the posts to prevent the corrosion from returning,
  8. Attach the cables and tighten the nuts.

Reduce Accessory Use

Cold weather causes your battery to work harder when you start your car. If you have accessories on, it can drain the energy too quickly. When that happens, you could end up with a dead battery. To protect your battery during the winter, keep the accessories off while you're starting your car. This includes your heater, radio and windshield wipers. Once your car has been running for a few minutes, you can safely turn your accessories on without draining your battery.

Disconnect the Power

If you store your car in the garage during the winter, your battery could still sustain damage. Be sure to disconnect the battery cables before you store your car for the winter. Things like car alarms and clocks continue to drain energy even when your car isn't running.

The winter weather can be tough on cars, especially the battery. For more information about car batteries, contact Hub Auto Supply or a similar company.


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