How To Keep Batteries Charged During Winter

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Automobile batteries aren't equally trouble-free as some other parts of your car. They work best in warm climates, and need to be constantly fed with energy to keep those internal chemic reactions balanced—even when the machine information technology's attached to isn't being driven often.

Store a car battery long plenty, and it's guaranteed to belch, no matter the temperature (we're looking at you, Californians with garage queens). In particularly bad scenarios, a depleted battery's electrolyte gets to freezing temps, and fissure the internals (and sometimes the case itself). Store your batteries properly, though, and these bug won't happen.

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Purchase the correct equipment.

Conveniently, effective battery chargers cost less than buying a new bombardment every year. (Translation: You lot accept no excuse.) Only don't cheap out and get a "dumb" trickle charger; models that accept a float, storage, or maintenance charge mode are preferred. Often called tenders—many of which are made by the Kleenex of the charging world, Battery Tender—they have intelligent circuitry within to wheel on and off and go along the battery at the right level without overcharging. They're perfect for winter lay up or whatsoever kind of long-term vehicle storage.

READ More: Why Warming Up Your Car in Winter is Bad

Prepare the patient.

Before attaching the leads, inspect the battery's terminals and cables, cleaning off any corrosion and replacing worn parts. This is besides a practiced time to apply some dielectric grease to prevent farther corrosion. Then it's equally easy equally slapping on the included alligator clips—red is positive, black is negative. If you lot're fancy, you can permanently install a quick disconnect. Only exist certain the charger is unplugged or off earlier making the connections.

READ MORE: ten Items Y'all'll Want in Your Auto for Wintertime Emergencies

If you can't run the cables without leaving the torso or hood open, exist sure in that location'due south no light on as a result. If there is, remove the seedling to reduce the drain and keep it from burning out prematurely.

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Accuse and test.

When it first starts up, the tender might be in charge style for upward to a couple days but should then switch to its storage manner, usually signified by a light on the tender. If it doesn't, or you have doubts that the charger is doing its job, a multimeter set to voltage can verify the state of charge; just unplug the charger earlier testing. A typical tender will accuse a 12-volt battery to 14.4 volts and let information technology get no lower than 12.6; whatever lower than that later on the initial accuse upwardly and there may be a problem with the battery or the charger.

The alternatives.

Yous tin remove the battery and bring information technology inside where information technology's (presumably) not freezing, but it can still discharge over the season. If y'all cull to remove the battery and put information technology on a charger, keep it in the garage, since charging creates hydrogen gas, which is a fire risk. You can skip the wooden cake between bombardment and concrete floor, though; with mod plastic cases, in that location'due south no longer a chance of the damp floor causing belch.

Following this advice will prolong the life of your battery, saving you money and bedevilment in the end. There's still no easy solution to wintertime weight gain, though.

READ MORE: 10 Cars That Are Perfect Winter Beaters