It is common for the batteries to die during the winter. With a battery that constantly dies during these cold months, here are the reasons why they die.

Cooling effect

This is the most common reason why most batteries die in the cold months. According to the battery council international, the cooling effect greatly reduces the power necessary to start the car.

The council says that when the temperature outside is 80F, an entirely charged battery includes 100% of its power intact. If the temperature goes down to 32F, a fully charged battery will have about seventy percent of its energy available. Although, this power is quite high, it may cause problems while starting the car. At zero F, the same entirely charged battery will have only forty percent of its energy available to start the car. The little power is what makes it impossible to start the car.

Driving habits

No. People do not have bad driving habits during the winter. What happens is that during winter many people tend to use up less time driving; they make short trips. Shorter trips are usually not enough to charge the battery fully. Due to the little charge in the battery and the cooling effect, the battery ultimately dies.

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Excessive use of battery power

During winter, the more battery power is used. The power is used to warm up while in the car, a defroster is used for the windshield, and since the nights are longer than days, headlights are used more often. When the entire above are used at the same time, the battery is left with minimal power that is often not enough to start the car.

How to keep the battery charged

To prevent your battery from dying during winter months, there are few things for you can do. If you have a garage, keep the car inside it. This will protect the battery from the cold. Also, ensure that you keep the terminals tight in their post. Also, ensure that the terminals are corrosion free.

Furthermore, while driving, you should minimize the number of accessories that are connected to the battery. For example, if you can do without the heater, turn it off.

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Finally, if the battery fails to turn the motor over, you should take the battery to a warmer place.

Conclusion

Although, a low battery is the most common cause of startup failures during the cold season, it is not always the cause.

If you see that your headlights brighten and dim occasionally, the problem is not the battery, but rather the alternator. To avoid being stranded in a cold parking lot, change or repair the alternator ASAP.