Europe, especially northern Europe, has a climate strongly influenced by the ocean, with winter temperatures generally below freezing or even colder. Some experts predict that this winter will be the coldest year in Europe. However, due to the energy crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and Western sanctions, gas prices in European countries have soared to record highs, and local people in Europe have started to prepare electric heating devices such as electric heaters and electric blankets in order to save on the cost of keeping warm. But please do not forget to keep your car warm as well as your personal warmth.
The storage battery is a very important part of the car, from controlling the lights, windows, air conditioning and so on, to starting the engine, all need the “effectiveness” of the battery. If the battery is not properly used and maintained, a failure will not only affect the normal driving of the car, but will also cause safety hazards in serious cases. As the weather gets colder, car batteries also tend to go on strike.
Ⅰ. What are the signs before automotive battery failure?
1.Your car is having difficulty starting
Apart from other possible factors, if you suddenly find that your car is harder to start than before, it may be a sign that the automotive battery is about to die. Car battery losses and ageing can cause difficulties with cold starts in winter.
2. When idling, the headlights dim
When you wait for a red light or temporarily stop, and find that your headlights suddenly dim, it is also a precursor to failure. This is because the charging power of the engine drops when idling. If the car battery is not strong at this time and power is supplied to the electrical equipment in the car at the same time, the power distribution of the exterior headlights will drop significantly.
3. The automotive battery fault warning light is on
This is the most direct, the fault light is on, indicating that your car battery basically needs to be checked and replaced.
4. There is abnormal sound when starting
The starter squeaks due to poor battery discharge, especially at low temperatures.
5. Observe the hole changes
Many maintenance-free batteries have an observation hole. Find the position of the battery and wipe the observation hole. If you see a black color, it means that the battery is full; if you see a white color, it means that the battery is insufficient. It may make it a little difficult to start when starting; if you see black, it means that the battery needs to be replaced. When the observation hole is white, you should pay more attention to the battery power.
How often should the battery be replaced?
The service life of the battery is closely related to the vehicle conditions, road conditions and the driver’s driving habits, driving environment, etc. The difference of these factors will make the service life of the battery different. In theory, the design life of a car battery is generally about 2 to 3 years. The family car is relatively economical. The battery of a new car can usually be used for 3-4 years, but under normal circumstances, it needs to be replaced after 2-3 years of use. Replacing the battery before the end of the service cycle can also effectively avoid the occurrence of travel battery failure and car strikes.
When replacing the battery, the most important thing we need to pay attention to is: the battery capacity of the replacement battery cannot be smaller than the battery capacity of the original car. It is best to choose the brand and model of the battery that matches the original car, so that the vehicle can be used in the best condition. Auvolter is you best selection of agm and efb car batteries.
How to use and maintain a car battery properly in winter?
All batteries will have a shorter life at low temperatures, and the same applies to mobile phone batteries. The batteries currently used in cars are usually maintenance-free lead-acid batteries. The optimum temperature for these batteries is around 25 degrees Celsius. As the temperature drops, the chemicals in the battery react less slowly. And for every 1 degree drop in temperature, the available capacity of the battery decreases by approximately 0.8%, while the capacity returns when the temperature rises. Therefore, winter battery maintenance is particularly important if you want your battery to be less likely to fail!
- The vehicle is turned off before the air conditioning is not turned off
Many people are not used to turn off the air conditioning before the vehicle is turned off, but this bad habit is also damage to the battery. In the next time to start the vehicle when the air conditioning automatically with the engine start and start, will lead to the vehicle instant power too high, the battery load is too large, long repeated many times on the battery is a loss. - do not frequently start the vehicle
Many car owners in winter encounter car difficult to start, will frequently start. But the correct approach should be: do not start the engine for more than 3 seconds each time. If the first start fails, don’t be in a hurry to start it again and again. In terms of how the car works, starting the motor continuously at this point will definitely cause damage to the battery by over-discharging it. The time interval when starting again should be more than 5 seconds. - Don’t listen to high-powered audio when idling
If your car’s audio system has been modified and fitted with a high-powered stereo, then be careful. The maintenance master pointed out that, in the case of no car, idle listening to high-powered audio will also bring a very high load on the battery, will seriously damage the battery life. - Every once in a while to drive a road
If you leave your vehicle unattended for a long time, the power of the battery will slowly decrease, which will lead to difficulties in starting the car. Even if the vehicle is not used, it should be driven every few days to recharge the battery and ensure that it is always in a fully charged state. Driving at a steady speed for 20-30 minutes on the motorway will give the car battery sufficient time to recharge.
How do I maintain my battery if I don’t use it for a long time?
If a battery is not used for a long time, it will slowly discharge itself until it becomes obsolete. It is therefore advisable to start the car at certain intervals to recharge the battery. Alternatively, owners can remove the negative terminal (indicated by the – sign) of the battery to avoid the battery discharging itself and the static current of the whole car causing a loss of power or even damage to the battery.
It is important to pay attention to the maintenance of the battery when it is cold and in season, because of the low temperature in winter, it is more difficult to start the car, especially because of the haze and snow on the road, if the battery strikes again, it will make the car even worse, so do not neglect the maintenance of the battery in winter.