Why Do You Need to Give Your Car Battery Extra Attention in the Winter?

When the nights get longer and winter rolls around, you may need to make certain adjustments in your life to cope with this change of season. As a vehicle owner, you may need to prepare for potential problems and ensure that you keep up with servicing so that you can get through this time of year without any major issues. In particular, you should keep a close eye on your battery and maintain it carefully to avoid any breakdown. What steps can you take to help in this area?

Protecting Your Battery

In the winter, you tend to use more of your vehicle's electrical system than at other times of the year. After all, you may certainly use the headlights in the morning and evening as you travel to and from work and may also use more of the heater and heated screens. Many people use their vehicles for short-distance commutes, which can put a tremendous strain on the battery, especially in colder weather. The alternator may not have a chance to provide an adequate charge over shorter distances, and it's even more important to check your battery's charge level from time to time.

Checking Battery Performance

To check the levels, you can perform a simple test. Turn on the headlights when the engine is off and check to see if they quickly start to dim. If so, connect the battery to a high-quality charger as soon as possible.

Also, if you do not intend to use your vehicle for some time, this can lead to a drop in voltage and a battery discharge. You can avoid this by connecting the vehicle to a good quality charger every now and again to maintain its charge level.

Cleaning the Battery

Get into the habit of opening the bonnet and looking at the battery's condition. Clean the terminals and connections to get rid of any moisture or dirt in the vicinity. If you don't, this could lead to current leakage, quickly weakening the battery's charge.

Keeping up a Service

Even though most batteries are maintenance-free these days, you should do everything you can to maintain their charge level. This will certainly help to extend the life of your battery. Remember, winter driving can be more stressful for your vehicle and its components, so always keep up with regularly scheduled service visits. The mechanic will ensure that the electrical system is in good working condition, so it does not put even more strain on the battery. 

For more information, contact a local car battery provider.