Why charging your car battery is just as important as changing to winter tires
As the temperatures drop and the days get shorter, many car owners are quick to schedule their tire change to swap to winter tires, ensuring safety and grip on icy roads. But while most people focus on the essential task of changing their tires, there's another critical part of vehicle preparation that often goes overlooked—charging your car battery.
Just like winter tires help your car handle the icy conditions, ensuring your battery is fully charged is key to making sure your car runs smoothly and starts reliably throughout the winter months. Here's why charging your car battery is just as important as your winter tire change and how it can save you from unexpected breakdowns
Cold weather strains your battery
Winter is tough on car batteries. As temperatures drop, a battery’s capacity to hold and deliver a charge decreases. In fact, when temperatures hit freezing, your battery loses up to 35% of its power. If you’re starting the winter with a partially charged or weak battery, you’re at higher risk of experiencing battery failure on those freezing mornings.
Just as winter tires are specially designed to handle snow and ice, a well-charged battery is essential to handle the cold weather. Ensuring your battery is topped up before winter hits can mean the difference between a smooth start and being stuck with a car that won’t turn on.
Increased demand from winter conditions
The colder it gets, the more your car demands from its battery. Running the defroster, heating system, headlights, and other power-hungry features that keep you comfortable and safe in winter places extra strain on the battery. If your battery isn’t fully charged, this increased demand can quickly drain its remaining capacity, leaving you stranded in the cold.
By taking the time to charge your battery when you change to winter tires, you’ll be making sure it can handle the added power requirements of winter driving
Shorter trips drain power
Winter driving habits often include shorter trips, whether it’s a quick run to the store or a daily commute. However, starting your car draws a significant amount of power from the battery, and if you’re only driving short distances, the alternator doesn’t have enough time to fully recharge it. Over time, this can leave your battery drained and struggling to provide the necessary power.
Charging your battery regularly with a smart charger, like those from CTEK, ensures that it’s always at full capacity, no matter how many short trips you take.
Prevent sulphation and extend battery life
When your battery isn’t fully charged for extended periods—especially in cold weather—a chemical process called sulphation occurs. This causes lead sulphate crystals to build up on the battery’s plates, reducing its ability to hold a charge and shortening its overall lifespan. By fully charging your battery when you change to winter tires, you can help prevent sulphation and keep your battery in optimal condition. Using a smart charger like the CTEK CS ONE can help maintain your battery’s health. The CS ONE automatically adjusts the charging process to suit your battery’s needs, helping to prevent overcharging and sulphation, and ensuring your battery is in top condition throughout the winter.
The ideal time to charge: When you change tires
The seasonal tire change is the perfect reminder to check and charge your battery. Just as you wouldn’t head into winter without the right tires, you shouldn’t enter the colder months with a battery that’s underperforming. Charging your battery while you prepare your car for winter driving is a simple step that can save you from potential headaches down the road.
How to charge your battery
Using a smart charger, like the CT5 TIME TO GO, is the safest and most efficient way to keep your battery fully charged. These chargers automatically adjust to the battery’s needs, ensuring a complete and safe charge without the risk of overcharging or damaging the battery. Simply connect the charger to your battery, and let it do the work.
If you use your car infrequently during the winter months, consider leaving it connected to a maintenance charger, which will keep the battery topped up and ready to go whenever you need it.
Changing to winter tires is a must for safe winter driving, but don’t forget about your car’s battery. Cold weather, increased power demands, and shorter trips can all take a toll on your battery, leaving you at risk for unexpected failures. By taking the time to charge your battery when you change your tires, you’re ensuring that your car will start reliably and run smoothly all winter long.
With the help of a smart charger from CTEK, you can keep your battery healthy, extend its lifespan, and enjoy peace of mind knowing your car is ready for whatever winter throws your way.