Keep car batteries charged in cold weather



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GREEN BAY, WIS. (WBAY) – According to AAA, nearly 300% of roadside badistance calls were received on Wednesday compared to the same period last year, and car battery problems are the biggest part of these calls.

Experts say that's because car batteries lose their starting power with subzero temperatures.

According to AAA, car batteries lose 60% of their power to zero degrees, but cars need twice as much energy to start in cold weather.

"It takes longer to run your engine in cold weather," said Wade Jazdzewski, store manager at Batteries Plus Bulbs, "so whenever it's weak, it requires more power, and if you have a weak battery, you're in trouble. "

If you hear a squeak or rattle, or if your car starts slowly, Jazdzewski says these are warning signs of a possible battery failure.

Age is also another factor in determining if a battery is low.

"Three years or more are usually the ones where you start to notice a decrease in cold start amps and your battery's capacity, so yes, it's good to have it checked after this amount of time," he added.

Jazdzewski says that with falling temperatures, let your car run to recharge its battery. He says that 15 minutes should allow for a healthy charge, whether it is parked or driven.

"If you make fast trips over short distances and turn it off right away, it will not necessarily reach that full charge," Jazdzewski said. "It's better to let it work a little, especially in cold weather." like that."

Jazdzewski says that charging electronic devices in your car, like your mobile phone, also helps empty the battery.

"Whenever electronic devices are plugged into your car, your battery runs out," he said. "Any extra power you can use with your car's battery is all the more powerful that it will work."

Jazdzewski advises to have a portable battery charger to minimize the battery consumption of your car. It also says to keep all the charging cables in your car unplugged when they are not being used.

If you need help restarting your car's battery, AAA indicates that it favors requests to people in emergency situations, such as broken down drivers.

A statement on its website states: "Members who contact us and who are at home or in hot, safe places are asked to call back tomorrow or when the situation improves."

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