You only have a few weeks left before it’s too late. Soon winter will be upon us, and car batteries will be dropping like flies. Do you know what won’t be dropping? The price of car batteries. In fact, that price seems to be rising every year. So, we’re here to tell you how to check if you need a new battery, and what you can do to make it last through the winter.

Part one: checking your battery

First, you’ll need to locate your battery. This shouldn’t be too difficult, but if you’re having trouble consult the owner’s manual in your car.

Next, you’ll want to visually inspect the battery for any battery acid buildup, also known as corrosion. Battery acid looks white and dusty, and generally appears around the terminals of your battery. Corrosion doesn’t necessarily mean your battery has gone bad, but it’s not a good sign. You’ll want to clean it off your battery terminals in order to preserve the connection. The best way we know how to do this is using a carbonated soda, like Diet Coke. Just pour some soda on the terminal and watch the battery acid disappear.

If you want to check your battery’s voltage, you’ll need a multimeter. Multimeters aren’t exactly household items, so you may have to go out and buy one. Here’s a great video on how to use a multimeter to check your car’s battery.

If you don’t have a multimeter, but you still want to test your battery, swing by your local AutoZone or one of the Leith Dealerships and have an expert do it for you.

Part two: protecting your battery

So, you want to protect your battery from a wintery death? Well, you may be too late. The real battery-killer is heat, and here in North Carolina we’ve got plenty of heat to go around. Batteries fail in the winter because oil is thicker when cold, and that thick oil puts more strain on your starter, and therefore on your battery.

With that being said, you can take care of your battery with a few simple rules:

1. In the summer, try and park your car in the shade as much as possible.
2. Keep your battery’s voltage consistent. Too much fluctuation in voltage can cause damage, so charge it to full every few weeks and do your best not to leave your lights on.
3. If you can, remove your battery and store it at room temperature when you’re not using it.
4. For older cars, you can install a battery insulation kit (comes standard on most new cars) to keep it safe from the elements.

If you need a new battery

We hope you’ll come see us at Leith Automotive. We’ve got top-of-the-line service facilities and technicians with years of experience to make your experience a breeze. Check out all our locations at Leithcars.com!

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