The Cold Hard Facts

You, me, Ferris Buehler and probably most of us who looked at Chemistry class in high school as just an opportunity for the nerdy kids to flex their brains and merely increase the percentage of not getting a date on any given weekend and by the way that begs the question. "How could they be so smart and yet so dumb".

Fast forward to practical living as an adult and tough situations which proves the old adage that it is never too late to learn and eventually necessary! Times can be tough and scary in winter when you get stranded because of a dead car battery and at the least expected time. So, before that happens battery class is now in session.

How to NOT get stuck in blizzard because global warming has proven nothing but the opposite and because you still need to know something about batteries if you plan on getting around this holiday season.

Cold hard fact #1 - Winter is an extreme season and extreme seasons are when batteries fail the most. (how about we deal with summer extremes this spring). In winter it is common time for car batteries to die and never when you plan on it but often when you are not so close to home or a battery store! Note to self- get your triple A membership paid up!  Lead acid batteries are engineered to work in a wide range of temperatures, but performance suffers in both extreme cold and hot environments. Your typical lead acid battery capacity drops about 20 percent really cold weather say near 32 degree, and down to about 50 percent of normal capacity in uber-super cold temperatures in the range of about -25 degrees Fahrenheit.

That's why it is good to check out the condition of your car battery before the cold weather arrives!

Here are some more cold hard facts about batteries not surviving winter. The extreme cold, or temperatures at, near or below freezing do a number on the motor oil and causes it to thicken. Imagine your maple syrup left in the freezer and you want to pout it on your fresh of the griddle flapjacks... you get the picture. When the oil thickens from the extreme cold the engine it is more difficult to turn over and thus requires greater power which is demanded from your car battery by the motor starter. If the battery doesn't have enough CCA (cold cranking Amps) then it will fail to meet the demands of the starter and your car won't start!