Cold weather is coming! And it’s best to adapt to the hardships of this season by preparing your car to better face them.
Despite global warming, winters continue to be harsh. People and animals suffer from the intense cold, but so do the mechanics and electrical components of cars. Batteries, in particular, struggle on the coldest mornings. There are several reasons for this: if the thermometers are below zero degrees, the electric power generator of our cars loses part of its capacity. If the distilled water in the battery reaches temperatures close to freezing, the efficiency of the component is reduced to practically half.
Obviously, the ideal would be to park the car in a garage to keep it protected from the cold, but for those who do not have that privilege, it is recommended to limit the use of the equipment that consumes the most electrical energy (known as… consumers) in the vehicle. The goal is to restrict their use when not necessary, especially with the engine running cold.
Here are some tips to relieve the load on the battery on colder mornings: always respect the action time of the Diesel engine preheating system (at ignition; wait for the yellow resistance symbol to turn off); avoid frequent short trips, which also saves on mechanics and fuel; do not strain the engine before reaching the ideal operating temperature (10-15 km/5-10 minutes, according to the outside temperature); regularly check the charge of older batteries (with a multimeter); verify that no electrical cables are damaged (cuts and cracks in the plastic film that surrounds them), oxidized, or poorly connected; in case the battery discharges, do not insist (too much) on the ignition attempt, as this would severely affect the starter motor.
