Battery 101

It’s one of the essential components in a car, for the starter, the radio or the info-entertaining system. Here are some basic facts about this much-needed plastic black box: the battery.

Winter has been harsh?

People might automatically think that winter is hard on a car battery. In fact it’s just the opposite. Summer heatwaves draw more battery energy to make the multiple cooling fans run which serve at refreshing the vehicle and its motorization.

Yet in winter a low battery can freeze and crack and its acid might spill into the engine. That’s why it’s important to keep the battery fully charged at all times to avoid unnecessary headaches! Also, an unused battery can be equally damaging. The battery of a car that has been stored for a long period even in optimal conditions – in a heated garage for example – will unlikely start.

Lithium-Ion Battery and Amperage

With the increasing popularity of hybrid vehicles, we hear more and more about lithium-ion batteries. Gas-powered vehicles can use this technology all the same. It’s a good idea to install that type of battery for its lifetime and capacity are definitely sufficient to allow starting your car in winter.

Before, all batteries were the same size which is not the case today. They differ in size but also in terms of amperage. So if you want to keep your car longer, select a battery with the highest amperage possible – it’s well worth to pay a few dollars more.

Synthetic Oil

One other component that will impact on the way your car starts is the type of oil you use. Synthetic oil will be more fluid and less thick than standard oil. Since synthetic oil runs more quickly through its « route », the car starts more easily. Once again, a few dollars may facilitate life for you and your car.

Finally, when you bring your car for regular maintenance, your technician can check the battery capacity and let you know if it has to be replaced. In general the lifetime of a battery is five years, but nowadays, it may surprise you and lasts seven years.