Battery care is a vital part of car ownership, especially in the winter. While El Dorado Hills, CA isn’t known for its sub-zero temperatures, it is always important to be prepared. As your Kia dealer, we here at Folsom Lake Kia want to give you some tips to keep your battery working should you find yourself dealing with cooler temps.
First things first, without a properly charged battery, your car won’t start. Chillier temperatures can do a real number on a battery’s ability to hold a charge. It is especially bad on older or defective batteries, so make sure you’re going into the winter months with a properly functioning battery.
To be clear, once you get a car started, it will keep itself warm and even charge the battery. The problem is keeping the battery warm while you’re not using it, especially overnight. Ideally, you’ll want to keep it in a heated garage. However, they may not always be an option. A regular garage is still a whole lot better than nothing. But, sometimes even this isn’t an option. That’s when you’ll need to get creative. Look for a large structure, natural or man-made, to park next to in order to give the car protection from the wind. You might be surprised how big a difference it can make.
You only need enough juice to get the car on, it’ll take care of itself from there. If you find your car won’t start, try turning off every electronic you can, so that it can focus all the power to turning over the engine.
If all else fails, it’s time for a jump. At Folsom Lake Kia we can’t stress enough how important battery care is. Making sure your battery is healthy with regular inspections at our Kia service center can help make sure you aren’t caught off guard by a car that won’t start.
