Had to jump start a battery lately? Yep, it’s that time of year again – seems that every time the temps fall, dead batteries happen more and more often. They’re like the plague.
Apparently, batteries struggle more in the colder weather. That’s why when we buy car batteries, we’ll hear the term “cold cranking amps” time and time again as a measure of how they stand up to the dropping mercury and the strains resulting.
But did you know that many of the problems experienced have a lot to do with the way we jump start a battery? It’s true, jump starting batteries is very hard on the battery’s life due to the high surge of voltage entering the otherwise depleted battery cells.
Needless to say, I was rather surprised when my mechanic explained this to me. I mean, who would think that jump starting a dead battery actually reduces its life.
As a side note, jumping another vehicle’s battery can also cause severe damage to the sensitive circuitry of today’s modern car electronic systems. It’s just best to avoid the scenario altogether when possible.
How can the problems be avoided? Well, dead batteries just happen – it’s a fact of life. Basically, I would guide you towards using a trickle charger to slowly charge a dead battery overnight, or for a few hours even, to bring it back to life instead of causing yourself to have to buy a new one sooner than later.
Even though it’s a hassle, that’s exactly what I do. I’m frugal and would rather avoid having to replace things completely, but I worry even more about possible permanent damage to my car’s sensitive circuitry due to a battery jump start. I can slow charge a battery, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin when it comes to repairing a car that’s completely internally fried!
It is best to avoid the battery jump start and opt for slow charging instead – your battery and your wallet will thank you later!