We seldom spare a thought for the battery beneath the hood when we turn the starter key. We expect it to work each time, and that’s the end of it. Auto batteries are less inclined to fail in summer when the electrolyte is warm. They are more prone to fail in winter when it is cold. And when extreme weather like the current polar vortex strikes they are most likely to give up completely.
Polar Vortex Gives AAA Mid Atlantic the Run Around
On 30 January 2019 news channel CBD Philly complained “The polar vortex makes Philadelphia feel like the frozen tundra”. By late that afternoon AAA Mid Atlantic had taken over 800 calls in the region for dead batteries.
This was half of all its calls that day, and twice the number the same day the previous year. “We know we’re going to be really busy when it gets really cold,” they say. “The colder it is, it just kills the battery. We have some members waiting three to four hours and it’s not because drivers aren’t working. It’s just that busy. Batteries are getting old and people don’t know how old their batteries are.”
What Causes These Extreme Polar Vortex Events
How Extreme Cold Affects Your Starter Battery Performance
A lead-acid battery comprises lead plates in water-diluted sulfuric-acid electrolyte. Warm weather causes the ions to move faster between these plates. However, it also increases internal corrosion that shortens the battery’s lifespan.
Colder weather, on the other hand causes the ions to travel slower resulting in a sluggish battery. A fully-charged one can withstand temperatures as low as –50 C according to NRMA roadside assistance. However a lead battery in a low state of charge can freeze at –1 C. When this happens, the water in the electrolyte expands and irreparably damages the cells.
If your starter battery is getting old and straining on cold mornings, then it is time to purchase a new one. Before you need to call for roadside assistance and have to wait a while.
Related
Interesting Facts About Lead Starter Batteries
Will the Lead Battery Last Through Winter?
Preview Image: One Cold Morning in Philadelphia
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/PznxlFN56Tw
