By Andrew Clark
Published: Wednesday, May 22, 2019
It’s a frosty winter morning and your car’s windscreen is covered in ice. You spend a few minutes clearing it before jumping in the driver’s seat and turning the key in the ignition.
The car splutters a couple of times before roaring to life.
There might be a few reasons for your vehicle being a little sluggish, but it could be as simple as the cold weather taking a toll on your car’s battery.
While we don’t see the temperature dropping below zero in South Australia very often, cooler winter nights can diminish the battery’s ability to provide sufficient power.
This is because a typical battery contains plates in electrolyte liquid, which create a reaction that produces a charge to the battery terminals. Heat can speed up this reaction, while cold temperatures can slow it down.
Don’t fret though – a fully charged battery can survive temperatures below zero.