If you think the winter cold is ruining your plans, imagine how your car battery feels. After days out in the cold, your battery may have trouble starting. To take better care of it, use these tips.

How to Care for Your Car Battery This Winter

It's a commonly known fact that the winter cold can negatively affect your car's battery. If you already know this, you may think there isn't much you can do to make the winter easier for your battery to get through. However, there are plenty of things you can do to ensure your battery doesn't leave you stranded on the cold roads. Below are some tips that you can use to ensure your battery has a better winter.

Check on Your Battery's Power

It can be hard to know just how much power is left in your battery. This can often result in people being left stranded in a parking lot because their battery refuses to start. If you're lucky, your battery will show signs of a struggle before ultimately reaching its end. These signs of a struggle shouldn't be taken lightly, especially if winter is just around the corner. If your battery isn't struggling yet but you know it's getting close to its five-year mark, this is another reason to get it tested. Most batteries don't last much longer than five years, so don't risk it. Ideally, you should get your battery checked sometime in the fall before the real cold arrives. This will give you plenty of time to change your battery if it's at the point where you don't think it'll make it through the winter.

Keep Your Battery Clean

The cold can add extra strain to multiple parts of your car. Since your battery provides a lot of these parts with power, this means even more strain on your battery. In fact, it can take twice as much power or more to get your car to operate normally because of the effects of the cold weather. You can help reduce a bit of this strain by simply keeping your battery connections clean and tidy. To do this, start by checking your battery's connections and look for signs of corrosion rust, dirt, and other debris that can make it harder for your battery to work properly. Clean off all of the debris safely so that power from your battery is able to flow properly. After this, tighten the cables to ensure your battery is able to get power to all of the parts that need it efficiently.

Stay out of the Cold

The outdoors during the winter can get very chilly. You probably bundle up before heading outside if you even step outside. Your car really has no choice but to withstand the cold. From cold parking lots to chilly streets, your car is exposed to the elements almost constantly. This can lead your battery to suffer, adding more strain to it. If you have an indoor parking space, like in a garage, this will be ideal for your battery. If you don't have an indoor space for your car, a car cover can help. If your car is parked outside, parking it facing east can help warm up the area where your battery is in the morning because of where the sun rises. A synthetic oil change in Wichita will keep your engine at its best, helping to alleviate some of the strain on your battery. Click here to purchase AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil and keep your engine protected even on cold starts during the coldest of winter mornings. The oil pros at Hartmans Inc. can help you find just what you need for your oil change. To learn more or to place your order, contact them at (316) 686-1069. You can also place your order on their online shop.

Give Your Battery Time

When you jump in your car in the morning, you probably start the ignition and automatically turn everything on in your car. You likely need your lights and the heater to keep you safe, but if you aren't driving away yet, wait to turn these on. When you turn the key in your ignition, your battery will start but it will need a few seconds to start charging. Give these seconds before turning on your accessories so that your battery is operating at its best.

Give Your Car a Synthetic Oil Change in Wichita This Winter

Make this winter a great one with a bit of help from a synthetic oil change in Wichita. Find a great synthetic oil for your next oil change by contacting the friendly oil pros at Hartmans Inc. Give them a call at (316) 686-1069 to learn more. They can answer all of your questions and help you place your order!