North Texas winters are mild most of the time, which is exactly why a hard freeze catches so many cars out. A battery that limped through the summer heat often fails on the first frozen morning, when everyone needs their car at once.
Why cold finishes off a weak battery
Cold slows the chemical reaction that produces current, so a battery delivers less power at the same moment the engine needs more. Engine oil thickens and the starter has to work harder. A healthy battery copes; one already worn down by a Texas summer often cannot.
Before the storm
- If your battery is three years old or more, or it has been cranking slowly, have it tested or replaced while the roads are clear.
- Clean white or blue corrosion off the terminals and make sure the clamps are tight.
- Park in a garage if you can. Even an unheated garage keeps the battery warmer than the street.
- Turn off lights, the radio and chargers before you shut the car off, so the battery is full for the next start.
- Keep your phone charged and save our number: (682) 688-3514.
If the car will not start after a freeze
- Turn off everything that draws power, wait a minute and try once more. Repeated long cranking can overheat the starter.
- Never pour hot water on a battery or try to thaw it with a flame.
- If the case is cracked, swollen or leaking, do not jump-start it. It needs to be replaced.
- Roads and demand both affect how quickly anyone can reach you during a storm. Call us and we will give you an honest time.
Read what to do when your car won’t start, or find the right battery for your vehicle now.