CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Having car troubles? You’re not alone. Many areas across the commonwealth woke up to temperatures in the low-to-mid-teens on Wednesday morning.
Temperatures throughout Central Virginia have been low for the last several days following the area’s most recent round of winter weather. On Monday, several areas saw snow, freezing rain and plummeting temperatures.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the temperature in Richmond rang in at a frigid 17 degrees! The vehicle experts with the American Automobile Association say that freezing temperatures like this can damage your car’s battery if you are not keeping a close eye on it.
If you go to warm your car up in the morning and nothing happens experts say that’s because your car battery is likely frozen and dead. One of the best things you can do for your battery is get it checked before those freezing temperatures roll in.
According to experts, both extreme cold and heat can have negative effects on your car battery, impacting its performance and life expectancy. Therefore, it’s important to take precautions in both types of weather.
A car battery reportedly loses a third of its power in freezing weather. Officials with AAA say that’s because as the air outside cools, the oil inside of your car thickens. Parts will move slower and your battery has to use more power to turn over and start the engine.
“Your battery’s probably given up,” said Morgan Dean a spokesperson for AAA. “Most batteries do not like extreme cold or extreme heat. They tend to give out on a very frigid morning. A battery at 32 degrees is 35% weaker when it really needs to crank that car over recommendation, get that battery checked out before the next storm hits.”
Dean and officials at AAA say there are some tips to prevent the freezing turmoil. They say when the weather does get bad it’s a good idea to park your car in a garage whenever you can because reducing the amount of frigid air around your car is better for your battery.
Another tip is to unplug phone chargers and USB cables for devices as soon as you turn off your engine. That will also help protect your battery life.
But it’s not just the car’s battery that could be damaged or negatively impacted by the cold.
According to Dean, you could also experience some trouble getting into your car as well. And that when it comes to the freezing temperatures, your entire car could be at risk.
“If people did not get into their vehicles today, they’ve likely had some of that snow melt down into their doors and their seals around it. That could be the issue with getting into it,” Dean said. “That ice freezes those doors shut and it can be a very, very hard thing to do. You may have to wait until the vehicle thaws because if you start yanking on that, you can actually rip the seal off of your door.”
