ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) — Fluctuating temperatures in the Midwest can be brutal on car batteries.
"We have an extreme temperature range from 0-to-100 every year and it really wreaks havoc on batteries," says KMOX Auto Show host Greg Damon.
He warns us that most car batteries last three years at the most. That number could be shorter with exposure to extreme temperatures, and Damon warns KMOX listeners that tomorrow morning's extreme cold may make it tough to start your car.
"The oil starts to thicken up, it's extremely tough for the starter motor to crank over with that oil being thick until it starts loosening up a bit."
In addition to routinely checking your car battery's charge, Damon recommends synthetic oil, especially for diesel engines, because it doesn't thicken up like conventional motor oil in the cold.
Another issue in modern cars is that they're "rolling computer modules," as Damon calls them. That means the modules in your car drains your battery all of the time, even when your car is shut-off. That is also a factor in the health of your car battery.
"It's really, really difficult if your battery is low or your battery is old, to where it still keeps draining the battery a bit. Then, you run into a situation where your car battery is low and it won't start."
So, what if you need to jumpstart it? Damon has some words of caution for that, too.
One thing Damon warns is that a lot of vehicles nowadays make it hard to even access the battery, as it could be hidden under a seat or behind a fender. So only be absolutely sure you can hook up jumper cables to your car correctly before you make an attempt. Damon says in instances like this, it may be better to just have the number to a roadside assistance service handy.
Greg Damon hosts the KMOX Auto Show every Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on NewsRadio 1120 KMOX.