Be winter smart for worry free motoring

With the winter weather almost upon us, CTEK, the leading global brand in vehicle charging solutions, has some useful advice on keeping your battery in the best of health, for worry free motoring this winter.

In cold weather, your battery needs to work much harder, and your alternator might only be charging it up to around 60% of its capacity. This could mean that your engine is using up to 5-10 additional horsepower and burning more fuel. So, not only is your battery underperforming, but it could also lead to an expensive breakdown.

And this, says Mark Poole, Sales Manager for CTEK, makes regular charging with a reliable, efficient battery charger essential in the winter months.

“This is especially important because the summer heat might have put a strain on your battery, that may not become apparent until the colder weather kicks in, when you’ll need more power to get the vehicle started.  However, not only will regular charging keep your battery in the best of health, making breakdowns less likely, it can also save you money by extending battery life by up to three times, so it really is the smart choice for worry free winter motoring.

“Drivers need to be aware that cold weather conditions can have an adverse effect on car batteries. A battery can lose as much as 35% in performance when temperatures hit freezing, and up to 50% if temperatures sink below that. Drivers should look out for any signs of change – like the way the car starts, or the operation of the electrical system in general as these can be indications of a weak battery.”

CTEK says that an inactive car battery will lose 0.1V of energy every month and, if your parked car is also running an alarm system, onboard computer, remote locking etc, the continual drain on the battery will be much more than that. Nipping out on lots of short journeys, particularly in urban areas, also drains the battery, as it takes 150 – 350A of battery power just to start the car, and on short trips the alternator won’t have the time or capability to replace this charge.

This is especially so if your car has a ‘stop/start’ function. In fact, if you’ve noticed your ‘stop/start’ hasn’t been kicking in lately, this may be because your battery isn’t sufficiently charged, as your car will gradually turn off ‘non-essential’ functions to focus the remaining battery charge on keeping the engine turning.

So, don’t leave it too late. Get your car battery into shape before the temperatures start to drop, as it’s much harder to start your car in freezing temperatures. It can take as much as 2.5 times more power to start a cold engine, so while you’re thinking about getting those winter woollies out of the cupboard, check your car battery too and give it some pre-winter TLC. That way, there’ll be no surprises when you take to the road.

Charging any battery just got a whole lot simpler with the CTEK CS ONE. Its revolutionary APTO™ (Adaptive Charging) technology does all the thinking for you – you don’t even have to worry about which clamp goes where! This is the easiest charger you’ll ever use. APTO™ Technology automatically recognises the type of battery you’re using, and then automatically delivers a customised charging program, telling you how long until the battery is charged and ready to go.

No buttons to press or modes to select – just connect the CS ONE to any 12V battery and simply charge. Polarity free clamps mean you don’t even need to worry about which clamp goes where, so you’ll never make a wrong connection again. The clamps are spark free too, so don’t worry if you accidentally touch them together.

Investing in a charger like the CS ONE, with built-in functionality for both maintenance and troubleshooting, is the smart choice for drivers. The CS ONE does the thinking for you, using adaptive charging to measure your battery’s health then delivering the right level of power to get it working at optimum capacity, with a built-in temperature sensor that automatically adjusts the output voltage for cold conditions. With the CS ONE’s patented technology, you can even recondition your battery to restore battery health.

So there’s no need to worry about being left out in the cold this winter, just follow CTEK’s expert tips and you’ll be all set for carefree motoring, wherever you want to go!