Do You Need A New Car Battery?

After a long, cold Alberta winter, your vehicle might need a bit of a spring tune-up. Of all the parts that take the most damage over the course of winter, your car or truck’s battery is up there. Read on to learn more about why you may want to consider installing a new battery come spring, with Calgary’s source for all things automotive: Jack Carter Chevrolet GMC!

Is Cold Weather Bad For Car Batteries?

Winter can be incredibly tough on your car and several of its components—especially the brutal cold mixed with the dramatic temperature swings of an Alberta winter. So unless your vehicle was in a heated garage every moment it wasn’t driven, odds are your battery has experienced some stress over the course of the last season. Because your vehicle’s battery uses a chemical reaction to produce the electricity needed to start it, it will actually need to use more of those chemicals in the winter when it’s harder to start. So if your battery was almost done with its lifecycle before winter, you can bet it probably needs to be replaced after winter.

How To Tell If You Need A New Battery

It’s highly unlikely that your car battery simply won’t work one day, so there are a few warning signs to look out for leading up to it dying. These include, but aren’t limited to:

• The engine struggling to start
• Your engine making a clicking sound when you turn the key
• The need to accelerate just to start the engine
• Your lights (interior and exterior) being dimmer than usual, or flickering

Will Any Car Battery Work In Your Vehicle?

Much like any number of systems in your vehicle, your battery has been chosen very carefully to provide the best, longest lasting performance possible. By putting in the wrong battery, whether it’s too powerful or not powerful enough, your vehicle will experience some issues. You can find out the necessary information, such as how many amps your battery needs, in the owner’s guide of your vehicle. Of course, you can also just stop by Jack Carter Chevrolet GMC, and our team of experienced service technicians can let you know the best battery for your vehicle—as well as install it. So whether you’re looking for a new ride, or you simply need a new battery, come visit our Calgary dealership today!