Two professionals give their tips to avoid the morning battery failure that threatens owners of thermal, hybrid or electric vehicles during this winter period.
It’s morning, you’re late, and fate continues. The windshield of the car is covered in a thick layer of snow that you need to scrape. You rush into the passenger compartment to turn on the ignition and then, nothing goes as planned! Engine refuses to start.
Two hypotheses: The diesel filter may freeze during the night, but “most of the time, notes Jonathan Renaud, manager of the Gazelle garage in Le Puy city center, it’s the battery” that does the work. A characteristic winter illness.
Why and how – without going into detail that can make for tedious reading – the fluids and other components of these tools “do not tolerate extreme temperatures, scorching heat or periods of extreme cold”, details Setre Garage owner Alan Blondeau Buzek. So when the values fall into the negative, the battery becomes “sensitive”. Add to this a lack of performance, significant wear after years of good and faithful service, or too long a vehicle’s immobility, and it’s a guaranteed breakdown!
There is no secret to avoiding it. Professionals recommend above all “Roll, roll and roll again”. Because yes, regular use is the key to giving the battery every chance to perform its role. This is what triggers the ignition of the engine, whatever the weather conditions. “Then,” explains Alan Blondeau, “the alternator takes over. This supplies current to the vehicle and recharges the battery at the same time. “The longer the engine runs, the more the battery recharges,” Ponot, Jonathan Renaud summarizes. gives and adds that in case of severe frost, “The start-up effort required by the battery is enormous. She gives it her all. It’s not red, but orange. It’s like asking someone to start a cold, uphill jog, he imagines. He’ll need a long flat to catch his breath. . The battery will only recover its vitality when the vehicle travels several kilometers or drives for about “twenty minutes”.
This applies to thermal cars, but also and especially to hybrid and electric cars whose batteries are in high demand to ensure various functions (heating, car radio, GPS, etc.). These are the vehicles, driven by younger drivers, that the Saatre garage in Buzac is called upon to repair very regularly when winter comes…
For those who don’t want to drive much, at the risk of weakening their car battery, there are two solutions: protect their vehicle from the cold, keeping it “warm sleep” in the garage, or, lest it fail, be careful in choosing their battery. Because they are not all the same.
Alan Blondeau recommends that they choose manufacturer brands, which are known as more upscale in the automobile industry. The latter, Buzek Mechanic continues, “have an average lifespan of 5-7 years, compared to 2 to 3 years for others. They are more expensive, but their price is a guarantee of quality,” he assures.
Another tip: invest “about fifteen euros” in a charge maintainer, a small device on sale in many stores that, as its name suggests, controls the battery’s charge.
“It works as if the vehicle were on the road.”
Jonathan Renaud
As for the cover recommended to be placed on the hood to protect the battery from the cold, professionals are not sure about its effectiveness…
Driver’s tip
To protect the old 2 CV battery from the cold, Philip advises wrapping it in a blanket, waiting for sunny days and the return of outings. “It works really well,” promised the veteran driver.
Ophélie Crémillieux
