RACV urges Victorians to check their car battery this winter

RACV is urging Victorians to check their car batteries with winter now here. Last year, RACV’s Emergency Roadside Assistance attended over 290,000 battery callouts from members across Victoria.

Vehicle maintenance is especially important in winter as inclement weather like cold temperatures, wind, ice, sleet, and snow become more common.  

RACV General Manager Motoring Products, Jeff Ames said there are a range of things you can do to help prevent your battery from going flat in the first place. 

"RACV battery callouts resulted in over 163,000 jump-starts and 126,000 car battery replacements, so it is worth reading up on car battery care," Mr Ames said. 

The main warning signs to look out for include the 'check battery' or 'check engine' dashboard light, a slow or 'coughing' engine crank, dim lights, slow windscreen wipers, silent radio, or dead remote locks. 

“Car batteries are more likely to go flat in winter and during prolonged cold weather. The chill slows down the chemical reactions inside your car battery, sapping its strength, meaning it must work much harder to produce electricity,” Mr Ames said. 

"To protect your car battery in cold weather, park your car in a garage rather than on the street if you can, especially overnight or in high winds. You can also purchase a battery blanket online to keep your battery warm but checking that the battery is fully charged is a fantastic way to prevent breakdowns. 

"A charged battery will not freeze until temperatures drop to -50°C, whereas a battery with a low charge can freeze at -1°C.  

"You can also look out for a Cold-Cranking Amperage (CCA) rating when buying an automotive battery which tells you how well the battery performs in cold weather when fully charged," Mr Ames said.  

If your car will not start you can call a trusted mobile mechanic, roadside assistance or access RACV’s 24/7 mobile car battery replacement service. For more helpful tips on car batteries, please visit racv.com.au.