During the frigid winter months here in Maine, many people have issues keeping their vehicle batteries charged.

During super cold snaps, like we have had over the last week, the problem is much worse.

If you go several days without driving a particular vehicle, or the vehicle's battery is old, there is a good chance you could go to start the vehicle only to find that there's not enough juice in the battery to get it to start.

So, how do you avoid this problem?

 

 

Start the Car and Let It Idle in the Driveway

Even though most of us have used this technique on vehicles that are rarely driven (I did it with a company vehicle earlier today), it is not a good option. According to the Battery Group, it could take as long as half an hour to regain the charge lost from starting the vehicle. You would need to run the vehicle for a few hours to restore a partial charge to the battery.

 

Charge the Battery By Taking the Car for a Drive

You can recharge your battery partially by driving it. The main thing to remember is that you cannot fully charge the battery while driving. According to the Interstate Battery website, driving at highway speeds can recharge your battery, but because modern vehicles have numerous components that are always running, you'll never fully charge the battery.

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On top of that, they say it will take a lengthy drive to come anywhere close to having your battery fully charged.  By some estimates, you'd need to drive for eight hours at an average of 65 MPH!

 

Get a Battery Tender

The best option for keeping the battery of a rarely driven vehicle charged is a battery tender/maintainer.  These chargers connect to a vehicle's battery and keep them 'topped off'.

You can get one at Amazon for about $60.

 

Do you have any tips for keeping your vehicle's battery charged?  Let us know by messaging us in our app.

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