With temperatures around -17°C without the windchill, many drivers in London are finding themselves unable to start their cars due to battery failures.
Credit: XFM News
XFM News spoke with Ricky McMullin, owner of Ricky Ratchets Auto Repair, about why so many car batteries are struggling in this cold. He explained, “When the battery is ice cold, it’s going to have a hard time turning over a cold engine. You’ll hear it trying and struggling.” He added that weak batteries are especially prone to failing in these conditions.
To avoid problems in the future, McMullin suggested drivers make sure their batteries are in good condition. “You want the best battery for this season, and parking your car nose-first into the driveway can help protect the battery from the wind. An insulated blanket around the battery also helps,” he said.
McMullin also pointed out that most batteries last around four to five years, but may fail earlier in extreme weather. “If your battery is around three to five years old, it’s more likely to fail,” he said.
Local auto shops are seeing more battery failures than usual. “I’ve heard from other shops that they’re seeing three, four, or five dead batteries a day,” McMullin said.
Credit: Cheri Foster
XFM News also spoke with Cheri Foster, a local driver who recently had trouble starting her car. Foster said, “I drove to work without any issues, but when I went to leave, the car wouldn’t start. I’ve never had a problem before, so I was really shocked.”
Foster, who lives just five minutes from her workplace, worried about what she would have done if she had been farther away. “If I lived farther, I would’ve been in real trouble,” she said.
She also shared that she’s heard of others facing similar issues. “It’s happening to a lot of people. This cold is unusual,” she said. While at the hospital for a work injury, Foster overheard a nurse asking if anyone had jumper cables. “She said, ‘You guys got booster cables? My car is dead,’” Foster recalled.
The cold weather is set to stay around -11°C this week, and it’s a good time to make sure your car battery is in good shape. A reliable battery could save you a lot of trouble in the coming days.
