How Do You Jump Start a Car in Cold Weather? & Other Cold Battery Issues!

The post How Do You Jump Start a Car in Cold Weather? & Other Cold Battery Issues! appeared first on RAVPower.

In this blog, we explore the issues of batteries in cold weather, asking all the important questions like does cold weather drain batteries and how do you jump start a car if your battery has been drained? Read on for answers to these and more!

Halloween is around the corner (anyone else feel like June was just yesterday?!) which means one thing: winter is coming. And whilst there’s no more Game of Thrones series to get us through the long nights, there is definitely going to be a temperature drop!

The US is looking to experience cold weather all over, and Canada is looking to continue the trend of freezing winter months. What’s more, the UK is expecting another ‘beast from the east’ to experience the coldest winter in 30 years. Forget naming an individual winter storm – it’s worth investing in that thick winter coat!

In the cold weather it’s incredibly important to make sure that you’re prepared at all times. So you know what else you should be investing in?

That’s right!

The best jump start batteries, and any other battery devices you might need!

Does Cold Weather Drain Batteries?

Ultimately – yes. Extremely cold weather and generally being cold is just really not good for batteries. Cooler storage is good though!

Batteries work when there is a connection made between the positive and negative terminals. This creates a chemical reaction that facilitates the electric current flow.

When your battery, particularly a car battery, gets cold it begins to lose its strength – some estimates say about 60% of its strength is lost at 32°F! As the battery gets colder, they can’t deliver enough current to keep up with the demand. This leads to being unable to start your car, and needing a jump start.

Similarly, your smaller batteries will be affected by extremes of temperatures. If your house is really cold throughout the day, you might struggle to get the full effectiveness out of your portable chargers by the evening.

As life science explains:

Under normal conditions, applying an electric current to the battery would transport ions back into the pores in the anode’s graphite. When the battery is frozen, though, the ions don’t enter the graphite. Instead, they exit the solution and plate across the surface of the graphite as solid lithium. That process can wreck the performance and life of a battery.

Livescience.com

Is This A Long Term Affect?

Don’t worry, for the most part you battery should return to normal once it has warmed up again.

For regular batteries, the cold will probably make the battery slow down a lot and potentially read as having no battery, even if they do. This should show again as the proper battery levels once the battery is warm.

However, a typical lifespan for car batteries is three to five years, and many factors like how often and far you drive might reduce this. If you have an older battery it would be worth getting it checked in the fall, before the colder weather truly sets in. Some batteries might not be strong enough in general to survive!

So really, the answer to does cold weather drain batteries is simple – it can, and you should keep your batteries out of freezing temperatures to make sure they’re protected! And by getting the best jump starter batteries, of course, to make sure you’re ready to go in any weather!

How Do You Jump Start a Car?

Safety first!!

According to Halfords, before you jump start a car, you should check:

• The battery isn’t leaking or damaged. You should go to an auto mechanic if it is.
• That there are no naked flames (including cigarettes) nearby.
• All loose items, including long sleeves and metal items like jewellery, are well away from the battery.
• The key is out of the ignition.

Don’t forget if it’s freezing out as well – make sure you’re warm!

So how do you jump start a car?

First things first, without a portable power station you’re going to need another car and some jump leads. Both cars should be safely parked and turned off, within a short enough distance you can connect the batteries via the jump leads.

When everything is safe and ready, attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your cars battery. You can tell that it is the positive terminal because it will have a ‘+’ sign or ‘POS’ written on it. It can also be bigger than the negative terminal. Then do the same to the other car, with the other red clip.

Next, you should attach the black clips to the negative terminals. You’ll want to do it to the live cars terminal first, and then attach the final (black) clip to an unpainted, metal surface of your car that isn’t near the battery. Something like a metal strut that holds open the hood is a good idea!

All that’s left to do is to turn on the vehicle with a working battery and let it run for a few minutes. After three minutes or so, try to start your car and then, if it works, drive around for a long time (at least 30 mins). Turning it off straight away might leave you in the same position!

Best Jump Start Batteries

We have a recommendation for the best jump start batteries type – a portable power station.

Not only are these amazing gadgets to have around for going off grid, these can jump start most cars to keep you going as the chillier weather sets in.

With a massive 14000mAh capacity, quick charging capabilities, and iSmart technology, RP-PB063 is a power bank that is perfect for keeping on hand for winter mornings. It works with all gasoline and diesel engines up to 7L with 12V batteries – as well as your smart phone!

You can also check the battery level left of RP-PB063. Per our website –

When connected with your car battery, press the Boost Button. If the LED turns green, the battery is restored and can be started normally. If the LED is red, make sure the polarities are connected correctly and that the remaining battery of the car jumper is at least 20%. The battery level indicator informs you of the remaining battery.

For a quick video instruction on how to jump start using a power station, check out the video below!

Now you know the answer to how to jump start a car and does cold weather drain batteries, you might be looking for a power station or jump starter. Check out the RAVPower range today for some of the best jump starter batteries around!

The post How Do You Jump Start a Car in Cold Weather? & Other Cold Battery Issues! appeared first on RAVPower.