It's not the cold that kills your battery, it's the summer heat setting up the winter failure. Here's the real story.
Car batteries in the DC area rarely last as long as people expect. Between muggy summers and cold snaps, three to four years is a typical lifespan here, and the failure almost always comes at the worst moment. Here's why, and how to see it coming.
Most people blame winter, but it's summer heat that actually wears a battery out, high temperatures accelerate the internal chemistry and evaporate the electrolyte. Then the first cold morning comes along, thickening the oil and raising the power needed to crank, and the already-weakened battery finally can't do it. So the battery "dies in winter," but it was really cooked in July.
A battery that keeps dying can actually be a failing alternator not charging it, or a parasitic drain pulling power while parked. That's why a proper test checks the whole charging system, not just the battery, so you fix the real problem once.
A battery test takes minutes and is free at TAB Motors. If yours is on the older side or cranking slowly, have it checked before it strands you in a parking lot. Call (703) 243-3080.
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