Car won't start because the battery is drained or weak? 

It’s happened to all of us, and it is not uncommon in the Green Bay Area. You get in your car with some place to go, you turn the key and nothing happens. Your car battery doesn’t work! Maybe you left the lights on, maybe it's a beautiful 20 degrees below zero in the land of the frozen tundra or maybe even there have been warning signs that this eventually would happen. Either way you’re stuck unless you can find someone to give you a battery jump. It is not a fun situation and for the most part it can be avoided by having the right kind of battery in your vehicle and have it tested regularly. While the warning signs can be quite subtle and not immediate, there are a few tip offs and things you can do to make sure your battery starts your car every time you turn the key. Here are a few:

1. Have your battery tested regularly especially as the local climate is changing.

2. Make sure you have a properly rated cold cranking amps battery for this area’s climate. Most average batteries will do well in the coldest of cold weather. Your car may start fine every time because you park it in a heated garage, but leave that car out in the 30 below weather all day and that average battery will have very little chance of turning over a frozen starter.

3. Make sure you know the age of your battery. Every battery has a shelf life and as the battery gets older it's able to hold less and less of a charge. If your battery is more than 6 years old it could be time to get a new one.

4. If you have a new battery and are still having trouble starting your car than it may be an issue with the alternator. The alternator charges your battery when the car is running and if your battery is not getting a charge then you will drain the battery every time you start your car.

5. If your battery posts are corroded and dirty you may have a bad connection between the battery and the cables. It is best to have your battery posts and cables cleaned at least once a year to assure a good connection.

If your car battery was drained by leaving the head lights or dome light on

Once you get your car or truck started, let it run for a few minutes and then take it for a 15 minute drive. This will give the alternator time to charge the battery back to a normal level. If you continue to have issues, especially in extreme cold weather, then bring it to Gandrud Auto Service. It's always a good idea to have a pair of jumper cables in your trunk, just in case.