Is it Harmful to Charge a Car Battery in Cold Weather?
Tips & Support
- Sponsor
- OPTIMA Batteries
- Location
- Glendale, WI
Cold weather isn't as harmful to a battery as one might think. Most of the damage done to a car battery typically occurs during hot summer months. However, when the weather gets cold, batteries need to work harder to start engines and that's where the damage done during hot summer months starts to show up. If cold weather is in the forecast or has already arrived, one might wonder if it's harmful to charge a car battery in cold weather?
The truth is, the best thing you can probably do for a car battery anytime of the year, is to keep it fully-charged to at least 12.6 volts. A discharged battery will have a harder time performing in cold weather, so topping off the charge can make a big difference in cold weather performance for a battery. However, the more deeply a car battery gets discharged and the longer it sits in that discharged state, the more vulnerable it is to damage, which could include freezing.
If you believe your car battery has frozen, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHARGE IT. The best thing to do with a car battery that has frozen is to bring it into a warmer room and let it thaw out slowly over 24-48 hours. Once you are confident the battery has completely thawed out and is not frozen, you can then attempt to recharge it with a quality battery charger.
The truth is, the best thing you can probably do for a car battery anytime of the year, is to keep it fully-charged to at least 12.6 volts. A discharged battery will have a harder time performing in cold weather, so topping off the charge can make a big difference in cold weather performance for a battery. However, the more deeply a car battery gets discharged and the longer it sits in that discharged state, the more vulnerable it is to damage, which could include freezing.
If you believe your car battery has frozen, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHARGE IT. The best thing to do with a car battery that has frozen is to bring it into a warmer room and let it thaw out slowly over 24-48 hours. Once you are confident the battery has completely thawed out and is not frozen, you can then attempt to recharge it with a quality battery charger.