CAR Winter Starting TIP ????????

[JPope]

Went back to MN. for the weekend, and was colder than Iowa.

Heard the TV local car reporter advise people with the cold weather, -20* or so, that when you start your car, you should turn on your headlights for 15 sec. or so to warm up the battery???????

Can't belive that would provide much warmth after the car sitting for overnight or during the day, and seems to me that if you had battery issues this would not help them, BUT ???



What do you guys think, GAS FOR CARS ONLY



Was amazed that how quick the coolant temperature dropped when you idled before shutting off or stopped at a light, so have to wonder about this tip!!!!!

 

[fkovalski]

I have heard that about the lights on for a few seconds. It does not actually "warm" the battery but rather puts a small load on the battery to sorta 'goose" the electrons so that when you hit it with the starter they are in motion a bit. I still do this out of habit. Whether this actually works, well- I'll leave that up to the physicist here. But in theory it seems logical and I;ve never had a "no start" here where it is known to get as low as -20.

 

[bmoeller]

Had some -24* temps when I was still in Iowa. Never had a problem starting the car that I had when going to school. Just don't the rev the engine up. Let it sit and warm up first. Know of some people flooring it after strating when that cold. Needless to say, the engine didn't 2 days after doing that a couple of times. Real moron, and NO it wasn't me. :-laf.

 

[JPope]

Answer from Exide Batteries

From: SMOOT, Kevin (Atlanta) [mailto:kevinsmoot@exide.com]

Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 10:47 AM

To: Jim Pope

Subject: RE: Message from Exide.com Contact Us





The amount of warmth it would provide at -20 deg F is debatable. It does

get some more concentrated electrolyte flowing into the pores of the plates

to replace the dilute electrolyte that may have been there from the normal

self discharge reaction.



I guess you could compare it to "priming the pump"