[Pigeon Roost]

True or False: To have a better chance of successfully starting a vehicle in very cold weather, one should turn on the headlights to "warm" the battery.

 

[DW Taylor]

Absolutely, Positively TRUE ! Whadda I Win ?????

 

[Pigeon Roost]

The Weather Channel has had this tip on all day. They attribute the tip to AAA. I am more than a bit skeptical.

prs

 

[Jeffrey]

Makes no sense. Battery has just so much cranking power. Any draw prior to cranking the engine will simply reduce that reserve. Triple A thinks otherwise?

 

[bugsquawsher]

tripple A is on something.
A dead Battery is a Dead Battery.
Lets see. My car won't start, It just goes Click Click Click.
Yea. Let me turn on the lights and drain it down some more, Must be too many electrons in there and it's confusing the Starter
:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

 

[lasher]

:shrug:I will just say yes to that.

 

[jrhog]

True!!! Turn your headlights on for a few seconds then turn them off before trying to start your vehicle.

 

[bugsquawsher]

In the heat if you take the glass of water you have and pour some out.
You will Quinch your thirst better :roll:

 

[murf]

The Weather Channel has had this tip on all day. They attribute the tip to AAA. I am more than a bit skeptical.

prs

No kidding. Yea, lets turn on the lights when its a -40 below outside like it was in some areas of the far north this morning, and lower the batteries strength even further.

 

[Brian_Fenner]

http://ponderingfools.blogspot.com/2008/03/car-battery-myths-part-4-of-4.html

Car Battery Myths & Facts

On really cold days turn your headlights on to “warm up” the battery up before starting your engine.

While there is no doubt that turning on your headlights will increase the current flow in a car battery, it also consumes valuable capacity that could be used to start the cold engine. Therefore, this is not recommended. For cold temperatures, externally powered battery warmers or blankets and engine block heaters are highly recommended if the vehicle can not be parked in a heated garage. AGM and Ni-Cad batteries will perform better than other types of wet Lead-acid batteries in extremely cold temperatures.

In the heat if you take the glass of water you have and pour some out.
You will Quinch your thirst better :roll:

:clap2:

 

[soggybottom]

Thats AAA's opinion, ain't mine so I say no and I'm always right. Maybe the weather channel contacted Alcholics Anominous by mistake

 

[tswing05]

Absolutely TRUE !!!

Did I mention that my company also sells batteries ???

 

[hunzee]

In someone's perfect world, yes.

Tonight at 25 below, good luck.

 

[CAWing]

:wrong::wrong::wrong::wrong::wrong:

 

[Jerry Roebke]

Having done way too many "Load Tests" on rather large Battery Plants, the type that use huge cells that weigh from 300 to 1,200 lbs or more each, I do have a little insite on how Flodded Lead Acid Batteries react to a Discharge.

When you take a Battery, that is a collection of Cells, off of Float and apply a Load you will see the Voltage drop to a point over a relativly short period of time then raise upward for short period of time or Spike before starting a steady downward fall toward a point of no return or Total Discharge. Naturally you don't want to apply a Heavy Load long enough to cause Cell Damage within the Battery so you use another indicator in the Typical Discharge to Guage the Capacity or expected Life.

In doing a Load Test on the Battery, be it a 6 cell automotive or 48 cell Telco Battery Plant, the thing we look for is the Time it takes for a Known Load on a Known Battery to reach that "Recovery Peak or Spike" where the Discharge Voltage rises then begains a steady fall. This information gives us an insite on the Capacity of the Battery and how long it can be expected to supply it's designed Voltage & Current to a Known Load before reaching it's lowest allowable or designed discharge point that it can recover from without Cell Damage or a Low Voltage condition that causes the Load to become unstable or unusable.

I suspect what the AAA and others have seen is that Discharge Recovery Peak or Spike and are making the assumption that the Battery is "Warming Up". It is simply reaching a point in it's chemistry that always occurs in Lead Acid Cells where it Equalizes and starts it's typical Discharge Cycle.

I'll let you all vote on this one to your heart's content and bow out.

 

[rawen2]

Um.... False.
Ralph Wenzl

 

[Gregory Perry]

Like so many things; what sounds good in theory is crap in the real world.opcorn:

 

[The Astute Reader(tm)]

Like so many things; what sounds good in theory is crap in the real world.opcorn:

It doesn't even hold up in theory. The amount of current pulled by the headlights pales in significance to the inrush current pulled by the starter motor. So if you want to warm up the battery, start the car.

 

[philipintexas]

I used to live in Alaska, and at 20-30 below zero, your battery only has about 10-15% (or less) of it's voltage. ANY draw will reduce it's ability to turn the starter motor. Try it if you like, but have jumper cables ready.

 

[crackerjack]

You be surprised what the battery can do when brought up to room temperture. I took a friends poor battery that would not start the car and brought it inside and slowly warmed it up in the bathtub with some warm water. The now room temperture battery went right back in to the car and started the still cold engine right up. You can do the same trick with a 100 watt light bulb and a drop cord and some time with the battery.