Paying attention to car battery health important in cold winter months

With winter weather in full swing in Saskatoon, keeping an eye on your car’s battery could save you from a headache on those cold December mornings.

According to Chris Lai, owner of Lai’s Auto Service, plugging your car in is one way to make sure it starts but having it plugged in too long can actually be damaging.

“I would recommend four to six hours or put it on a timer to save energy. Because it’s just like a kettle so if you leave it on too long it could burn out the element,” he said.

“Worst case scenario it could cause a fire, so you want to put it on a timer just to save energy. You can buy those at any hardware store. It’s just a plug you plug in after the outlet and then plug your cord into there.”

According to Lai, another tip for keeping your car healthy in the winter is letting it run for about 15 minutes before you start driving.

“It will be hard on the transmission if the fluid is not the right temperature you will get hard shifts, and premature damage,” he said.

Lai also recommends taking your car in to get checked if it has a hard time starting in the mornings as that could mean something is wrong with the battery.