How to Care for a Car Battery
Q. I have a 2005 Toyota Highlander with the same battery, now 10 years old, and it is still starting in the winter time, even when it is 0 degrees F, and after sitting for 5 or 6 days. This is what I do. A. Every two or three years, I take the battery out, wash off all the salt. B. I clean the battery terminals and the connecting cables. C. I add distilled water if needed. D. I use full synthetic oil in the winter. E. I sing to the battery, my own song- Long Live the Battery. I do sing my song in Japanese, because it is a Nippon Denso battery. Okay, Mr. Car Doctor, which of A B C D or E is the most important for long battery life?
A. Looking at the choices, cleaning the battery is important since it helps protect against parasitic drain. When the battery case is dirty or damp it can cause a slow discharge and ultimately a dead battery. Cleaning the cables is very important to insure good current flow to the starter motor (many road service calls could be avoided by cleaning battery cables). A battery low on water is a battery that is short on long life and could also indicate a malfunctioning changing system. Synthetic oil allows or quicker easier starts and better lubrication not just in winter but year round. For long battery life, singing to the battery (E) would be my answer.
Q. How important are snow tires for an all-wheel-drive car? After the snowiest winter I can remember I’m considering an all-wheel-drive car but was hoping to avoid snow tire changeover. My budget is up to $60,000 and I have been looking at Audi, Lincoln, Jaguar and Mercedes Benz models.
A. All of these cars are great choices but dedicated winter tires can make a huge difference in how a car performs. Several years back I drove an Audi A6 with conventional tires in a few inches of snow and although this is a car that generally is an outstanding performer in winter weather, on this day the car was terrible. This Audi would take off okay, but safe stopping and handling were a challenge. Recently I drove a Jaguar XF with all-wheel-drive, equipped with 19 inch winter tires and the car performed remarkably in deep snow and icy roads. Front wheel, rear wheel or all-wheel-drive winter tires can transform a car’s cold weather performance.
Q. I was at a local repair shop getting an oil change and they mechanic suggested having the cooling system flushed out. My car is a 10 year old Subaru that runs good and has been great this winter. Are there any issues with flushing the radiator rather than draining it and refilling it like I did a few years back?
A. There was a time when all radiators were copper and most anti-freeze was green. Today there are many different types of engine coolant and radiators can be made of aluminum, plastic and even some copper/brass alloys. Subaru has a concern that flushing machines used to service cars other than Subaru that have copper radiators could cause chemical reaction that over time could cause a clogging of the cooling system. Subaru recommends that if the cooling system needs flushing use only use fresh tap water.
Q. I have a 2009 Buick Enclave and generally like the car until this winter. When the temperature dropped below zero the power brakes didn’t work. After a couple of minutes everything seemed fine. This happened a couple of times in very cold weather. What is wrong?
A. Some Buicks, GMC and Saturn SUVs have had similar problems. The repair involves replacing the brake power booster check valves and in some cases the power brake booster. There was a technical service bulletin issued, unfortunately your car is well past the date of the “free’’ repair.
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