Is it a good idea to start your car in the winter every few days to keep the battery charged?

Question

Just wondering cuz my dad said that it is not good for the car. But my autoshop teacher said it is a good thing to do. He is is a cetified mechanic so i would think he is right. Help me out if anyone knows.

Answer 1

yes, its a good idea. The cold will slowly drain the battery

Answer 2

No, your best bet is to remove the battery and wait for spring. Starting an engine for a short period is never good for the engine or the car.
It takes at least 20 minutes to recharge a battery after starting.
It takes at least 45 minutes to get the engine hot enough to boil off any moisture in the engine and exhaust, and this includes running the heater to dry out the inside.
Your battery is powering the electronics in the radio and clock, so eventualy the battery will discharge.
.
Removing the battery and storing it where it won't freeze
is the best way. Charge the battery when you're ready to use it and it will be fine.
Leaving the car outside is OK as well, winter air is generally drier, though maybe not this year! LOL
Add some "Sta-Bil" to the gas tank to prevent the gas from going bad.
.
In the spring, reinstall the battery, start the car and drive for at least 45 minutes, then change the oil and filter. Your engines' computer will reprogram itself using the factory defaults, but you'll have to reset your clock and radio manually.
Where I used to work, we pulled the batteries on all of our Summer equipment and reinstalled the batteries in the spring time. Then we disconnected the batteries in our snowplows etc and waited for the fall.
We used "Sta-Bil" by the gallon, and never had any problems.

Answer 3

Ho leo actually a good battery should read about 13.8 volts if it is in good condition. so by the reading alone the chances are this old battery is past it's best now. so the purchase of a new battery is needed now. the life of most batteries is about 3-4 years and given these cold weather conditions where chemical action within a battery is reduced it is a good assumption to make that it has no real current left to start a car engine.

Answer 4

it is a good idea as the cold discharges the battery inwinter and also the cold thickens the oil so the battery As to work harder to turn the engine over so you should run the car every day in the winter (drive) or buy a trickle charger to keep the battery at max cranking amps as starting the car takes power out of the battery and also make sure that when you start the car your stereo and heaters are of when starting the car in winter as they use power from the battery and in winter you need as much power as the battery can supply to the starter motor
your dad is correct in away as as the oil thickens the engine will
suffer from lack of lubrication as all engine wear is in the first 10 minutes of starting so that is why ithe car should not be just started to charge the battery but should be driven until the car reaches its proper operating temp so the oil thins out and lubricates the engine chases out the moisture in the engine and also tops the battery back up

Answer 5

Hey Dog
I would consider buying a gizmo called a battery tender
it will keep your battery charged while car is in storage.
the thought of starting a car for battery charging is not very good
first the engine will not benefit from this it needs to run long enough
to drive the moisture out of the insides of engine the short run will only dirty the oil faster than normal driving.
your dad is right perhaps your shop teacher not understanding
the problem. da skinny from Kenny

Answer 6

If the battery is in good shape, it can sit for months and not be drained, I grew up in chicago, and sometimes my car would sit for months in subzero temp, and the battery would be fine when I went to start it. If you have antifreeze in the car, you don't have to worry about the block freezing, etc. If the battery is going dead on you, have it checked to see what's draining the system. If you're leaving the car parked, and are really worried about the battery, disconnect it and take it inside and leave it. As long as the battery is charged tho, it won't freeze. Battery acid doesn't freeze... well, it might, but if it gets that cold, it means the sun has gone out, the planet is frozen solid, and your car battery is the least of your worries.

Answer 7

yes, it is a good idea to start the car, some people say that the freeze out plugs will pop out if it isn't started in cold weather, but that isn't true as long as you have antifreeze with water mixed 50/50. when it is cold, the battery will drain, (pending on the age of the batt.) when you start the car and let it run for about 30 min, it will warm the battery and give it a good charge.

Answer 8

It's a good idea, and not only from a battery's prospective.
When you run (warm up) the engine, water is evaporated from the crank case, and all seals get lubricated, and remain pliable. It's even better if you drive the vehicle for 10-15 mi to do the same to the drive train components.

Answer 9

Use your logic and common sense. Consider the source your teacher is a certified mechanic and your Dad is not. Get it? Teacher is correct. All my brothers agree that: Yes, you should start your car during the winter on and off even if you are not driving the car.

Answer 10

yes ! i think it is a gd idea for your dad to warm the engine for the car cuz if the weather is too cold , then the engine might not have the energy to start. so if you warm up the engine at least theres heat transferred to the battery and therefore i still think that its a gd idea . . you should warm up the engine of the car before the car cant start at all . .

Answer 11

Yes it is good to start the car if it's been really cold for a couple reasons....not only to charge the battery, but to also warm the engine so the freeze plugs don't blow on you.