Can A Car Battery Freeze?
- by Joe Weber - updated on 12/20/2023
No matter where you are in the country, you are experiencing cold weather. Although let's face it, some people are experiencing much colder weather than others (I'm looking at you Wisconsin). Cold temperatures bring new challenges for your car battery, and it's much easier to wind up stranded with a dead battery. But one question comes up every year, can a car's battery freeze in the cold?
Can a Car Battery Really Freeze?
As with many things, if the conditions are right, you bet it can freeze. But, before we get into that, let's recap all the other things that can happen to a car battery in the winter.
Reduction in capacity
As the outside temperatures fall, the battery capacity falls with it. Once the temperature reaches the freezing point, 32°F, the battery's capacity is reduced by around 20%. When the temperature reaches a bitter and dangerous -22°F the capacity is reduced by 50%!
Slower charging
As the temperatures drop and it gets colder outside, batteries will recharge at a slower rate. In the car that means you will need to drive longer distances to charge the battery fully.
And the topic of the hour:
Freezing electrolyte
The electrolyte in your car battery can freeze if it gets cold enough, especially when the battery isn't fully charged.
What Does It Take for a Car Battery to Freeze?
Both fully charged and partially charged car and truck batteries can freeze. However, partially charged batteries can start to freeze in much warmer temperatures than fully charged batteries.
- Fully charged batteries won't freeze until the ambient temperature reaches a very dangerous -76 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Partially charged batteries can start to freeze at the same temperature as water, 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why is the freezing point so much worse for partially charged batteries?
The electrolyte in car batteries is composed of water and sulfuric acid. As we all know, water freezes at a pretty mild 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
When a battery is being charged or the car is being driven the sulfuric acid and the water mix, making it more resistant to freezing. Even after parking a car, if the battery has been fully charged while driving, it will be much more resistant to freezing temperatures as the sulfuric acid is still thoroughly mixed in with the water.
If a battery is left in a partially discharged state, the sulfuric acid remains unmixed with the water, allowing the water to begin freezing at the normal freezing point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can I Charge or Jump Start a Frozen Battery?
Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to charge or jump a frozen battery. If the battery is completely frozen, you could potentially damage your vehicle or harm yourself when trying to charge or jump the frozen battery.
If your car has been parked outside in the cold for an extended period and you get no power to any electronics when you turn the key to the accessory position, you should remove the battery from the car or truck and move it to a warmer location to warm up.
After the battery has had adequate time to warm up you can reinstall the battery and see if there is enough power to start the car. At this point, the battery should be thawed and you can safely jump or charge the battery if needed.
Are There Car Batteries That Are Better in the Cold?
Two types of batteries are seen in automobiles today, flooded lead acid and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries. Both of these are tried and true, reliable car and truck batteries but there is a clear winner when it comes to performance in the cold: AGM batteries. Instead of a loose electrolyte solution seen in flooded car batteries, AGM batteries have the electrolyte solution absorbed into a fiberglass mat that is tightly weaved in between the battery plates.
AGM batteries perform better in extremely cold temperatures than flooded batteries for several reasons.
- The soaked mats provide freezing resistance in colder temperatures. It's important to note that AGM batteries are not freezeproof, if it is cold enough even these batteries will freeze.
- The tightly packed, electrolyte-soaked mat also helps the battery produce more Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) to crank the engine in the cold.
- AGM batteries recombine the produced gasses and mix them back into the electrolyte. Meaning, that there is a much lower chance of corrosion on terminals and surrounding parts.
The Batteries Plus exclusive X2Power car and truck batteries are the best-performing batteries you can find for cold weather. They use the latest AGM plate technology for increased durability and longevity in any climate or condition.
How Can I Prolong My Battery's Life in the Cold?
The freezing winter doesn't have to mean the end of your car battery. There are many things you can do to help keep your battery healthy through the winter.
- Don't Turn on Accessories Right Away
To save energy for starting, don't turn on accessories like the radio or heated seats until after you start the car. Keeping these things on will require more energy from the battery, providing less energy to start the engine. - Don't Drive Very Short Distances
Allowing enough time for the battery to recharge from the alternator is important any time of year but even more so in the winter. There is some debate regarding how long the car should be driven to charge the battery. A good rule of thumb is that it should be driven at least 15 -30 minutes at highway speeds. - Park in a Warmer Spot
If you have the ability, park your car or truck in a garage. Even if the garage isn't insulated, the ambient temperature will be much warmer than outdoors and the vehicle will be protected from the wind. - Keep Your Battery Clean
Regularly checking for and cleaning off corrosion from your battery terminals and terminal clamps is a very important thing to do throughout the year. Leaving corrosion unchecked will prevent a solid, secure connection between the battery and the electrical system, limiting the energy transfer. - Prevent Corrosion
Regularly cleaning corrosion is one thing but preventing it from forming in the first place is even better. If you have your battery installed with our premier installation service at one of our locations, your new battery will be installed with anti-corrosion materials to prevent corrosion from forming.If you didn't have it installed here, you can stop in or order a corrosion protection kit to help you in this process.
- Use a Maintenance Charger
Connecting your battery to a battery maintainer will let you charge your battery and keep it at the optimal voltage while you're at home. - Test Your Battery
Last, but certainly not least, have your battery tested by the experts at your local Batteries Plus before problems arise. Knowing the shape your battery is in before heading into winter can save you plenty of headaches.
Batteries for Whatever Vehicle You Drive
Having a reliable battery in your car, truck, minivan or SUV is important. That's why Batteries Plus carries a huge selection of automotive batteries from major brands like X2Power, Duracell Ultra, Optima and Odyssey for whatever you drive. From the grocery getter to the sports car to the off-road truck, we've got a battery that's perfect for you.