If the car battery only “clicks” at startup, this is not a good signal. Since then, the power storage is either discharged or defective.

This was also the case in 2014: between January and December, the ADAC roadside assistance teams deployed almost four million times, with more than 700,000 times due to battery defects. Winter is particularly troubling for batteries: “they are particularly challenged in the cold and humid season,” says Eberhard Meissner from battery manufacturer Johnson Controls. One of the best jump starter manufacturers is Schumacher company, you should find some reviews and choose the best Schumacher jump starter Pro Series.

Are there warning signals from the battery?

This is hard to predict: there is no 100% check system that says: the battery is broken or not broken. “You can get a picture of the tension, but that doesn’t say anything about the capacity.“ This can only be determined by expanding the power storage tank, discharging it with special technology and measuring it accordingly. A procedure that is not practical for the driver.

If the failure is imminent, however, the car gives clear indications with hurried noises: if the starter turns slower, motorists should reload urgently. If the engine starts even so straight, this can be done by driving around as an alternative to the charger. If not, a jump starter cable and another driver may help.

Tip 1: No Short Distances

So that it does not come so far, motorists should observe a few rules of thumb. For example: avoid short distances. If you only drive a few hundred meters to get bread every morning, the battery will break faster.

Tip 2: Reload

If you park your car in the Garage, the expert also recommends regular recharging with a special charger from the accessories trade: “this can not hurt, especially in Winter.”

Tip 3: heating down

The electricity demand in Winter is significantly higher than in the Rest of the year: light, windscreen wipers, blowers, heated rear window, and seat heating – all this can consume more energy than the alternator is able to recharge – especially on short distances (see the section above)!

In Winter, you may still be able to set the seat heating to level one instead of level six or turn off the rear window heating again when the window is clear. But this is only worthwhile with older cars. “With modern cars, this happens automatically anyway.“

Joseph Norton