Why cold Anchorage mornings are hard on a car battery
Cold mornings are hard on a battery anywhere, but a dead battery on the commute between Eagle River, Chugiak and town gives you fewer easy outs.
What cold does to a battery
A battery loses a large share of its cranking power as the temperature drops. An engine also takes more from the battery to turn over once the oil thickens in the cold, so both problems land on the same morning.
A battery that started the car fine in September can fail on the first hard freeze without warning, especially if it was already a season or two old.
Why the commute matters as much as the start
Eagle River and Chugiak sit up a single highway corridor from town, so a car that dies partway through that drive is not a short walk from a shop. It is a highway call.
The same goes for anyone stopped along the Glenn Highway itself. A dead battery there is not a quick jump from a neighbor's driveway.
Signs a battery is close to done
- • Slow crank. The engine turns over more sluggishly than it did the week before, especially on the first start of the day.
- • Dim accessories. Headlights or dash lights look duller at idle, then brighten once the engine is running.
- • A battery light. The dashboard warning comes on and stays on, or flickers when the car hits a bump.
A battery rarely dies without some warning in the days before.
Getting a new battery without a tow
We test and replace batteries at your vehicle, at home or wherever the car sits when it will not start. Same-day service means we try to get to you the day you call rather than booking out.
Our technicians are ASE certified, so the battery test and the install follow the same steps you would get in a shop.
Car won't start this morning?
We come to the vehicle and test the battery on the spot, in town or out toward Eagle River and Chugiak.
Call (907) 600-3555