Back to all

Battery Replacement at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Oswego in Oswego

August 14, 2022

Hello, welcome to Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Oswego. Today's focus is batteries. It seems like everything in Oswego runs on batteries. Of course, the batteries we're most concerned with here at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Oswego are those in our customer's vehicles. Just like the batteries in our smoke detectors or TV remote, drive they wear out and need to be replaced . This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold vehicle engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in Illinois, specifically how cold it is. (Many Oswego drivers have first-hand experience trying to start their car on a cold winter morning.) The two factors are that the colder your vehicle's engine is, the more power it takes to turn the engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with.

The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient when the temperature dips. Let's say it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees C) in Oswego. At that temperature, 100% of the battery's power is available. At freezing, only 65% of battery power is available, but it requires 155% as much power to start the engine as it did at 80 degrees F (27 degrees C).

As you can see, the colder it gets, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

So if you live where it's cold in Illinois, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it's moderate or hot. The battery that originally came with your vehicle was based on averages. At Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Oswego, we like to remind Oswego drivers that they should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as their vehicle manufacturer recommends but may want to upgrade if they live where it gets real cold.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Oswego
1555 US Highway 34
Oswego, Illinois 60543
630-898-6220

 

More articles from Tuffy Oswego

Full Stop (Brake Master Cylinder Replacement)

January 26, 2025

When you step on your brake pedal, you want to feel confident that your vehicles going to stop. If your brakes arent working right, its a risk to your safety and the safety of others on the road. After all, youre driving a machine that weighs thousands of pounds, and you have to be able to stop... More

The Vivacious Vernal Vehicle (Preparing Vehicle for Spring)

January 19, 2025

Most of us look forward to spring because the days are longer, the weather's warmer and we can finally get our vehicles into warm weather mode. Here are a few things that will breathe fresh energy into anyone's car, SUV, truck or van. First thing is a good cleaning, especially underneath. If you... More

Timing is Everything (Timing Cover Replacement)

January 12, 2025

Theres an important part in your vehicle that shields your timing belt, timing chain or cam belt from the debris and gunk that can be kicked up from the road. Its called the timing cover. Its important because the timing belt or chain is what coordinates parts of your engine called the camshaft... More