It happens every year around this time. The car started fine all summer, and then one crisp October morning you turn the key and hear a slow, tired groan instead of the engine firing up. If you’re lucky it catches. If not, you’re calling for a jump in the driveway.

Here’s what most people don’t realize. The cold morning isn’t really what killed your battery. Our long, hot Tennessee summers do most of the damage, wearing down the inside of the battery a little more every week. The battery can hide that weakness while it’s warm out. Once the temperature drops, a battery has less power available, and the engine is harder to turn over because the oil is thicker. A battery that was barely getting by in August suddenly can’t keep up.

Most car batteries last somewhere around three to five years, and heat tends to push them toward the short end of that range. If yours is getting up there in age, it’s worth having it tested before winter rather than finding out the hard way in a parking lot.

There are a few warning signs to watch for. The engine cranks slower than usual, especially first thing in the morning. Your headlights or dash lights look dim when the car is idling. You hear a clicking sound when you turn the key. You see white or bluish crusty buildup on the battery posts. Some newer cars will also show a battery or charging warning light on the dash.

Sometimes the battery isn’t the real problem at all. A failing alternator won’t recharge the battery as you drive, and a loose or corroded cable can keep power from getting where it needs to go. That’s why replacing the battery without testing the whole charging system can leave you stranded again a few weeks later.

When you bring your car to Exhaust Plus Auto Center, we’ll test the battery, the alternator and the cables so you know exactly where things stand. If your battery still has life in it, we’ll tell you that too. Nobody wants to pay for a part they don’t need.

Beat the first cold snap and give us a call at (931) 388-8411, or stop by 102 W 5th St in Columbia, Monday through Friday from 8 to 5.