Colder weather often spells trouble for car batteries, but what if you could jump start yourself out of a sticky situation? With the right product you can...
Icy winter days can take their toll on car batteries, which means you may find yourself stranded on a snowy road.
However, if you have your own personal jump starter you could avoid a chilly wait in a broken-down car. Modern-day power packs come in different shapes and sizes to suit all sorts of cars, but they aren’t always heavy and bulky pieces of equipment.
A compact jump starter is small but still has the power to get many cars out of trouble. If you want to know more, you can take a closer look at the compact power pack on our Wilco Direct webpage.
Battery blues
In the winter of 2015 the RAC rescued 2,402,225 motorists who had broken down. The main cause for the call-outs was a failed battery, which becomes more vulnerable to faults as the temperature drops. Indeed, 31% of breakdowns attended by the RAC last year were the result of battery issues.
However, 2015 was actually a mild winter. This year the forecasters are anticipating a return to the arctic conditions of 2010. In November of that year, the number of breakdowns in the hardest-hit areas of the South East, East Anglia, London, the East Midlands and Yorkshire soared. At one point the RAC was receiving an average of 2,300 calls an hour from motorists in trouble.
Pocket power
If this winter is anything like the one in 2010, motorists should prepare for potential breakdowns. Having a jump starter primed and ready to go means that you could kick-start your car if the battery fails you.
The compact jump starter is a powerful product in a lightweight packet. Its size means that it could slip into your pocket, under the passenger seat or go into your glovebox. Despite being small, it can re-start a petrol engine of up to 3.5 litres or a diesel engine of 2.5 litres, using less than half of its power. It also comes in a case that includes a complete jump start kit of booster cables and an LED torch. If your car needs something with a bit more power, take a look at our website for other options.
Top-up your devices
A jump starter can also get your other devices out of trouble, such as your mobile and tablet. USB sockets and inverters mean that you can plug in your phone, so if you break down and can’t re-start your car, you don’t have to worry about not being able to contact anyone.
Long winter car journeys to see family and friends over the Christmas period can also be made more bearable with a jump starter. Simply plug in your in-car entertainment, tablets and laptops to prevent arguments or keep your sat-nav charged so that you don’t make a wrong turn.
Get ready for the cold
Prevention is always better than a cure, so although having a jump starter in your toolkit means that you may be able to revive a flat battery, giving your car a quick check-up before heading out is always a good idea. Check the oil, screenwash, coolant and your tyres to ensure that your odds of breaking down are as small as possible.