SCRANTON, Pa. — At Kelleher Battery on Boulevard Avenue in Scranton, owner Chris Kelleher says he showed up Tuesday morning to a lot of calls from customers with cars that didn't start.
"We're coming off of a holiday weekend where a lot of people had the perfect combination and reason to stay inside because there was freezing cold temperatures, snow, ice," Kelleher said.
The snow may keep you off the road, but Kelleher says it's the cold that kills your battery.
He's replaced quite a few this week and is expecting the rest of the week to stay busy.
Temperatures are expected to dip again on Thursday for a stretch of days where lows may dip below zero.
Kelleher says now is the perfect time to make sure you and your car's battery are ready.
"It's a beautiful day, start your car, go for a ride. Put 15-20 miles on your car on the eve of a zero-degree day, and your chances of starting the next morning are going to grow exponentially," he said.
Kelleher says it's important to give your alternator time to charge your battery. He says if your car runs on a chilly night, there's a good chance it will start for you on a sub-zero morning.
"There's a lot of people who go nowhere anymore, ever since this happened. You have your very strict planning of when you're going to go to the store, and it's there and back. So, your car doesn't know that, and it keeps munching up power until the batteries at such a low state the computers won't recognize and won't start the car," he explained.
And that's the last thing any of us needs when the temperature is that cold.
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