Winter is Coming, Are You and Your Automobile Ready?

While many of us are familiar with the famous Benjamin Franklin idiom “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, few of us take this wisdom truly to heart.

In a society full of procrastinators and those who never plan to fail, yet always fail to plan it needs to be stressed that it always helps to be prepared.

As we cross over into October, the reality is that winter, and all the challenges it brings to Canadians will be here before most of us are ready for it.  We may be a cold-weather country but it seems that especially at the outset of winter, few of us are really prepared in the manner that we should be.

Photo: CAA

Automobiles often tend to face the onset of winter weather fairly unprepared.  From the wrong tires being on, to mechanical systems not fully tuned, our cars tend to bear the brunt from the onset of winter pretty hard.  Car batteries are especially vulnerable to being affected by winter, especially when the batteries are more than a few years old.   If anyone has ever had to deal with the frustrating ordeal of a car battery that won’t turn over on a cold morning (I have), you will know that it’s a good idea to have a preventative plan in place should just such a situation occur.

If you run into the unfortunate situation of having your battery die while in your driveway or office parking lot, it can become a huge inconvenience to have it towed away to a garage.  I recently discovered though that a Mobile Battery Service exists through the CAA that allows the repair of the battery to come to you as opposed to the other way around.

Should your battery die, the Mobile Battery Service from CAA will send out a mobile truck to you.  They will first attempt to boost and test the existing battery, but if it will not charge, they will replace it on the spot with a new one (with delivery and installation included in the purchase of a new battery).  They will also take the existing one away for full recycling free of charge.

Most impressive to me is the fact that the service uses the CAA Green Power Battery, a lead-acid battery that is 100% fully recyclable and is made itself from recycled components.  Automotive batteries are amongst the most eco-friendly nowadays given the ability to essentially operate in a closed-loop and sustainable manner.   This has huge environmental benefits as it virtually eliminates the need to extract non-renewable raw materials for production, plus it eliminates any harm to the environment through disposal of potentially toxic materials.

Photo: CAA

It’s important to note that just because a battery comes from recycled components doesn’t mean that it performs worse than one made from new material.  All CAA Green Power Batteries are backed by a 6-year total warranty, including three years free replacement and three years prorated guarantee.

Pricing is competitive with all other battery options and services, plus CAA members receive a $15 discount, thus making the price even more competitive, if not advantageous.

While there is nothing we can do to prevent the onset of winter, there is plenty we can do in advance to be well-prepared for whatever winter throws our way.  Servicing your vehicle for the cold weather will go a long way towards a safe driving season, but should mechanical or battery problems still occur, having a plan in place to deal with the problem will go a long way towards minimizing its overall impact.  Best of all, by using an environmentally friendly battery, you are utilizing an enviro tip that makes sense from a financial and convenience perspective as well.

For more information on CAA and its Mobile Battery Service, visit www.caasco.com/BatteryService.

NOTE: This Envirodad.com post is sponsored by CAA.

Eric Novak

About Eric Novak

Eric Novak is a father of 4 who also thinks that environmental stewardship is a requisite of parenting. He's not a professional Dad nor is he an environmental scientist, but he's someone who gives a damn and is trying to make the right decisions as he lives his life as a father, environmentalist, part time professor and business owner. Eric has 4 children and resides in Ajax, Ontario.