It’s early 2018, and North America is still contending with a deep freeze and some nasty winter weather. Erie, Pennsylvania, got more than 50 inches of snow over the holidays, and several northeastern US cities set records for cold weather. Montreal, Canada, spent six consecutive days with the temperature below 1 degree F. Amid all this shivering, our cars and trucks have been suffering. We’ve seen people lined up at auto parts stores to buy new car batteries. What is it about the cold that gives a car battery such a hard time? Read on to find out some important facts about car battery maintenance.

Taxing the Electrical System

A while back, we took a very detailed look at how car batteries work, explaining the chemistry behind releasing electrons as energy. We won’t punish you with the high-school chem lab rigmarole again.

When your battery has a full charge, the outside temperature can typically reach well below -50F before the battery starts to freeze. Conversely, a depleted battery will start to freeze just below 30F. Once the battery freezes, you won’t be moving any electrons anywhere quickly.

For a normal lead-acid battery, in excellent condition with a full charge, the battery should be around 12.6 to 12.7 volts when measured without any load. When depleted by about 50 percent, the battery will read around 12.3 volts. 12.0V means you have about 25 percent charge left. Finally, anything less than 11.9 means the battery is dead. The range is not very wide and most people think that if the battery is at 12.0 volts, it’s fine.

The Downward Spiral of Energy Reserve

The problem with cold weather and battery performance isn’t typically caused by temperature alone. As temperatures drop, we find ourselves using seat heaters, rear window defrosters and heated steering wheels, and of course we have the heater blower cranked all the way up! These electrical loads tax your charging system and draw current away from your battery. If you drive a short distance to work, say less than 15 minutes, you will find the charge level of your battery drops slowly day after day.

Over the holidays, many people change their routine. One option is to stay at home, cuddled up by the fire or the cozy glow of your plasma TV. Another option is to head to the airport and hop on a plane to somewhere warm for a week. Sure, there are still lots of people who have to work over the holidays, and their routines don’t change much.

For those who let their vehicles sit for several days, circuits like keyless entry systems and the clock continue to function. Even if they only draw 10 to 15mA of current, they will slowly drain the reserve out of your battery.

When we start our vehicles in cold weather, the oil in the engine and transmission are much thicker. This dramatically increases the current required to turn the starter motor. If it took 200 Amps to start your car on a nice sunny summer day, it’s not even remotely unreasonable for that number to double when the temperature is below freezing.

But Wait, There’s More!

So, now we have a battery that isn’t being charged very quickly when we drive, combined with reduced current delivery capabilities and significantly higher power requirements to start the car. It’s no wonder that cars don’t start when it’s cold out.

Now, let’s say you’re a smart cookie, and you decide to let your car idle a few minutes before you drive off. In terms of protecting your engine, this is the best idea in the world! Getting some heat into your motor oil will help thin it out and let it do its job better. Fuel will atomize better as the temperature of your engine increases. The downside is that most alternators don’t produce their full charging voltage at idle. So, while you may be doing wonderful things for the engine, you may not be charging the battery very much.

Batteries by the Numbers

Aside from not being to charge our batteries as quickly, and the fact that we need more current, batteries themselves simply do not perform as well when the temperature starts to drop. Let’s look at two common battery specifications: Cranking Amps and Cold Cranking Amps. The Cranking Amps specification defines the amount of current a battery can supply for 30 seconds when it is at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) and maintaining a voltage of at least 7.2 volts. The Cold Cranking Amp specification is similar but with a temperature of 0 degrees F (-17.8 degrees C). Sadly, the reality of this specification is that 7.2 volts isn’t enough to get much work done. The flip side? We often don’t need to crank the engine for 30 seconds. Therefore, it all works out.

Your battery can’t produce as much energy when it’s cold because the rate at which the chemical conversation takes place is slowed down, increasing electrolyte resistance.

Taking Care of Your Battery in the Cold

When the mercury is slated to drop, or you won’t be driving your vehicle for more than three or four days, put a charger on it.

Please pay attention to this part. Not all battery chargers are equal. Those manually controlled, dual-rate chargers in the metal case at Walmart are NOT what you want.

Look for a battery charger that says it’s computer-controlled, automatic or intelligent. You will want to see some indication that the charger has different charging modes. The charger needs to be intelligent enough to stop pumping current into the battery once it’s charged.

Some of the best chargers have as many as eight steps/modes in their charging process. These can include processes that will break down sulfates that have adhered to the lead plates and prevent stratification when the battery is unused for a long period. Do your research before you buy.

Regular Battery Maintenance

Wouldn’t it be nice if our vehicles had a battery level indicator like our cell phones have? Knowing whether we have 70 percent or 30 percent charge left would dramatically improve the way we care for our batteries. Try to make it a habit of keeping the battery topped up. If you have sat in a parking lot listening to the radio for 20 minutes or made several short trips without a good long one to recharge the battery, connect your charger overnight and fill it up. It’s also a good idea to use your battery charger whenever you get your oil changed as a precaution. A well-maintained battery will last much longer than one that spends its life half-depleted.

If your battery has removal caps that allow you to check the electrolyte level, be sure to check the battery frequently. If the level is low, add distilled water. Do not use tap water. The minerals in the water will reduce the capacity of your battery.

You will also want to check all the battery connections. Are the power and ground connections tight? Is there any corrosion? If anything seems out of sorts, seek the assistance of a professional to ensure energy can flow from your battery efficiently and reliably.

Battery Care for Mobile Electronics Enthusiasts

A lot of car audio lovers forget to maintain their battery. The guys who compete in SPL contests are fanatical about battery maintenance. They have come up with all sorts of tricks to get the most voltage possible out of even the simplest of electrical systems.

If you have added accessories to your automotive electrical system, then battery maintenance is especially important. The addition of a dash camera that includes an automatic parking mode can tax a battery. If the weather is going to be much below freezing, you should turn that feature off. If you have a remote starter with a two-way remote, those also add a little extra current draw to your battery. A telematics solution like DroneMobile, SmartStart or AutoConnect also draws current. Stack up a few of these options and your battery may only last a week if you don’t drive the vehicle. You can see why battery maintenance is so important.

If you have questions about taking care of your electrical system, drop into your local mobile enhancement retailer. They can suggest what charger offers the best performance and may even have one in stock. If you need a new battery, they might be able to help with that as well. Don’t let yourself get stranded – take care of your car battery and it will take care of you!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If you look around the Internet, it won’t take long before you see someone say that hooking up an amplifier is as easy as connecting a few wires. Are they right? Well, yes. You most certainly do need to hook up some wires. You also need to know how to connect those wires, disassemble your vehicle, run the wires safely and reassemble the vehicle. Oh, did they mention that only covers the power wire? You still need a ground wire, signal cables, speaker wires and a remote wire. No problem, right? You can figure this stuff out, it’s just hooking up wires! You have access to YouTube, Facebook and your friend whose dad is an electrician.

Most people don’t have everything they need to set up an amp accurately. Do you have the equipment to test the audio signal you are feeding to the amp to ensure it doesn’t distort? Do you have the tools to ensure the amp can handle the signal input voltage you’ll be delivering? Do you know how to set the sensitivity control and the crossovers?

Suddenly, hooking up a few wires has blossomed into a full-on engineering project that requires a multimeter, an oscilloscope and a real-time analyzer. Let’s look at what it takes to install a simple five-channel amp in a new car. We think you’ll be surprised.

Step 1: Power Delivery

The task is simple: Provide your new amplifier with an appropriate connection to the vehicle electrical system. The connection requires adequately sized conductors for minimal voltage drop at the rated current requirements of the amplifier. If you’re on a budget, you will need to know how to de-rate the power wire if it’s not pure copper. The installation needs a protection device to guard against short circuits in the event of an accident or mishap with the amplifier. The ground return path needs to offer minimal resistance in order to prevent ground loops in the system.

To complete this task, you will need to find a path from the vehicle battery to the amplifier. The path must be away from any moving components or sources of heat. You’ll also need to avoid sources of electrical interference, if possible.

You will need to know how to identify vehicles constructed using aluminum, composites or laminated materials and how to compensate for this. You will need to recognize where vehicles are assembled using adhesives instead of spot welds and how to compensate for that.

Choosing a reliable and appropriate protection device is also crucial. You want something that can withstand exposure to the elements while maintaining adequate protection and minimal voltage loss. You need to know where and how to mount the device so that the vehicle is protected properly.

If you have to drill holes for anything, make sure you know how to check for factory wiring harnesses, fuel lines, brake lines and emission control components. You’ll need something to treat the metal after you have drilled it so that it won’t rust. You will need to protect the wires you run through the hole. If you have completed all the tests to confirm that you can use the chassis as your ground return path, the same precautions apply to drilling that hole. You need to prepare the vehicle for the ground connection, and have a plan to treat it after installation to prevent corrosion. Of course, you need the appropriate hardware to fasten the ground connection or connections properly, safely and securely.

Finally, you will need to have the proper tools to make your connection to the amplifier. These tools may be a simple as a sharp knife, or may include the need for a terminal crimping tool capable of handling appropriate-sized spade or ring terminals. Depending on the amplifier, you may need wire ferrules for a secure, efficient and reliable installation. You’ll also need a screwdriver and a set of Allen keys.

Step 2A: Signal Delivery – Aftermarket Radio

If you have chosen to replace the stock radio in your vehicle with an aftermarket unit, connecting the amp to the source unit is as simple running RCA interconnect cables. Isn’t it? First and foremost, you will need to know what length of cable you need. The cables certainly can’t be too short, and if they are too long, how will you deal with the extra length? The choice of cables is also quite important. Are the inputs to your amplifier single-ended or differential? If you don’t know, do you have the tools to test the amp? Based on the answer to the amplifier input stage design research, have you chosen the correct style of interconnect for your application? Your choices include twisted pair cables and coaxial cables, each of which have many options for shielding.

In terms of running the interconnect cables through your vehicle, do you know how to disassemble the vehicle adequately to run the cables safely and securely? If the cables are visible when you deem the installation complete, well, it isn’t. Do you know what devices and areas to avoid while running the cable? Do you have the supplies to secure the cables in place to prevent them from buzzing and rattling in the dash as you drive?

Step 2B: Factory-Installed Source Unit

If you will be using the factory source unit to feed your amplifier, you need to know what wires to hook up. If you are lucky, someone may have worked on a car like yours and hopefully wrote down which wire goes where. If nobody has provided the answers, you’ll need some tools to do some research.

First, you need to find the audio signal coming out of the factory source unit. In some cases, there is no analog audio signal present at the source, only out of the factory amplifier. Then you’ll need to determine the polarity of the signal. Next, you’ll need tools to determine the frequency response and amplitude of this signal. You will also need to be able to discern whether the signal is usable all the way up to full volume on the head unit. Finally, you’ll need to determine what kind of signal you are dealing with. Is it balanced or single-ended? Does the frequency response change with different volume settings? Does the signal contain the audio information you need, or is there an upmixer in the vehicle? Other tests include checking for phase equalization in the signal and the presence of warnings and alerts from the vehicle safety systems.

Depending on the answers you get, you will need to determine how to proceed. Can you connect the RCA interconnects directly to the speaker wire? Do you need a line-level converter? Do you need something to remove equalization and time alignment from the signal? Do you know how to deal with phase EQ? Hopefully you can get this right, or your upgrade may not sound very good.

Step 3: Running Speaker Wires

OK, now that we have done all of our testing and made sure we have a usable signal for our amp, it’s time to run wires to the speakers. If you are using the factory speakers, you can use the factory wiring to save some time. Just follow the rules about where and how to run speaker wires relative to noise sources, sharp edges, moving objects, heat sources and so on.

If you are running new speaker wire in the doors, you need to know how to take the trim off the door without damaging it or losing any of the clips. You will have to remove the door handle and lock release cables from the door panel. In some vehicles, the window regulator needs to come out so that you can access the inside of the wire boot.

Speaking of wire boots, most include a connector of some kind on the vehicle side, so you will need to know how to deal with those, and how to safely and securely add a quick-disconnect to the wire to make sure the door remains serviceable.

After you have the wire in the door, you will need to connect to the speakers. This could be as simple as crimping on spade terminals, using a terminal block or soldering to a factory wire plug. It’s always good to check the wiring to verify that you have the polarity correct before you put the door back together. Oh, and make sure you use appropriate wire management so that the new speaker wire doesn’t interfere with the window mechanism.

Step 4: Amplifier Configuration

Congratulations! If you have made it this far, then it’s clear sailing to the finish line. You will have determined that the audio signal you are connecting to the amplifier will work within its specifications for voltage and signal type (balanced or not). The next step is to configure the crossovers on the amplifier. In most cases, you will be applying a high-pass filter to the front and rear speakers and a low-pass filter to the subwoofer on the mono channel. We all know that the crossover frequency labels on amplifiers are notoriously inaccurate, so you may need an RTA to measure the frequency response of the system as you fine-tune the crossovers. You’ll need to know how low to set the crossovers so that you can establish a solid bass foundation in the front of the vehicle while protecting the speakers from excessive excursion. Next, you need to blend the subwoofer crossover with the front and rear speakers so that there are no gaps or significant overlaps in frequency response. If there are any phase issues with the midrange speakers blending with the subwoofer, you need to know how to compensate for that.

The last step is to set the sensitivity control on your amplifier to ensure that you have maximized the signal-to-noise ratio of your audio system and ensured that it will not distort significantly at full volume. It should also be noted that a lot of factory source units distort at full volume, so your tests in section 2B will determine what the new “full volume” setting on your deck is. Being able to distort the signal a little bit is OK, as it allows you to play music that was recorded quietly at enjoyable levels. It’s also necessary to know how much gain overlap is appropriate for the subwoofer and midrange speakers.

Step 5: Testing the Installation

Once the installation and configuration are complete, the system needs to be tested. The person doing the work will need a reference against which he or she can judge the performance of the upgrade. We aren’t quite sure what to tell you about this. You either have a reference for a great sounding audio system, or you don’t. If there is something wrong, the installer will need to resolve the issue. Potential problems include engine noise, heterodyne noise and radio reception issues from an installation standpoint. You also need to know how to check the system to verify that all the speakers are in correct polarity and the signals from each are summing at the listening position.

Congratulations on Your Amplifier Installation

Well, there you go. That’s a short list of things you need to know in order to install, test and troubleshoot the wiring up of your new amplifier. We didn’t talk about guidelines for amplifier mounting locations or mounting methods, since those topics vary a great deal based on amplifier choice, vehicle design and the chosen style of installation.

If you decide that you don’t have the tools to complete any one of these tasks, your local mobile enhancement retailer is willing to help you out with your installation. Give them a call!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.