26/10/2026
Winter’s coming… and your battery knows it!
It’s getting decidedly cooler here in Bellac, and jumping into the old Pootrol today, I noticed something interesting.
Both batteries were drawing considerably more charging current than usual.
Now, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.
We’ve been away several times recently, the Patrol hasn’t been getting its usual exercise, and I haven’t been particularly diligent about hooking up the CTEK smart charger to bring the batteries back to 100%.
Throw in the cooler weather, and suddenly the alternator has a bit more work to do.
And that’s the thing about batteries — just because they start your engine doesn’t mean they’re fully charged or in good condition.
It’s particularly relevant as we head towards winter, especially for ride-on mowers, garden tractors, generators and other machinery that’s about to spend several months sitting in a shed.
Cold temperatures reduce the starting power available from a battery, while long periods of inactivity allow it to gradually discharge.
Come spring, you turn the key and get…
Click. Click. Absolutely bu**er all.
A little preventative maintenance now can save a lot of frustration later.
* Give the battery a proper charge before putting the machine away.
* Use a smart maintenance charger if it’s going to sit unused for months.
* Check terminals for corrosion and loose connections.
* Don’t assume a battery needs replacing simply because it won’t start the engine.
Sometimes a battery just needs a little attention, not replacing.
At Springer, we can check batteries, charging systems and starting circuits on your garden machinery and small-engine equipment before you spend money unnecessarily.
🐾 Teddy’s approach to winter maintenance is considerably simpler. Find somewhere warm, locate rope toy, refuse to move.
SPRINGER Service & Repair
📍 Bellac 87300
📞 07 43 25 59 98
SIRET: 993 959 790 00011
Repair what you’ve got. Replace only what you need.