Winter battery worries?
Just chill.
Winter 2014
14
3914 Hecktown Rd., Easton, PA • (610) 258-2371 •
www.aaanc.com
Auto
Services
AAA
Now
!
TM
Consulting our magic snow globe, we can
confidently make this seasonal prediction:
thousands of drivers will find themselves
stranded in the dead of winter thanks to a
dead battery. Understanding what keeps
your battery cranking can help you avoid
being left out in the cold.
As air cools, the oil in your car thickens.
Parts move slower and it requires more
energy for the battery to turn over and
start the engine. A battery loses a third
of its power in freezing weather. If the
temperature drops to zero or below, your
battery has only half its power.
To keep your battery operating reliably in
any season, have a trained technician clean
battery cables and check that the charging
system is charging at the correct rate.
One way to protect your battery from the
cold is to use a block heater. Pre-warming
your engine reduces winter wear and tear
on your battery and starter, and also reduces
emissions and increases fuel economy.
What do you do if your battery has been
exposed to very cold weather? A fully
charged battery will not freeze unless the
temperature drops very low. If it does freeze,
it destroys the lead coating and the battery
cannot charge. If the sides of your battery
seem to bow out, this is a sign the battery is
frozen. Never jump-start a frozen battery
because it may explode.
No matter what precautions you take,
your battery will probably be reliable just
3 to 5 years. An aging battery increases
the odds that you could spend some
unscheduled time in your driveway or
parking lot. Here’s some good news about
batteries to make your season a little
brighter. If you do have battery problems,
AAA can help. AAA Battery Service offers
free diagnostics – and technicians come to
you. They can test your charging system
and, at your request, install a quality
AAA battery right on the spot.
Your new AAA battery comes with a
member discount and a 72-month limited
warranty and free replacements for 36
months, nationwide.
Every battery we replace is recycled, so if
your New Year’s resolution includes a little
more environmental responsibility, we’ve
got you covered there, too. So far, AAA
Battery Service and our collection program,
AAA Great Battery Roundup®, have kept
more than 2 million batteries from
contaminating landfills.
Upon arriving home from vacation, you discover that burglars stole
Grandma’s diamond ring, a piece that was appraised at about $5,000.
When you call your insurer to report the loss, you get an unwelcome
surprise: Your policy caps payments for the theft of jewelry. Rather
than the ring’s $5,000 worth, you’ll get just the maximum amount
allowed – often around $1,000.
Many people find out too late that their insurance has “sublimits”
within the overall limit for certain items. That means that even if you have
$200,000 or more of personal property coverage, you might only get a
fraction of it, depending on the type of loss. For example, sublimits are
common for the theft of items such as jewelry, firearms, or silverware. But
be careful: Sublimits often apply for items such as money, collectibles,
and personal computers, regardless of the type of loss.
What’s more, a basic homeowners policy won’t always cover every
type of loss. For example, many policies won’t cover the loss of a
precious stone if it falls out of a ring and is lost.
However, almost every insurer will allow you to purchase more
coverage for valuable items. Most insurers have two options:
scheduled coverage and increased policy sublimits.
Scheduled Coverage
Insurers often recommend scheduled coverage for particularly
valuable items. You list each asset, along with a description and value,
on a “schedule,”which also notes the coverage for each item in the event
of a loss. Scheduled coverage is good for something you wear every day,
such as a wedding ring, because the potential for loss is greater.
Pros:
Some companies offer scheduled coverage with no deductible.
Also, in general, more types of loss are covered, including the
“mysterious disappearance” of an item.
Cons:
The process usually requires you to get your valuables
independently appraised. Also, premiums are generally higher for
scheduled items than those for an increased sublimit.
Increased Policy Sublimits
With increased policy sublimits, you simply pay extra on your home-
owners insurance premium or purchase an endorsement to raise the
limit for a particular category of valuables. Increased limits are good for
people who own many nice items, but none that have a particularly high
value. For instance, if you have a cabinet full of fine china you’d like to
protect more thoroughly, but it doesn’t seemworthwhile to insure each
piece, you can increase the sublimit total from, say, $1,500 to $5,000.
Pros:
The process is easier than the one for scheduled items, and
premiums for raising the limits tend to be less.
Cons:
There is still a limit on how much can be paid out for each
item, and pieces are usually covered in fewer situations than with
scheduled coverage.
Consider making a new year’s resolution to take inventory of your
valuable items and assess whether to purchase more coverage. While
a higher payout won’t bring back a family heirloom, it might help
cushion the feeling of loss.
Your insurance agent can provide more information. Visit the
AAA office, call (610) 258-2371 or go to AAA.com/insuranceinfo.
Boosting coverage to
protect your belongings
AAA Northampton County 12L005
Consulting ur magic snow gl b , we can confidently make
this seasonal predicti n: thousands of drivers will find
themselves stranded in the dead of winter thanks to a dead
battery. Understanding what keeps your b ttery cranking can
help you avoid being left out in the cold.
As air cools, the oil in your car thickens. Parts move slower
and it requires ore energy for the battery to turn over
and start the engine. A battery loses a third of its power in
fre zing weather. If the temp rature drops to zero or below,
your battery has only half its power.
To keep your b ttery operating reliably in any season, have
a trained te hnician clean b ttery cables and check that the
charging system is charging at the correct rate. The AAA
network of Approved Auto Repair facilities is an additional
source for requesting a diagnosis of your vehicle’s char ing
system.
One way to protect your battery from the cold is to use a block
heater. Pre-warming your engine reduces winter wear and
tear on you b ttery and start r, and also reduces emissions
and increases fuel economy.
What do you do if y ur bat ery has been exposed to very
cold weather? A fully charged battery will not freeze unless
the temperature drops very low. If it does freeze, it destroys
the lead coating and the battery cannot charge. If the side
of your battery seem to bow out, this is a sign the battery is
frozen. Never try to boost a frozen battery because it may
explode.
Maybe you are a snowbird who winters in the sun and
leaves the car behind. If your battery is allowed to discharge
completely a few times, you will end up replacing your battery
because the lead coating on the battery’s internal plates will
fail – -- and so will the battery. Use a AAA Battery Tender®
charger to keep the battery charged during periods you are
not driving your vehicle.
No matter what precautions you take, your battery will
probably be reliable just 3 to 5 years. An aging battery
increases the odds that you could spend some unscheduled
time in your driveway or parking lot. Here’s some good news
about batteries to make your season a little brighter. If you
do hav battery problems, AAA can help. AAA Battery Service
offers free diagnostics – and technicians come to you. They
can test your charging system and, at your request, install a
quality AAA battery right on the spot.
Your new AAA battery comes with a member discount and
a 72-month limited warranty and free replacements for 36
months, nationwide.
Every battery we replace is recycled, so if your New Year’s
resolution includes a little more environmental responsibility,
we’ve got you covered there, oo. So far, AAA Battery Service
and our collection program, AAA Great Battery Roundup®,
have kept more than 2 million batteries from contaminating
landfills.
WINTER BATTERY
WORRIES? JUST CHILL.
Valid only for AAA Northampton County members. Offer expires 2/28/2014.
To redeem this coupon, please call
610-258-2808
.
To show our appreciation, you can redeem this coupon and
receive $5 off a AAA Battery. That’s right! AAA now offers a
Battery Service Program which features the following benefits:
• Free, expert battery testing
• Quick battery installation, at your request
• A high-quality AAA battery at a members-only discount
• An unmatched 72-month limited warranty
(including 36 months free nationwide replacement)
• Free recycling of your old battery
Thank you
for choosing AAA
$
5
off
By Robin Jones
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