# Do I need to "wake up" the battery to start reliably? ('70 Impala)

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-need-to-wake-up-the-battery-to-start-reliably-70-impala/143831>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** chevrolet, impala\
**Created:** [July 7, 2019, 10:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-need-to-wake-up-the-battery-to-start-reliably-70-impala/143831 "2019-07-07T10:46:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mitch11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mitch11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mitch11)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 10:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-need-to-wake-up-the-battery-to-start-reliably-70-impala/143831/1 "2019-07-07T10:46:13Z")

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Back in the early 1970’s in Michigan, a high school friend’s father claimed that in order to ensure your car would start more reliably in the cold temperatures that it was a good idea to “wake up” your battery by first turning on the headlights for a few seconds, then, after shutting the headlights off, start your car. Is this sound advice, or just a way to discourage young men from trying to visit your teenage daughter, after their car would fail to start in the cold weather because they tried this trick? Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 12:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/do-i-need-to-wake-up-the-battery-to-start-reliably-70-impala/143831/2 "2019-07-07T12:33:50Z")

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It is not an old dad’s tale. It actually does work.

A battery makes electricity from a chemical reaction and giving it a bit of a current drain warms up the battery rather than “wakes” it up.