MONROEVILLE, Pa. — With winter right around the corner, AAA is now offering free battery and electrical system checks in the Pittsburgh area.
They are hosting battery wellness clinics throughout October. Many drivers showed up at one being held Thursday in Monroeville, where technicians helped drivers figure out if their batteries are strong enough to last the cold winter months.
Harold Rutter, whose car battery actually died during the winter a few years ago, had his checked Thursday morning.
“My car had a dead battery when I was out shopping, and I got in the car to start it and it was dead and I didn’t have AAA at the time,” he said.
If needed, people can buy batteries at the clinics.
“The batteries have a short lifetime in our area. It’s roughly three to four years,” said John Palumbo with AAA. “In the summertime, the heat actually hurts the battery and in the winter the cold reveals it.”
AAA says the summer heat breaks down the components inside a battery, making them susceptible to fail in cold weather.
Dead batteries are their number one service call during the wintertime. In 2022, AAA East Central responded to more than 250,000 battery-related calls.
Due to inflation, prices for car batteries have increased.
“They’ve gone up in the last year — about $40. So from around $135 to about $180. It’s not a supply chain issue we are dealing with, it has to do with inflation happening,” said Palumbo.
The free Battery Wellness Clinics will be held at the following AAA Branch offices from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:
Oct. 18
9 Clairton Blvd., Pleasant Hills
300 Adams St., Rochester
Oct. 20
10548 Perry Hwy., Wexford
160 Fort Couch Rd., South Hills
Oct. 25
5900 Baum Blvd., East Liberty
Oct. 27
5142 US-30, Greensburg