Oak Lawn’s “Will Your Battery Survive Winter?” Quiz

The holiday season is here, with lots of errands and travel. So, the last thing you need is a dead battery. Given this, the experts at Oak Lawn’s Meineke offers this fun winter battery quiz; lighthearted way to see if you’re winter-ready—Oak Lawn style. 

Winter Battery Quiz: Ready. Set. Go!

1. When an icy wind blows across Wolfe Wildlife Park, how much power can your battery lose just from the cold alone?

A. 5%
B. 15%
C. Up to 50%
D. All of it, because your battery decided to hibernate like the wildlife

2. You try to start your car outside Christ Hospital after visiting a friend, and the engine cranks slower than traffic on Cicero Avenue at 5 p.m. What’s the likely cause?

A. Frozen brakes
B. Weak winter battery
C. Worn tires
D. A ghost in your starter

3. While grabbing coffee near 95th & Pulaski, you notice white crusty buildup on your battery terminals. What does this mean?

A. The battery has been eating too much salt from the roads
B. It’s corrosion
C. Your alternator is leaking
D. Your battery is growing snow

4. How often should Oak Lawn drivers test a battery once it hits the 3-year mark?

A. Only before big road trips
B. Twice a year
C. Every 10 years
D. When your horoscope says Mercury is in retrograde

5. You park near Centennial Park and your car struggles to start after a brutally cold night. What small habit can help your battery last longer in winter?

A. Starting the car and letting it run for 30 seconds before blasting the heat
B. Leaving headlights on to “keep the battery warm”
C. Letting your dog bark at it for motivation
D. Revving the engine loudly to scare the cold away

6. While cruising past Stony Creek Golf Course in December, which electrical accessory puts the most strain on your winter battery?

A. Heated seats
B. Dashboard lights
C. Radio at low volume
D. Blinker fluid

7. After running errands at Oak Lawn Commons, you get back in your car and hear clicking when you turn the key. What’s the most likely issue?

A. Battery too weak to power the starter
B. Your car is judging your shopping choices
C. Air in the fuel lines
D. Low windshield wiper power

8. Oak Lawn drivers know that short trips in winter can drain a battery fast. Which trip is hardest on your battery?

A. Driving from your home to Mariano’s a block away
B. Driving to Indiana
C. Driving to downtown Chicago
D. Driving to your driveway mailbox

9. At the Oak Lawn Fall on the Green festival, a vendor tells you a myth: “Idling your car for 1 minute charges the battery.” What’s the truth? 

A. Totally true
B. Only works during halftime at a Chicago Bears game
C. Not true—short idling barely charges anything
D. Only works if you sing to the battery

10. You leave your car overnight near the Oak Lawn Patriot Station, and temperatures hit below zero. What’s the BEST thing you could have done beforehand?

A. Tested your battery, or have your battery tested at Meineke on South Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn
B. Turned on all electronics to keep them “warmed up”
C. Wrapped the battery in a scarf
D. Stored the battery under your pillow for safekeeping

1. C — Up to 50%
2. B — Weak winter battery
3. B — It’s corrosion
4. B — Twice a year
5. A — Starting the car and letting it run briefly before turning on heavy accessories
6. A — Heated seats
7. A — Battery too weak to power the starter
8. A — Short trips drain batteries fastest
9. C — Not true—idling for one minute doesn’t recharge much at all
10. A — Testing your battery is the best winter prep

If Meineke in Oak Lawn is not a convenient auto repair center for you, Meineke also has 14 car repair centers in the greater Chicago Area.