Car Battery Summer Heat Damage

 When the temperature outside reaches 90 or more degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature under the hood of your car can easily reach more than 140 degrees. Each time the temperature climbs that high; your car battery is subjected to the kind of extreme temperatures that make the battery fluid evaporate very fast and speeds up cell erosion. This shortens the life of your battery. Most people assume the cold winter temperatures are hardest on car batteries. Actually the car battery summer heat damage is the most devastating. In reality, more car batteries fail in July than in January, and summer heat kills batteries 35 percent faster than cold winter temperatures. The battery that fails during the winter months usually is the results of the hot weather damaged cause during the summer months.

I lived in a desert region for many years where a battery failed on annual bases, year after year. This was caused by the evaporation of the electrolyte even though it was checked and serviced on a weekly basis. The constant evaporation left the minerals in the electrolyte to settle in the battery causing the plates to short out rendering the battery with a low capacity to recharge. As a result the battery would no longer crank the engine for start. Any attempt to recharge the battery will not do anything to restore the battery because the plates become shorted.

As part of getting your car ready for winter you should have a battery / electrical diagnostic checked before your battery fails. By performing a battery/electrical system check, you can save the time, money and frustration associated with unexpected battery or electrical system failures. Most batteries dealers’ and automotive service centers provide routine battery / electrical systems checks at a reasonable fee. You can avoid the inconvenience of car battery summer heat damage by frequent checking the electrolyte level and getting it checked by a battery service center at least once a year.

See:

Battery Maintenance