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.
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