Summer is Hard on Vehicle Batteries

Ask pretty much anyone which season is hardest on their car battery. Chances are most of them will probably say winter.

And they’d be wrong: It’s actually summer that’s harder on your battery. In fact, the hotter the summer, the shorter the battery life. The farther south you go, the shorter the expected battery life. The absolute shortest battery life expectancies are along the southern edge of the US and in the hottest spots of the Southwest.

They also have this handy virtual battery tester that can tell you how often your battery should be changed based on your make and model of vehicle and where you live.

Signs of a Weakened Battery

Slow cranking in warm weather is the most obvious sign of a weak battery. In winter it’s normal for the battery to crank slower because the oil is thick, meaning it takes a little longer to reach moving parts. Colder temperatures also temporarily lower the power reserve. However, when it’s warm outside, the oil is thinner, so it should crank fast.

Corrosion on battery terminals can slow cranking in any weather. Corrosion is that white or greenish residue that can show up on your terminals. If you see it, you can disconnect the positive cable and clean the terminals with a wire brush. Or you can ask your mechanic to clean it. If you do it yourself, be sure to protect your eyes and hands because (as the name suggests) it’s corrosive. To prevent more corrosion, reconnect the positive cable, then coat with a battery terminal spray, available at parts stores.

If your battery is bloated, it may be heat damaged. You’ll have to have it checked out by a professional.

Check the sticker showing the battery’s age (here’s another handy link from Firestone about how to read the date). If it’s more than three years old, especially if you’re in the South or Southwest where battery life is shorter, have it checked out.

Check the fluid levels. If the battery has removable caps you can top it up yourself if necessary. If your battery has fixed caps it might also have a window for checking the levels. If it has fixed covers and low fluid, have it checked by a mechanic.

If power is low and the battery shows no physical degradation it may not be charging properly. In that case,, have your alternator checked

How To Preserve Your Battery

Here are ways to keep your battery strong:

• Don’t let a vehicle sit for a long time without being driven or the battery reserve will run out.
• Try not to take only short trips. Be sure to occasionally drive longer than 20 minutes to recharge the battery.
• Don’t warm your car for 15 or 20 minutes if you’re only taking a short trip, especially if you sit with the radio, heat or air-conditioner and defrosters running. All these drain the battery so you want to follow up by driving long enough to make sure it’s recharged.
• Take a few seconds to turn off accessories like the radio, windshield wipers or the heater/air-conditioner before you get out. These things may be small, but they can strain your battery when you restart.
• Avoid extreme temperatures if possible. It doesn’t have to be fancy or temperature controlled,, a garage or carport will do to help preserve battery life.
• It may seem obvious but never leave a light on or a device charging overnight. Some vehicles won’t charge a device when they’re not running, but others do. Either way, best not to leave it.

Avoid Allowing Your Battery to Discharge Completely and Repeatedly

A battery older than three years is a possible candidate for replacement, and if four years or older, a definite candidate. Consider replacing it to avoid it failing at an inopportune time.When buying a new battery, be sure to buy one with the same (or more) cold cranking amps (CCA) as your old battery.