Many of us like summer since it’s a joyful season. But for car batteries, the summer heat can be a threat. Car battery maintenance in summer is not an easy job. Car batteries are much more likely to fail in hot weather than in cold weather. Hot summer days may have a big impact on the battery if it is not properly maintained.
High summer temperature can lead to a faster evaporation of the electrolyte inside lead acid batteries, which will further cause the corrosion of battery plates and thus reduce the battery capacity. The final result of this problem is the sulfation of the battery, which may eventually cause the failure of the battery. We can’t change the weather, but there are practical measures we can take to keep batteries safe during the hot summer days. Now, let’s see what they are.
1. Check and Clean Battery Terminals
The first thing to do is to check if the battery bracket and the cables are secure. The next is to check the battery for dirt and corrosion. Certain dirt can speed up the drain on battery power if it gets electrified, and corrosion on the battery terminals can increase the workload of the battery. If the corrosion is mild, some baking soda solution and a brush will be enough to do the cleaning work. Also, terminal protectors or anti-corrosion sprays can be used to prevent the aggravation of corrosion.
2. Check the Electrolyte Level
Water is important to us, and so is the electrolyte to lead acid batteries. For car batteries that can display electrolyte level, if the liquid level is found to be less than a half, it means that the electrolyte needs to be replenished. For some maintenance-free batteries you cannot directly see their electrolyte levels, the replenishing of electrolyte will require a mechanic.
3. Avoid Draining a Battery
Battery exhaustion is a big problem in summer. Due to higher temperatures, car batteries already work more heavily in summer than in other seasons. Another reason why car batteries can run out quickly is that the interior appliances are still consuming power when the car is not in use. Headlights, navigation components and other electric appliances can also increase the total power consumption. Therefore, when a car is not in use, all unnecessary electrical components should be turned off as much as possible to avoid excessive power cost.
4. The Importance of a Battery Charger
The importance of a battery charger will show up when you need to use your car but it cannot start, or when your car is stuck in the middle of the road because of a battery problem. A portable car battery charger can quickly replenish the battery for a startup.
5. Use a Trickle Charger
Using trickle charging also means a lot for battery maintenance in hot summer days. Especially for a car sits idle for long time, using a charger with trickle charging mode is crucial for the maintenance and extension of service life of a battery.
6. Avoid Frequent Short Distance Driving
The result of frequent short distance driving is that too many times of starting can drain the power of a battery, leaving little time for the battery to be fully recharged. Doing so in the long run can lead to an excessive consumption of a battery and a reduction in its power capacity.
7. Keep the Car Cool
High summer temperature can result in accelerated aging of many car components, including batteries. If a car is left out in the sun for long period of time, the rapid rise in temperature inside the bonnet can accelerate the damage. Therefore, when a car is not in use, parking it in a garage or in a shaded area is better for its maintenance. In addition, buying your car a canopy can also help protect it from direct sunlight. In hot summer days, even a few degrees of cooling can be good for a car’s battery and other components.
8. Carry Out Regular Inspection
To ensure that all parts and components of a car are in good condition, it is recommended that an overall inspection, including battery inspection, be carried out at least once every six months. One advantage of this approach is that certain battery problems can be found and solved early by doing this.
9. Consult A Pro
Battery maintenance is important for a car during the summer days, but it’s not that difficult if you can do some of what it is listed above, if not all. For more advice, you can also consult us.
