You probably have experienced the awful moment when your car fails to start. Although you may equate these experiences to a dead battery to the chilly winter temperatures, the summer months are tougher.
The life expectancy of batteries in cold climates is 51 months, but those in warm temperatures are 30 months. Your car battery starts discharging on its own within 24 hours, something that takes many days in cold winter. Therefore, you may wake up to a dead battery in scorching conditions.
Below are tips for helping you protect your battery during summer:
Tips for Ensuring Your Car Battery Stays Safe this summer
Keeping the Battery Cool
It will help to park your car in a cool or shaded area because heat drains the battery. Also, putting your vehicle in a cool place will ensure the interior is cooler when you enter.
Increasing Driving Time
Driving short distances slowly kills your car's battery because the alternator requires time to recharge the battery after it is started. With numerous stopping and starting, short trips deny the battery time to recover fully.
Cutting Down on Car Battery Drain
Energy-loving devices such as navigation systems, smartphones, DVD players, and MP3 players drain the battery. Everything that you plug into the car impacts the battery. Therefore, it will help to reassess what you need and how frequently you use it.
Keeping the Battery Clean
Grease and dirt work as insulators that trap heat around the battery. It is essential to wipe the battery down using a paper towel frequently to prevent the power-draining grime from accumulating.
Invest in a Car Battery Charger
It will help if you get your battery a charger, especially if you park the car for long periods. A car battery charger will prevent the battery from dying when not in use.
Flush the Cooling System with Fresh Coolant Periodically
The cooling system deteriorates as time goes on and becomes acidic. This acidity can eat the hoses and seal, damage, and overheat your car engine.
Getting Started
It is wise to maintain your car battery, but a dead battery can occur when you least expect it. If you need your vehicle battery serviced, we invite you to bring your vehicle into our auto repair shop today!