Heat and Your Car Battery: What You Need to Know

With summer in the not so distant future, all of the attention you have been giving your car during the winter will now shift to making sure it is ready for another summer of fun and travel. If you have an exciting trip planned this summer, the last thing you want is to be stranded on your way to your destination because of a dead car battery. Fortunately, your local auto mechanic in Minneapolis, MN is here with a few tips to help make sure your battery is up to par this summer.

Running low on battery fluid can be detrimental

While many car owners understandably believe that dead car batteries are a result of the frigid cold of winter, your battery could actually be draining due to the excessive heat of summer as well. When the temperatures get extremely hot, they can cause your car’s battery fluid to evaporate and dry up. Similar to the other critical components of your vehicle, operating without enough battery fluid can cause the type of premature and extensive wear that leads to a major malfunction.

If your battery’s capacity is weakened because the fluid has gotten too low, your car’s healthy parts, which attempt to pick up the slack to keep your car running, could be vulnerable to excessive wear as well. If your battery continues to function without enough fluid for too long, it could overcharge, which is just as problematic for battery life as undercharging.

Battery care in the summer

To make sure that your battery operates at optimal efficiency year-round, here are a couple of tips and things to look out for as the weather begins to heat up:

• Have your battery life tested often, and make sure it is replaced if the need arises. There is nothing worse than being stranded on the side of the road because of a dead battery, no matter what the weather has in store.
• If you have a battery that needs to be topped off periodically, you might need to check it more often to make sure the fluid levels are suitable. During extremely hot weather, add distilled water if necessary.
• If your battery does have to be replaced, make sure that a battery that is rated as high as your current battery is used. Check your car’s manual to make sure you are replacing your battery with the correct one.
• Keep your battery clear of debris at all times. Excess dirt can become a conductor that drains your battery of its power, and any corrosion that occurs as a result could reduce current flow.

If you need an auto mechanic in Minneapolis, MN to take a look at your battery before you get on the road this summer, call the team at Quality Coaches, Inc. Over the past 45 years, we have built a reputation as one of the most reliable auto shops in the community, and we are willing to do whatever is needed to make sure your car is safe for you and your family as well. Make sure you contact us to schedule your appointment right away!

Categorised in: Mechanic

This post was written by Sharon Morgan