Hot Weather The Cause Of Car-battery Trouble

Here's some hot info for car owners: Summer is the season for major car-battery problems.

Virtually everyone who's had a harsh winter is familiar with the annoyance of a "dead" battery and therefore the need for a go start. So it may surprise many to understand that it's heat, not cold, that shortens wide variety life.



According to your suv Care Council, the average life from the battery is 31/2 years--even diminished in warmer climates. That's because excessive heat and overcharging are the two main reasons for the purpose of shortened battery life. Heat causes battery fluid for you to evaporate, which damages the internal structure of the wide variety. A malfunctioning component in the charging system, usually all the voltage regulator, allows too high a charging rate. That's slow death for a battery.

Statistics from the latest National Car Care Week inspection campaign show variety cables, clamps and terminals ended up found to need routine service in 17 percent of the vehicles and 9 percent for the batteries were not the right way held down.

To obtain the most life out of an battery, the Car Care Council suggests here:

• Be sure the electrical system is charging inside the correct rate; overcharging can damage a battery as speedily as undercharging.

• If your battery is the type that needs to be topped off, check the software regularly, especially in hot weather. Add distilled water whenever necessary.

• Always replace a electric battery with one that's rated at least as high as the one originally given.

• Keep the top of the battery clean. Dirt will get a conductor, which drains battery power. Further, as corrosion builds up on battery terminals it becomes an insulator, inhibiting current flow.