Texas is no stranger to heat during the Summer months. With the recent heatwave over the weekend and more hot weather to come, it is important to know why extreme heat causes your car battery to have a shorter lifespan along with how to protect your car battery for the future. Thankfully, there are some measures you can take to make sure your car, truck or SUV battery maintains its lifespan while mitigating the impact from the warm Texas weather.
How Does Heat Affect My Car Battery? Why Did My Car Battery Die?
Simply put, hot weather does drain the life out of your car battery. Hot temperatures even have a greater impact on your car battery’s lifespan than cold temperatures! The average life of a car battery is between 3 to 7 years, but this lifespan greatly decreases with extreme temperatures which are common in warmer-climate areas including Texas. The main reason your car battery dies faster in the heat is due to the evaporation of the battery fluid. This process accelerates faster through the chemical operation at higher temperatures which in-turn drains your car battery. With that said, there are signs to look out for which indicate if your car battery is beginning to die. You can also connect with any of our Battery Joe store locations where we provide free car battery testing. These free car battery testing service are also available at your location within the city limits of: Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Abilene, and Waco, Texas!
How Can I Tell if My Car Battery Is Beginning to Fail? What are the Signs?
Your car will begin to show symptoms when your car battery is beginning to fail. Here are a couple of the common symptoms to look out for:
- Your engine cranks slower than normal when starting your car.
- The Car Battery itself looks swollen.
- Your Car headlights and interior lights become dim.
- The Car Battery is more than three years old.
- When looking at your car battery, the fluid level is low.
As mentioned, Battery Joe offers free car battery testing at all stores along with at your location with same day remote services. We will also find the right car battery replacement for you at the right price with free car battery installations included.
How Can I Protect My Car Battery From the Summer Heat?
Thankfully, there are ways to prevent damage to your car battery which will lengthen the lifespan:
- Keep Your Car in a cooler environment out of the sun.
- Perform regular scheduled maintenance for your car including: Oil Changes, Mechanical Inspections. We recommend performing these when the seasons change.
- Limit Short Car Trips: Your Car Battery will not have the time to fully recharge on short trips which can cause it to weaken faster.
- Double-Check all interior and exterior lights are turned off when you leave the car.
- Keep Your Car battery and battery posts clean. The dirt can become a conductor which will further drain your car battery power.
- Limit use of electronics (such as the radio) when the car engine is off.
- Disconnect any chargers from your car when not in use. Accessories such as USB chargers you use to charge iPhones, iPads, MP3 players etc will not use much power from your car battery, but these power sources can accumulate over time.
- Add Water: Most car batteries these days are sealed, but if you have one which is not ‘Maintenance-free’, then add water to ensure that your water levels are sufficient.
Following the above measures will help increase the lifespan of your car battery even in areas with warmer climates such as here in Texas. You can also connect by phone with any Battery Joe expert to inquire on additional ways to improve the life of your car battery.
My Car Battery Is About to Die, Where Do I Go For A New Car Battery?
Along with providing free car battery jumpstarts and free car battery testing, Battery Joe is your go-to location for a new car battery in West Texas and the Waco area! With locations in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Abilene, and Waco, Texas, we will connect you with the right car battery for your vehicle with free car battery installations included! In addition, we also offer same-day car battery installations at your location within the city limits of all of our store locations! Simply connect with our store by phone, or use our delivery service page and we will get the job done. You can find all of our store locations in the links below.
Sources: autobatteries.com, southwestauto.com, firestonecompleteautocare.com, shop.advanceautoparts.com, caasco.com, gizbuyerguide.com, e46fanatics.com