Here's a hot tip about car batteries: Warm weather is the time
for major car-battery problems. Heat, not cold, shortens your
customer's battery life, says the Car Care Council. The average life of a battery
is three and a half years, and even shorter in warmer
climates.
Excessive heat and overcharging are the two main reasons for your customer's shortened battery life. Heat causes battery fluid to evaporate, which damages the internal structure of the battery.
Statistics from the National Car Care Month inspection campaign show battery cables, clamps and terminals needed maintenance in 13 percent of the vehicles and seven percent of the batteries were not properly held down.
To get the most life out of a battery, the Car Care Council suggests the following every time you work on their vehicle:
- Be sure the electrical system is charging at the
correct rate; overcharging can damage a battery as quickly as
undercharging.
- If your battery is the type that needs to be
topped off, check it regularly, especially in hot weather. Add
distilled water when necessary.
- Always replace a battery with one that’s rated at
least as high as the one originally specified.
- Keep the top of the battery clean. Dirt becomes a conductor, which drains battery power. Further, as corrosion accumulates on battery terminals it becomes an insulator, inhibiting current flow.
For more information and an interval schedule visit www.carcare.org.
