A surge in heat can all but wreck our battery, cutting its useful life in half. Checks and precautions, as always, will be essential to look after vehicles' electrical systems.
Can summer be harmful to our vehicle's battery? The answer is yes… especially if temperatures are excessively high. One of the consequences is that it may go flat, contributing to premature deterioration and therefore a shorter useful life. Batteries are made to work well at a temperature of 25 ºC. Both cold and heat affect them. For the worse.
And this happens for different reasons. While cold slows down chemical reactions, heat works the other way, speeding those reactions up. The result is the same: the battery degrades and its charging performance declines. This does not only happen with combustion engines. Hybrid and electric vehicles, mostly with lithium-ion batteries, can also suffer if the thermometer rises.
Recommendations for protecting the battery from heat
It is true, as has been said, that winter can be lethal for a battery. But so can the summer period, and with the heatwaves we are experiencing, the chances of deterioration increase. Although the average life of a battery is, according to experts, about four years, it is advisable to keep an eye on it to avoid unpleasant surprises. Here are some tips:
- At the start of summer we should check the condition of the battery, as well as the vehicle's electrical system. Check for any damage or deformation, as well as the electrolyte level. Ideally this should be done at our trusted workshop, at least once a year.
- It is advisable to avoid using several electrical systems at the same time if the vehicle is stationary.
- In the hot months, keeping our vehicles well sheltered is no small matter. Avoid exposure to the sun by parking in the shade or in underground car parks.
- Driving style also matters, and this applies in all seasons. Driving efficiently and smoothly, keeping to the permitted speed or even a little below, will extend the life of our vehicle's components (and of the battery, of course).
- What about charging batteries? We should check the charging system, since sometimes recharging the battery is enough. Especially if we have left the vehicle parked for too long.