Dead Car Battery in the Winter? Summer Heat May Be the Culprit.

Is it winter conditions that killed your car battery? Or is the hot Colorado summer to blame?

It doesn’t take very many Colorado winters to see the adverse effects of the frigid temperatures on your car. Oil and lubricants thicken as the thermometer drops past the freezing mark, making a cold start tougher than normal. In the deep freeze, car batteries can lose their ability to crank the engine over. Cold weather means a lot more work for the battery.

You’ve probably experienced that dreaded frostbitten morning when you turn the key to start the car, and nothing happens. Yep, the Colorado winter has claimed another battery.

Extreme Temperature Swings.
While the freezing temperatures are hard on a battery, high temps in the summer actually do more harm and reduce the life of the battery. An optimal temperature for your car battery is about 80 degrees. Easy enough on a mild day. But when the temperatures are in the 90’s and above, the engine compartment becomes an oven.

Think of the battery as a small box of metal plates and chemicals that generate electricity. As the battery heats up, sulfides are created and internal corrosion is accelerated, weakening the battery and dampening the electric output. Studies have shown that an increase in overall temperatures by 15 degrees can cut a battery’s life in half.

We can’t change Colorado’s summer temperatures, but we can be proactive in taking care of our car’s battery. When driving, try to reduce short, stop and go trips on the hot days, and park your car in the shade when possible.

Battery Types.
If your battery is the type that needs to be filled with water, check the water levels or come by Golden Triangle Auto Care so one of our technicians can take a look, or stop in for an oil change (another good thing to do for your car in the summer heat). Check out our blog post from October 2019 to find Golden Triangle Auto Care’s tips to insure battery life success.

Vehicle Health Evaluation.
No matter what type of battery you have, checking it out is part of Golden Triangle Auto Care’s 30-point Vehicle Health Evaluation and is included with every oil change. Give us a call today and we’ll do our best to help reduce any battery failure surprises: 303-573-1335.