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.
The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be
Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the
benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to
consumers.
For more information and an interval schedule visit www.carcare.org.
