The summer heat can especially take a toll on your car battery and can help accelerate the battery’s chemical operation and reduce its lifespan. To help your car beat the heat and preserve its battery power, follow these hot car battery tips.

Watch for Corrosion

Corrosion can be one of the leading causes of reduced battery life. With hotter temperatures, battery fluid levels can decrease, which can cause your vehicle to potentially overheat. To help prevent corrosion, you can make it a routine habit in the summer to check the condition of the battery. Go Auto recommends looking for white, green or blue-tinged covering around the battery’s terminals, battery posts, or battery cables. To clean off any corrosion from the battery, you can use a damp cloth, water, baking soda and a toothbrush.

Continue to Keep the Battery Clean

When inspecting your car battery, you can also look for any signs of dirt and debris. If there’s too much dirt on top of the battery, it can also drain the power. Be sure to remove any dirt debris to help keep it clean and in good working condition.

Charging Devices Through your Car

While, most drivers bring their phones and GPS devices into the car with them, charging these devices through your car will affect the car battery itself. This is mostly due to the fact that in older vehicles, USB ports don’t contain as much charging juice and instead your phone will mostly get its power from the car battery while charging. Trying to charge your phone while driving can also be considered distracting. Consider charging any electronics before or after the drive.

Replacement

If your car battery is approximately older than four years, consider replacing it. Inspect the battery to see if it indeed does need to be replaced. Look at the battery’s terminals for signs of white or blue residue signifying an acid leak to determine if you need to replace it. You can also identify if your battery needs to be replaced by if your car has difficulty starting or if the lights are dimming. Or if you are still uncertain you can always take your car in to see a certified mechanic and find out what their expert opinion is.

Along with inspecting your car battery, have a look at your car’s fluid levels, radiator, tires, brakes and air conditioning. It’s also wise to review your auto insurance policy to make certain you have the right type of coverage for your needs.

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