Updated · Texas weather
Why heat is hard on batteries
Heat speeds up the chemistry inside a lead-acid battery. That helps it crank on a hot afternoon, but it also speeds up corrosion of the internal plates and the loss of fluid. Under the hood of a car parked on summer pavement, the battery sits much hotter than the air around you.
The damage builds quietly. Many drivers find out in the fall, when a cool morning asks a worn battery for more power than it has left.
Warning signs
Any one of these is a reason to have the battery tested before it leaves you stuck in a parking lot.
- The engine cranks slower than usual, especially after sitting
- Headlights or dash lights dim at idle
- A battery warning light on the dashboard
- White or blue-green crust on the terminals
- A swollen or cracked battery case
- A rotten-egg smell near the battery
Habits that help
None of these take long, and together they ease the strain a Texas summer puts on a battery.
- Park in a garage or in the shade when you can.
- Take a longer drive now and then; a string of short trips may not fully recharge the battery.
- Make sure the battery hold-down is tight so it doesn't shake.
- Brush off light corrosion with the engine off, wearing gloves and eye protection.
- Turn off lights and unplug chargers when the engine is off.
Test it before the heat sets in
A battery test measures how much cranking power is left, which a voltage reading alone can't fully tell you. Spring is a good time, before the long hot stretch, and fall is another, before the first cold front. Many batteries carry a date sticker or stamped code, and knowing the age helps you plan.
Batteries tend to wear out sooner in hot climates than in cool ones, so a battery that might keep going up north can be near the end of its life here.
Jump or replace?
A jump start gets you moving when a healthy battery was drained, say by a dome light left on overnight. If the battery is worn out, a jump only buys a little time.
When a battery fails a test, struggles again right after a jump, or is past its expected life, replacing it before it strands you is easier than waiting. We bring the battery to you and install it where the car is parked, at home, at work or in a lot, and make sure the car starts before we leave.