Can Heat Affect My Chevy Car Battery?
As the seasons change, many drivers begin to think about vehicle maintenance related to temperature fluctuations. One of the most sensitive and important parts of your vehicle is its battery, especially if you drive an electric or hybrid vehicle. Extreme temperatures can have negative impacts on your vehicle’s battery, especially heat. Learn more about Chevy car battery maintenance at Ray Chevrolet now!
How Heat Affects Your Vehicle’s Battery
So, can heat affect your car battery? The short answer is yes. It’s counter-intuitive, but heat is actually more harmful to your vehicle’s battery than the winter chill. That’s because high temperature can have adverse effects on the power-generating chemistry inside the battery.
Tips to Limit Heat Damage
While you can’t control high external temperatures, there are a few habits you can get into to avoid heat damage to your vehicle’s battery.
- Drive regular trips of 20 minutes or longer so that the battery can be replenished. If you park your vehicle for extended periods (a week or longer), you can get a battery minder or smart charger to get similar outcomes.
- Avoid draining the battery by running lights, the audio system, or other energy-sucking features when you aren’t driving the vehicle.
- Maintain a clean environment for the battery posts by clearing out dirt and grime to avoid corrosion.
- Park in the shade or in a garage to avoid heat damage even when you aren’t driving.
How Often to Replace Car Battery
Experts say your vehicle’s car battery should last anywhere from three to five years. If you live in northern regions of the United States, as in where temperatures don’t tend to get extremely hot, then it should span at least 58 months or more. If you live in the southern part of the United States where high temperatures span most of the year, your car battery is projected to last at least 41 months or more. You should be sure to have your car battery inspected as part of routine maintenance, especially before a long road trip.
Get Your Car Battery Serviced at Ray Chevrolet
Your Chevrolet car, truck, SUV, or van is an impressive feat of engineering designed to get you where you need to go in safety and comfort. To get the most out of your Chevy, you will need to make sure that it gets regular maintenance and repairs. Ray Chevrolet in Fox Lake is proud to be your source for Chevy service near Lindenhurst and McHenry. Visit our Chevy Service Department for Chevy car battery inspections or replacements!
Visit Ray Chevrolet!
Looking for a Fox Lake Chevy dealer? At Ray Chevrolet, we are a family-owned and operated Chevrolet dealer that has been serving residents in Lake and McHenry County for over 40 years. Located on US-12, we are a short driving distance away from each town we serve including McHenry, Chicago, Milwaukee, WI and Elkhorn, WI. As your local Fox Lake car dealer, we pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service and the best experience any customer could ask for at a Chevy dealership in Fox Lake, IL. If you are in need of assistance, Ray Chevrolet’s expert certified Service Department is here to help!
