22 Years' Battery Customization
APR 01, 2023 Pageview：411
The battery is one of the most important components of your car. It delivers the electrical energy needed to start your car.
However, car batteries are quite vulnerable to extreme temperature conditions. You may find yourself stuck somewhere and not understand why.
This guide will discuss temperature ranges that are bad for your car battery and how to avoid severe damage. Keep reading to discover more.
How Does Cold Weather Kill a Car Battery?
The car battery operates like your body. What happens if you stay for too long under freezing conditions? Your body becomes frozen, and it fails to perform correctly.
The same happens with car batteries; cold weather is among the biggest threats to their effective performance. Perhaps you have already faced a situation where your car refuses to start after staying cold for a few hours or days.
So, how do cold temperatures affect the battery? The freezing conditions slow everything down.
As you may already know, batteries work through a series of chemical reactions allowing electrons to move from one end to another. There is a specific speed and efficiency level at which these reactions must be maintained.
?When the temperatures are too long, the reaction is extremely slowed down inside the battery. At 32F, the car will lose about 35% of its capacity. And when the temperatures hit 0F, 60% of the battery’s strength will be gone.
The engine requires nearly twice this energy to start. So, it might be hard to use your vehicle when the power is not strong enough.
Imagine sucking molasses through a straw. There is too much strain, and you will not get much success. This is the same effect the winter temperatures will have on your car.
How to Protect Your Battery from Cold Temperature
Even though cold temperatures are extremely dangerous for your battery, there is some good news. You can always protect your battery from harsh conditions. Here are some tips for that:
Use a battery blanket.
Using a battery blanket is the best way to ensure your car battery does suffer freezing temperatures. You can purchase one for around $20 online or from your local spare parts store.
You can easily cover your battery with the blanket and ensure a smooth start the following day.
Just be sure to follow the given instructions on the blanket. Some people ignore this part and end up using the blanket wrongly.
Park in warmer conditions.
Whenever possible, try to park your car in warmer conditions. For instance, you can park in the garage, away from the wind and the extreme cold. Leave it there overnight to protect the battery. If you don’t have a garage, park it in front of the car downwind.
Charge is properly.
The low temperatures will drain your battery faster than normal. But if your battery is fully charged, you can be sure to get some charge when you start the car in the morning.
Besides, a fully charged battery has more active chemical reactions. It will not freeze until the temperatures hit -76F and below. A fully discharged battery starts freezing at 32F.
If your car battery drains too fast in the cold, you may have to seek advice from experts. Sometimes the battery is too old, and your car needs something new.
Can Heat Kill a Car Battery?
Yes. We have seen many car batteries die during summer. The extreme heat during this season can adversely affect the battery even more than the winter chills.
After looking at how cold temperature affects the battery, you may think that heat is a better solution. But that is not true. On the contrary, higher temperatures have an even more significant impact on the battery’s performance.
Similar to cold conditions, heat affects the power-generating reactions inside the battery.?It increases the reaction too much, putting too much strain on the battery, which can easily end its lifespan.
It is not just the air temperature that causes these effects. The hot summer conditions also raise the temperatures under the hood, accelerating the start of battery failure. This is why you will meet many motorists stuck on the roadside and ending their journeys.??
Reports from AAA indicate that 2.2 million battery-related service calls were made in the summer of 2020. This figure has been increasing each year, perhaps due to global warming effects.
Extreme heat reduces the battery’s capacity and lifespan. A typical car battery is expected to last for about five years. But when exposed to extreme heat, you will be lucky if it lasts for even a year.
The heat damages the internal components, too, leaving your battery low on energy and extremely affected.
How do you limit heat damage for your car battery, then? Consider the following tips:
Charge your battery regularly. Do not leave the car battery connected in a parked car for too long. Take at least 20 minutes every day to drive your car to replenish it. A fully charged battery can handle the heat strain much better than a discharged one.
Park in the shade of the garage when possible. If you don’t want heat damaging your car, consider packing it in the shade or in a garage, away from direct sunlight.
Always clean the battery posts.
Avoid turning on the lights or other electric components when the car is off.
Your battery is the greatest asset for your engine where electrical power is concerned. It is, therefore, important to protect it at all times.
Car Battery Temperature Range
As you can see, temperature plays a major role in the performance of a car battery. Extreme cold and heat will permanently damage the battery unless you do something about it urgently.
Avoid using your batteries when it’s too cold or too hot. It would be better remove the battery and store in the house for the next morning.
So, what is the optimum operating temperature for these batteries? Experts recommend about 26.7C, or?80F is the best condition for your battery. At this point, the chemical reactions are optimum, and there are fewer chances of damage. It is all about creating the ideal operating conditions.
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