Fact or fiction about life of batteries in hot areas
Just curious...I was told yesterday that batteries in cars/trucks only last about 5 or 6 years in AZ heat. "Sitting in hot weather cooks them and shorten their lives". Fact or fiction?
Forum Discussion
path1 wrote:
Just curious...I was told yesterday that batteries in cars/trucks only last about 5 or 6 years in AZ heat. "Sitting in hot weather cooks them and shorten their lives".
Fact or fiction?
Neither. This language is rather ambiguous.
"Sitting" could mean storage or use or both.
Besides, a lot of starter batteries are flooded, and even though they are affected by heat, the effect may be less significant than improper charging algorithm - which seems to be the case with many-many starter batteries. Alternator can hardly be considered a proper charging device.
For a low-end flooded starter battery 5-6 years of life is not uncommon, even in moderate climate. Improper charging, infrequent watering and frequent starting and high load are killing them sooner than anything else.
