Summer heat puts extra strain on weak batteries

If your car's battery is dead or even weak, you're not going anywhere.

Battery failure is the leading cause of starting trouble, whether because of lights left on, a charging system problem or other cause.

Your vehicle's battery is not a very demanding piece of equipment. It's most often only thought about when it fails. But just a small amount of care and maintenance will help ensure it doesn't let you down when you need it most.

Hot summer temperatures can deteriorate a battery's life quicker by evaporating the water from the electrolyte, and corroding and weakening the positive grids.

Lack of battery care and maintenance combined with the hot weather we're experiencing this summer has a way of bringing out borderline batteries. That makes summer a great time to go outside and spend some quality time with your car's battery.

Testing and maintaining a battery is fairly simple and only requires a few basic tools.

You can detect shorts and open circuits and help prevent battery failure by arming yourself with a multi-purpose battery tester.

Many NASCAR teams use battery testing equipment that makes it fast and simple for them to test and charge batteries, no matter where they are.

Just like in the high performance racing environment, testers and diagnostic chargers are able to determine your car battery's true state of health and provide an indication of the battery's remaining life.

With testers, you can diagnose volts, amps, a bad battery, and even find a short in your car or a bad water heater in your house.

Battery care and maintenance should be a year-round commitment. Test your battery on a regular basis, including when you have your car serviced, before long trips or after it's been recharged.