You get a dashboard cover or sunshade for your car and try to park under a tree or in the shadow of a building whenever possible. But what else can you do to protect your car battery from the heat of the long summer months?

It turns out there are many precautions you can take during sweltering summer days. In spite of the fact that many drivers think winter is the peak season for car battery trouble – hot weather, actually does more to shorten the life of your battery than cold. According to experts, more batteries fail in July than do in January, because summer heat can kill a battery 33% faster than winter cold.

Don’t wait until you’re stranded on the side of the road to have the overall health of your battery checked. It might “only” be in the 90s outside, but inside your car’s engine compartment, the heat can soar to 140 degrees or higher. Heat is one of a battery’s worst enemies and cannot only hinder its performance but eventually lead to complete failure. Running your air conditioning adds to the heat under the hood, devices such as GPS systems, DVD players and satellite radios increase the load on your car’s electrical system and the demand on its already stressed battery.

As a reliable rule of thumb, if your car’s battery is more than three years old, it’s smart to get it tested by a trained technician to determine how long it might last. This test can easily be performed at any WCNY AAA Approved Auto Repair facility or Members can request a AAA Mobile Battery Service Technician come and test your battery free of charge. If you need a new battery, the technician can usually replace it right at your location.

Make a visual inspection of the outside of your battery case.

• Is it bulging?
• Cracked?
• Leaking fluid?

If so, it needs replacing. Immediately. While you’re looking, check to see if your battery is the older type with removable filler caps on top. If it is, hot weather can make the battery fluid inside evaporate faster.

A good idea is to have your old battery replaced prior to summer driving with a maintenance-free, high performance flush-top AAA Premium battery. These batteries are American made to meet or exceed your vehicle’s design and power specifications.

The summer heat can speed up internal corrosion.

• Clean up the battery connections by removing any corrosion, lead oxidation, paint or rust from the top of the battery with a scouring pad or brass brush. Be sure to brush the corrosion away from you.

Batteries don’t last forever, but keeping your vehicle as cool as possible is a great way to extend their lifespan. If you can’t park in a garage, consider a carport or car canopy. Window covers are a great way to keep the heat from building up inside your cabin, too.

Unfortunately, even if you do all of the above, a breakdown during the summer driving months could still happen. So be prepared with a well-stocked emergency kit in your car, including water, non-perishable food items, jumper cables and flashlight with fresh batteries, road flares and first aid kit.

Get your battery tested here>>