Most of assume our car battery will conk out during the cold, wintery months. Not so. Rather, during erratic summer weather in the northern hemisphere, we all need to keep a watchful eye on the condition of our vehicles’ batteries.

CTEK, battery charging specialists warn that when summer turns extreme, most of the attention is turned on the physical discomforts of heat being trapped inside parked cars or other unfortunate aspects of hot temperatures, such as overheating due to low coolant levels or faulty fans, and the potential of battery failure often goes unnoticed. Blazing summer days can have devastating effects on a car’s battery, including dramatically shortening battery life by evaporating battery fluid. In turn, this can seriously damage the internal structure of the battery.

In addition, high temperatures might cause voltage regulators in standard chargers to malfuntion, which can lead to batteries being charged at overly high voltages. The battery fluid can then boil and vaporize, which dries out the cells and creates a higher level of acid concentration within the device. This results in excessive corrosion of internal surfaces and eventual battery failure.

CTEK advises to take a few simple steps to avoid battery failure on a sizzling summer day: Check your battery regularly and use a smart battery charger. Conventional charging systems can and do malfunction or operate poorly in warm conditions which cause batteries to be charged at inappropriate voltages. Smart chargers ensure a battery will be charged at the correct rate-no over or undercharging.

If your car’s battery is one that needs to be topped off, check it more often during the summer months and refill it with distilled water. Keep the top of the battery and terminals clean, avoid corrosion. And always use a charger that is approved for outdoor use, if charging outside.

For more information about smart chargers and battery protection, go to http://www.ctek.com.