Why Car Batteries Fail in Australia And What Car Owners Should Do

22 August 2014

Why Car Batteries Fail in Australia And What Car Owners Should Do

A car battery is the component that gives a vehicle the power to start and run smoothly. Although they are manufactured to endure tough condition, not all car batteries are designed to withstand the hostile environment that motorists in Australia have to deal with. Australian climate varies widely from one location to another, and in some locations, temperatures can vary from as low as 25 to more than 50 degrees centigrade. In a rough driving course, temperature of this magnitude can easily cause damage of physical components of a battery.

The Corrosion Effect of Heat on Car Batteries

One reason car batteries fail in Australia is that as the acid (electrolyte solution) in car batteries become increasingly hot, it becomes more and more corrosive. In simple terms, this means that the increased reaction eats away the lead components at a faster rate, causing Sulphation layers on the plate that inhibit an electric current flow. Normally, for every 10-degree rise in temperature, the chemical reaction within a car battery is doubled. This is more of a concern, especially in hot conditions such as the once experienced in Australia.

Roadside Response conducted a study of Under-bonnet temperatures in the late Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores models in the variable driving environment of Sydney and Melbourne. The study tells that there was a variation of between 70 and 87 degrees within an ambient temperature range of 30 to 38 degrees.

Another interesting fact was that cool external temperatures had little to no effect in cooling the hot under bonnet temperatures. But statistics from the study tells that city driving in the hotter summer months increased the temperatures exponentially, therefore, increasing the corrosive nature of the acid. For you to fully understand why it is imperative that you only use car batteries that are specifically designed to withstand the extreme Australian climate, here are some top reasons why car batteries fail in Australia.

Corrosion

In most locations in Australia, motor batteries are exposed to extremely high temperatures inside the bonnet. As a result, the acid, which is readily corrosive by nature, becomes over-reactive. It tends to eat away some critical internal components of the battery, which are made of metal alloys. This in-turn result to premature battery damage.

Water loss

It is normal for vehicle batteries to lose water even in ideal conditions through gassing. However, as the surrounding environments rise, the rate of gassing also increases resulting to higher rates of gassing. Batteries lose water faster leading to a condition commonly termed as ‘Dry-Out’, since they cannot be replenished with distilled water due to their full heat sealed characteristics.

Vibration

Car batteries are subjected to strong vibration as the vehicle trails on rough roads. Such vibration can cause internal component to fail, or lead to cracks.

Idling and gridlock driving conditions

Idling, such as when the engine is left to run during traffic jams, can contribute to premature battery failure.

The importance of buying a quality battery

Exposure to the above-named car damage causative agents in Australia is to a large extent unavoidable. As such, it is critical that car owners buy the right type of product specifically built to operate well under these extreme conditions. At Roadside Response, our car batteries are built to offer the perfect solution.  As such, it is designed to meet and exceed expectation of motorists across Australia.