Keep an eye on your car battery in July heat

DENVER, July 18- The summer driving season is when Colorado motorists take more drive trips than any other time of the year. With near-record temperatures, AAA Colorado has seen a surge in roadside assistance requests as many travelers' vehicles struggle to operate in extreme heat.

"Any time temperatures reach higher than 90 degrees for more than a few consecutive days, we see a huge increase in motorists needing roadside assistance," says Scott Soper, AAA Colorado's manager of battery services. "Some of the most common calls are for dead batteries, which is unfortunate because it's something that can be easily prevented."

So far, 25 percent of roadside assistance requests in July have been battery-related, which is 10 percent higher than average.

What steps can motorists take to keep their car battery functioning properly during the hottest months of the year? Following are some tips from AAA Colorado's mobile battery service, which offers roadside battery testing and replacement to the greater Denver metro area, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Longmont.

• Verify battery cables have a clean and tight connection to battery terminals. Dirty, loose connections constrict the flow of current and are a common cause of battery troubles.
• Don't go weeks without driving your vehicle. Most vehicles have electronic components such as clock and radio settings that drain a small amount of energy even when the car is turned off. In time, that small amount of constant drain on the battery adds up and can lead to a dead battery.
• Have battery fluid level checked by a qualified technician. Many batteries are maintenance-free, but that does not necessarily mean their battery fluid level can't run low and lead to a dead battery.
• Have the electrical system checked at least twice a year. One of the most common causes of battery failure is a faulty electrical charging system component such as an alternator.
• If a battery is more than three years old, have the energy level checked to verify the battery is still strong. The most common car battery life is between 3-5 years.

AAA recommends that all motorists purchase replacement batteries with at least a three-year warranty of free replacement if failure occurs.

AAA recommends you take safety precautions when working with batteries. Wear protective eye glasses and protective clothing to prevent severe injury from battery acid.

AAA Colorado has more than 500,000 members in Colorado and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 50 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.aaa.com.

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