When car batteries fail in Málaga

The calendar of battery failures in Málaga

After more than 27 years changing batteries in Málaga, there's a pattern that repeats every year. It's no coincidence: prolonged heat, periods with the car standing idle and sudden changes in how it's used are the three factors that finish off a battery that was already on its way out. If you know when your risky moment arrives, you save yourself the shock.

Summer (June to September): the worst enemy

People assume batteries fail in winter, but on the Mediterranean coast the real damage is done in summer. Heat speeds up evaporation of the electrolyte and internal corrosion of the plates; the battery degrades from the inside even while it's still starting the car. Then, on the first cool day, it has no reserve left and the fault shows up.

In Málaga, with tarmac at over 50 °C and cars parked in the sun, that margin shrinks: in normal conditions a battery can last 5 to 7 years, but accumulated heat takes a good part of it away. If yours is over four years old, get it checked before July, not after.

Back from holiday: the car left standing for three weeks

This is the classic of late August and early September. The car sits parked for several weeks and the electronics keep drawing power (alarm, control units, tracker). A healthy battery copes with that; one with four summers behind it does not. If you are going to leave the car standing, the ideal is to drive it for 20-30 minutes every 10-15 days or leave it hooked up to a trickle charger.

Feria de Málaga and long weekends: short trips and lots of starts

During the Feria, Semana Santa and long weekends the usage pattern changes: lots of starts, short trips around the centre and hours with the lights, air conditioning and sound system on. The alternator never gets to replace what each start uses up, and the charge drops day by day. That's when you get the «it was starting fine yesterday».

Winter (December to February): the moment of truth

Cold rarely kills a battery in Málaga, but it does bring the summer's damage to light: at low temperatures the engine demands more current and the battery delivers less. That's why many «winter» failures are really summer failures that took a few months to show themselves.

Signs it won't make it to the next season

• The engine turns over more slowly when starting, especially in the morning.
• The lights dim at idle and brighten again when you rev.
• The Start-Stop stops working (the car switches it off by itself when the battery isn't in good shape).
• You need jump leads more than once within a few weeks.
• The battery is more than 4 years old and has never been checked.

Checking it is free and takes five minutes

There's no need to wait until you're stranded. At Málaga Baterías (C/ La Orotava, 100, 29006 Málaga) we measure the real condition of the battery and the alternator with Midtronics equipment: we tell you whether it will last the next season, whether it needs charging or whether it's worth replacing. No appointment and no obligation. If it does need changing, we fit it in around 15 minutes and the old one is nothing you need to deal with.

Frequently asked questions

You may also find useful: Car left standing for months: why it won't start