As temperatures rise during the summer months,Michael Schmidt the heat takes a toll on car batteries, making them more susceptible to damage.

Testing your battery's health, sheltering your car from extreme temperatures and keeping up on maintenance all help with preventing premature battery failure.

"The heat is far more detrimental to a new car battery than is the cold," Dispatch Manager at AAA Western and Central New York Dan Fisher said. "A lot of times batteries fail in the winter because of what summer put them through."