Is it safe to leave electronic gadgets in hot car?

[Sheep221]

If the car is hot from the sun during the day, can alkali based batteries in gadgets left inside be damaged by heat to the point they would cause fire or something like that? Or that heat will just shorten their life or render them unusable? Is intense cold also able to damage the batteries?

 

[rh71]

I wouldn't leave it sitting out like on the dash or in the seat. I've accidentally left cellphones on seats of a hot car and the thing would barely function for a while. In the console shaded from the sun is better - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has left ipods in there with no functional degradation.

 

[fr]

About 10 years ago, I left a cell phone in the passenger seat for two hours in 105º heat and the screen went bad. Over 50% of the pixels were stuck white.

 

[yhelothar]

My laptop battery died after being left an hour in a smeltering 120F car.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I had a Bluetooth GPS receiver and after a long day the battery had actually expanded and tore open the plastic housing.

 

[SparkyJJO]

My Garmin stays in my car all the time. I've had it for years and no problems from the cold or heat.

If it did die due to temperature extremes it would give me an excuse to finally get a new one with updated maps and a better screen...

 

[_Rick_]

I'd be more worried about the potential of a smash and grab than thermal issues, unless you have specific thermally sensitive devices.

All electronics usually have storage temperatures listed on them soemwhere. Anything that can not be stored above 50°C shouldn't be left in the car (and be left to cool, until operating temperature range is reached).

 

[Meghan54]

My Garmin stays in my car all the time. I've had it for years and no problems from the cold or heat.

If it did die due to temperature extremes it would give me an excuse to finally get a new one with updated maps and a better screen...

We leave our Garmin in the car all the time, too, but I think that's the difference between something designed for the temps a closed car's interior sees during the summer....can hit 140F or better....and electronics not designed for such temps, like darned near anything else.

 

[Imp]

I've never left anything but CDs in the car overnight. On long day trips, I've left GPS' and cameras on the dash. The only reason I stowed them away was to keep them from view (i.e. smash & grab). Personally, I wouldn't do it.

More important may be sunscreen if you keep a bottle in there. Apparently, the hot temperatures kill the effectiveness of it. I've definitely left a bottle or two on the dash or in the cup holders during the peak of summer before.

 

[SparkyJJO]

We leave our Garmin in the car all the time, too, but I think that's the difference between something designed for the temps a closed car's interior sees during the summer....can hit 140F or better....and electronics not designed for such temps, like darned near anything else.

Good point.

I do not leave it on the dash either, it goes into the center console.

 

[bruceb]

I always put them in either the glove box or the center console. I would not be comfortable leaving them on the seat or up on the windshield.

 

[iamwiz82]

My Scanguage is permanently dash mounted and has not had an issue in 2 years. High quality electronics made to handle the abuse won't have an issue. This is the same reason why the OEM screens and such in a car survive.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

I wouldn't leave it sitting out like on the dash or in the seat. I've accidentally left cellphones on seats of a hot car and the thing would barely function for a while. In the console shaded from the sun is better - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has left ipods in there with no functional degradation.

I keep an iPod classic 160GB in the glovebox and a Valentine One in the car at all times.
No problems even in stupid Dallas summers.