Safe to leave a torch in a car with high temperature?

Hi guys, I would like to ask a question here.
Is it safe to leave a flashlight in a car where the temperature reaches ~60C? Will it damage any part of the flashlight? I know the LED/bulb should be fine but what about the driver etc?
Thank you for the upcoming answers.

60C = 140F, and this is the safe limit for CR123A primary cells. The light itself should be OK at that temperature.

Extremes of temperature have more of an effect on batteries than the lights they are used in, so I'm moving this to the batteries section.

How about with Alkaline batteries? i have a 4D mag in the car and inside car temps get up to about 130 deg F in the summer...

Alkaline specifications vary by manufacturer, but they typically have an upper operating limit of 130F (54C), so you are probably OK. However, they are less predictable, and can leak for no apparent reason.

DM51 said:

Alkaline specifications vary by manufacturer, but they typically have an upper operating limit of 130F (54C), so you are probably OK. However, they are less predictable, and can leak for no apparent reason.

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cool, thanks!

the light sees infrequent use, so I'll make sure to stick with name brand alkalines with a "leak warranty" just in case... and check the batteries every so often

It is best to change Alkalines at least once a year, even if you don't use the light. It'll help if you keep the light in the glove-box or under the front seat, where it is less likely to experience extremes of temperature.

Ahh thanks for the reply. hmm, i think i better re-check the temp again. Where I come from it's a steady 32-33C outside temperature in the noon, sometimes hitting 35C. Might go quite a bit above 60C.

Is leaving CR123A in a hot car OK?

I leave an Olight M20 in my car with a bunch of CR123A batteries for emergencies. As summer is back here, I realised how hot a car can be under the sun. I did a quick research on the web and a car can reach between 140°F & 150°F under the sun on a hot 100°F day. That makes 60-65° Celsius.

So, am I reducing the life of my batteries? Is that to hot for them?

Please advice.

Thanks

Re: Is leaving CR123A in a hot car OK?

Keep watching your car, and if you see it burst into flames you will know your answer! :laughing:

But seriously, higher temperatures speed up chemical reactions and therefore will always shorten the life of batteries. The CR123A is supposed to be OK up to quite high temperatures, but you should nevertheless try to keep them as cool as possible.

When I left my car parked in the sun I found my toll booth coins too hot to handle (200°F perhaps), so I definitely wouldn't want batteries to get that hot.

Re: Is leaving CR123A in a hot car OK?

Quick google showed 80C max operating temp on the Sanyo 123's.

Re: Is leaving CR123A in a hot car OK?

As long as the cells (or device they're in) are out of direct sunlight, they should be OK. It's not ideal, but lithium primaries should hold up better in those conditions than other available chemistries.

Re: Is leaving CR123A in a hot car OK?

I leave some CR123 lights and spare batts in my glove box. I have touched them in the middle of the day after being parked outside and the batts are warm but not hot. The batt will naturally discharge faster in high temps so I expect less capacity when I finally need to use it.

Re: Is leaving CR123A in a hot car OK?

There have been many threads on this topic. I'm merging this with another recent one.

Re: Is leaving CR123A in a hot car OK?

baterija said:

Quick google showed 80C max operating temp on the Sanyo 123's.

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Cool! I bought Sanyos :thumbsup:

Thanks

lumenosity said:

How about with Alkaline batteries? i have a 4D mag in the car and inside car temps get up to about 130 deg F in the summer...

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I used to carry a AA MiniMag and a 3 or 4 D Maglite in each of our cars for about ten years, and always used alkalines. I lost two D Mags and three AA MiniMags that way and had batteries leak in a couple more Mags. Maglites are terrible for alkaline leakage problems, and I'd carefully check the batteries at least every 2-3 months, and remove them to check them, don't assume because the light powers up the batteries are good. I've had a few times where the Mags lit up but hte batteries were leaking. I'd probably change the alkalines in any Mag at least every 12 months, even if they look and test to be good. Because of the leakage problems, I've stopped carrying D Mags in our cars, instead I use 2x123 lithium powered incan lights (mostly Surefire G2's) in our cars, and have switched the MiniMags to Energizer lithium AA cells and LED drop-ins. This way I don't have to worry about leaking, and I can be sure the lights will power up after sitting for a couple of years without being used.