Also - have a look at the Varta site for battery care.
eg....
Cleanliness is important for starter batteries
It's particularly important to keep the battery and its surrounding area clean. Dirty or moist surfaces may result in small continuous currents, 'flowing' from one terminal of the battery to the other. The contacts also need to be clean, dry and lightly greased, and the electrical connections need to be secure. Moreover, defective switches for lights in glove box or trunk can give drivers an unpleasant surprise. Even if the bulbs only take a small amount of power, they still considerably reduce the performance of the battery in the long term.
With cars that only do trips to the supermarket and the school run - often the second car in many households - it is also important to check whether the battery installed is powerful enough. A larger battery with higher capacity will often solve the problem of the alternator not recharging the battery sufficiently on short trips.
Last but not least, a specialist should also check that the V-belt between the engine and the alternator is in good condition and correctly tensioned before winter sets in. Otherwise the howling noise you get when you start off signifies that your battery will soon be flat.
What sort of battery problems can arise during use?
If a starter battery is poorly maintained, it can soon fail. Dirty terminals cause power trickles, causing the starter battery to lose energy. If you mainly make short trips in urban traffic with electrical systems running (air-conditioning system, ventilators, seat heaters, heated rear window and windscreen, etc.), the starter battery can become flat, even with the engine running. This can lead to starting problems, particularly in the winter.
see
http://www.varta-automotive.co.uk/
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