Here's another interesting digression. My wife drives a 2006 VW New Beetle 2.5L Convertible. She likes going topless during warm weather. (Now everyone be nice!) She works at a nearby veterinarian hospital. When I say nearby, probably no more than a 2 mile trip one-way.

So she starts up her car at least 2x per day and drives to & from work. She does this 5x per week, and every other week, adds a SAT trip when the Vet is open only until noon. But because her trips are so short, the battery in her VW will fail to start the car eventually. (Not a pleasant sight to see my wife upset at her car!) She doesn't operate the car long enough for the alternator to fully re-charge the battery.

So, like the XFire, I connect a charger on the VW's battery every 4 to 6 months or so; then check the electrolyte level. No issues since.

Later,