Batteries are a huge part of modern life. Think of how many battery chargers you have.

Of course, our purpose here is to talk about your car battery. When people come into Bonita Point Auto Care, Inc. and need a new battery, they're really not that happy about having to spend the money. But the fact is that 70 percent of batteries don't make it for 4 years.

There are some things that you can do to extend the life of your battery. First, keep it clean. If you see it getting dirty or greasy, let us know at Bonita Point Auto Care, Inc. and we can clean it off. A dirty battery runs hotter, and that shortens its life. If your battery terminals are corroded, let us take a look at that, too. We can clean them, and if the corrosion has gotten into the battery cables, we can replace them.

Also, running your battery way down is bad for it. Things like running the headlights or watching a DVD player with the car turned off can deeply deplete your battery. The typical battery can only take about 10 of those deep cycle depletions before it gives up the ghost.

Because we often take short trips around Chula Vista with lots of stops for errands, our batteries can end up not getting fully recharged just by driving around. That also shortens battery life. You can hook up a good quality automatic battery charger at home from time to time. We recommend charging once a month during hot months and every three months during cold months.

Now when it's finally time to get a new battery, we can help you find the right replacement. We'll always make sure to meet your manufacturer's recommendations. If you have special needs, like live in a very cold climate or run a lot of electrical accessories, we can look at an upgrade that'll give you the power you need.

Give us a call.