• RME Gear & Apparel

Optima Charging Issues

SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
I picked up a used optima blue top the other week, that I noticed would hold a constant 9V or so. I had it charged for about 20hrs at an Autozone(even passed a load test while at AZ). I even had the guy acknowledge that there was a different charging method for the gel cell battery... Just to be sure..

So, then it sat on the garage floor for about a week since minor custom work was needed to hook it up.. Once we got that done, I've noticed that it won't crank the engine over right away. It hesitates, has a few slow cranks, then fires up the motor. The guages shake for about 5 seconds to indicate that the battery is weak. The more I drive it, the more I notice that the battery seems fine(starts ok, and the 'weak' indicator doesn't come on).

Just a day or two ago the battery started to drop back down while the car sat. So i borrowed a CarQuest battery charger that has a setting for gel batteries. I hooked it up to charge at 10amps (optima.com says 10amp max 6-12 approx), on the gel battery setting.

I've charged it now a few times for about 6hrs. I have yet to notice a change in the batteries ability to hold a normal charge. This morning I tried it for 6hrs or so on a 2amp charge.. Nothing.. So now it's back on the 10amp charge.

The indicator light on the charger is yellow while charging, then alternates flashing between yellow and green as the battery nears full charge. I always see it flashing yellow/green, but I have yet to see the battery be near a full charge.

Any ideas? Why can't I get this blue top to accept a full charge?

-Jason
 
chadschoon

chadschoon

Well-Known Member
Location
lehi
I had one do the same thing. I took it and had it even charged up on a comercial charger and before I hot home to put it in it was dead. I had to replace it :( they exchanged it for free though :)
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
Chadrick said:
I had one do the same thing. I took it and had it even charged up on a comercial charger and before I hot home to put it in it was dead. I had to replace it :( they exchanged it for free though :)
Click to expand...

Not the best news.. Did you buy yours new, or was it used to begin with?

Autozone would not exchange the Optima because they did not have it on my file of an item purchased.. Understandable, but lame ;)

.. Maybe Walmart will exchange it.. :-\
 
chadschoon

chadschoon

Well-Known Member
Location
lehi
I had purchased it new so that is why they replaced it. I think they have a 3 year warranty. I had 5 go bad on me and havent ran one since. I went to the orbital and have been happy so far. Its been running in my jeep for 3 years now just fine.
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
found the following online at http://www.batteriesareus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=113_46&products_id=157

We recommend the following charging procedure for a 34, 34/78, 75/35, and 6v:
1) Charge the battery A MINIMUM OF 100 amps for 15 mins ( @ 14.5+ volts)
a) Let battery and charger cool for 15 mins
2) Repeat step one at least four times - after letting battery cool 15 mins after each charge
3) Charge at 2-10 amps (trickle / automatic) for 24 hours minimum
4) Test the battery
5) D31 batteries: repeat each step again

--> WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND CHARGING TWO BATTERIES AT A TIME- CONNECT THEM POSTIVE POST TO POSITIVE POST ? negative post to negative post) AND PUT THE CHARGER NEGATIVE CABLE ON ONE BATTERY AND THE POSITIVE ON THE OTHER BATTERY! (and DOUBLE CHARGING TIMES)
 
jdub

jdub

Scrambler
Location
Provo, Utah.
First of all. Not everyone has 2 batteries.

Second, I'm scared to hook up that much electrical in fear that I'll mess something up.

Third, That is a whole lot of time to keep track of, on and off charging. That's like watching a newborn.

Can you call optima and ask where you can take it? I wish I had known all this info before. I had a red top that wouldn't charge and I just disposed of it. It probably was revivable.
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
Well, the battery couldn't handle starting my rig after the cold temps last night. I jumped it, got to work 3 minutes late. I just put a voltmeter on it(been sitting for an hour and a half):

As it sits, it reads between 11.2-11.55V, sometimes dips to 10.5V+(Days ago the normal voltage the battery held was closer to 9.5V). When I start it up it cranks a few times like it's really chugging hard, then starts up. Volts drop to 6.2 or so(as I would guess in a starting situation), then bounce up to 14.2ish from the alternator.

WTF is going on? I gotta get that last 1 volt to stay in the damn battery.. Should I take it somewhere again to have it charged?

-Jason
 
yellowbronco

yellowbronco

Cuts Through Grease !!!
Location
Moab
I bet you have a bad cell. Vautozone sucks for warranty unless you bought it there. Try Carquest in Moab, they will warranty Optimas.:p
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
Maybe there's still some hope...

"Digital Voltmeters should read as the voltage is shown in this document. The sealed AGM and Gel-Cell battery voltage (full charged) will be slightly higher in the 12.8 to 12.9 ranges. If you have voltage readings in the 10.5 volts range on a charged battery, that indicates a shorted cell."

Found Here

As noted previous, my battery sits at a constant 11.5ish volts.. So maybe it needs a good harc-core charge?
 
jeepin4x4james

jeepin4x4james

WAAAAA
Location
Bluffdale, UT
If you still have problems.. Go to Interstate Batteries... I bought my red top at Sears, it worked well for about 1.5yrs... then it jsut wouldn't hold a charge. I lost the receipt and Sears stopped carrying Optimas. I called Optima and they said to take it to Interstate - They kept it overnight, I went back the next day and got a brand new battery free of charge! Dude at Interstate said Optima batteries went down hill and they go bad all the time, if it fails their load test after they charge it, they replace it no questions asked as long as it's still warranty!
GL!
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
Interstate was helpful, but won't allow me to exhange it with them since it doesn't have thier part number on it.

I'm going to get the battery tested one more time.. If it fails i'll get my money back from the guy.. Damn, I don;t want to spend $$$ on a new one :(
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
1993yj said:
Isn't this the reason that batteries usually have a date on them?
Click to expand...

Unless there is a date buried away deep in a serial number, there is absolutely no date lsited on my battery anywhere.

Most batteries i've seen have a date stamped/printed on top.. Not this one.
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
Took it to Checker and Autozone.. Both confirmed the Optima had serious issues. Both of the testing units showed that the Optima was producing around 150CCA's. So ya, it was gone. Lost a cell or more.

I ended up getting a group 34 Duralast Gold.. 1000CCA's, side posts, 3yr free replacement with 8 year warranty(pro-rated).

Stupid used Optima.
 
ghetto

ghetto

Registered User
Location
Glenwood Springs, CO
Optimas quality has gone down over the last few years. But even with the older ones or other dry cells, if it goes all the way dead and stays that way they won't come back the same. The guy you got it from probably neglected it.
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
ghetto said:
Optimas quality has gone down over the last few years. But even with the older ones or other dry cells, if it goes all the way dead and stays that way they won't come back the same. The guy you got it from probably neglected it.
Click to expand...

The guy I got it from is the homeless father of a co-worker, who once in a whlie lives out of said co-worker's shed.. He cruises around in a motorized wheelchair due to years of cancer and pain.. He liks the blue tops for his wheelchair..

Wierdest thing ever. :eek:
 
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