Dead Optima battery

Grommit327 · Dec 21, 2006

I have a red top in my truck that is not quite 2 years old. Lately it's taking a couple extra cranks to get the truck going in the morning and the other day I ran the radio for 20 or so mins with the truck off and it was so dead I almost couldn't get it started. The place where I bought it told me to take a flying leap off a bridge since I don't have the receipt anymore...otherwise they would warranty it

So the question is...is there anyway to get some life back in this battery? Would trickle charging help at all...or is it better to use a regular charger...or am I just ****ed:booo:

JOOP · Dec 21, 2006

Trickle charge 2 amps. Might take 2 days to do it. Mine was dead the other day , charged it for 2 days on a charger, now it works fine.

Travis1 · Dec 21, 2006

Its an optima.

Just go get a new battery THAT IS NOT OPTIMA.

My wife's red top lasted barely 1 year before it died. good thing it was a giveaway.

Pook · Dec 21, 2006

I have never had any luck trickle charging an optima, mine was dead after sitting in a rig being built for a year wouldn't take a charge thought it was junk.But I needed a battery so I got my daily driver running and swapped it in, while the truck was running and it took a good charge. Been running good the last 4 years and now sits in my ftoy. I think they need a good amount of amps to charge.

Harvester of Sorrow · Dec 21, 2006

EXIDE is the new Optima....

They rule...

Optima is not what they used to be because of loss of quality assurance methods...due to buy outs and mergers.

Grommit327 · Dec 21, 2006

Pook said:
I have never had any luck trickle charging an optima, mine was dead after sitting in a rig being built for a year wouldn't take a charge thought it was junk.But I needed a battery so I got my daily driver running and swapped it in, while the truck was running and it took a good charge. Been running good the last 4 years and now sits in my ftoy. I think they need a good amount of amps to charge.

So I had a mechanic tell me the same thing...that the battery needs a good jolt of amps to get charged...and then somebody else also told me to trickle charge it. Makes me wonder if my alternator has reduced its output for some reason...hmmmm

yodaboy4life · Dec 21, 2006

i asked my dad and him being a mechanic he said he would trickle charge it but i have had my optima for over 8 years and two trucks and been used on a trolin motor when we go fishing i never had a problem with them i love them good luck with it they ant very cheap

wrecker1 · Dec 21, 2006

Heep70 told me once that his friends were buying up all the old Optima's and hooking up a welder to them to give them a jolt to bring them back to life.
I don't remember the details, might ask him about it.

JOOP · Dec 21, 2006

If you put the optima's on a fast charge it burns up the gell inside killing the battery. Thats what I was told from the Optima battery guy at work.

Travis1 · Dec 22, 2006

Optimas own website (IIRC) gave a max charging voltage of 15.1v, and no limit on current as long as the temp stayed below a certain point.

2pwrlftrs4u · Dec 22, 2006

Grommit327 said:
So I had a mechanic tell me the same thing...that the battery needs a good jolt of amps to get charged...and then somebody else also told me to trickle charge it. Makes me wonder if my alternator has reduced its output for some reason...hmmmm

if i let my jeep idle for an hour mine wont charge as well as if i actually take it our and drive it for 10 mins... seems to only do it w/my optima battery (yellow top). also if i leave ground on and let it set for a week or two it drains it.

skrause · Dec 22, 2006

2pwrlftrs4u said:
if i let my jeep idle for an hour mine wont charge as well as if i actually take it our and drive it for 10 mins... seems to only do it w/my optima battery (yellow top). also if i leave ground on and let it set for a week or two it drains it.

Alternators don't make as much juice at idle. Lower amperage output = slower charge.

2pwrlftrs4u · Dec 22, 2006

skrause said:
Alternators don't make as much juice at idle. Lower amperage output = slower charge.

i mite be stoopud butt eye dew no that much...:flipoff:

skrause · Dec 22, 2006

2pwrlftrs4u said:
i mite be stoopud butt eye dew no that much...:flipoff:

Then why didn't you SAY SO!?! :flipoff: :haha:

rickibrat2 · Dec 23, 2006

as a rule it takes a battery charger that has a different circiut in it for glass over lay batterys a reg charger will burn them up and the warrenty is void if they can prove it was charged wrong played that game a long time ago with a red top in my rail

then went to a odasey batter which lasted about a year too so now have just gone back to a reg cheap batter seems to work just as good