Optima Red top question

[GDawg]

I replaced my battery with a new Optima Red top about four weeks ago. Haven't been driving the pony at all since then. I did a couple short cruises. Tonight I go to fire up the Stang and she was near dead. I put my charger on it and I've never seen a battery suck so hard on a 6 amp charge. I actually put it down to a 2 amp charge cause my charger kept cutting off.

What do you recommend? I need a full charge through our upcoming (already arrived) cold weather. In the next couple days we are going to drop to 20*.

Go Broncos...

 

[san~man]

The yellow top would've been a better alternative if you don't drive the car much and the battery drains to zero.

 

[GDawg]

I'm thinking I haven't driven the car enough since I bought it. I think I'll put a 6amp charge on it all night long. It's running in the garage right now but I think it needs a "deep soaking"...

Ya think?

On Edit: Go Broncos... it's cold here tonight.

 

[bdcardinal]

you only want to do a 1.5-2amp charge overnight. any more than that can damage an Optima. we sell Optimas at work and only put them on our trickle charger at 2 amps. i would take the battery to where you bought it and have it tested. it might be bad. generally Johnson Control, the manufacturer of Optima, has about a 1% bad apple rate.

 

[goshia]

Bronco's WIN

Once you get the car up and running drive it around during the day with the lights off for atleast 15-20 minuts and get a good deep charge on it. Then see what happens over the next couple of weeks. Yep it has been 37 here for hours, no snow yet but soon.

 

[san~man]

I'm thinking I haven't driven the car enough since I bought it. I think I'll put a 6amp charge on it all night long. It's running in the garage right now but I think it needs a "deep soaking"...

Ya think?

On Edit: Go Broncos... it's cold here tonight.

Yes, most definately. Like bd said, you gotta get out and drive it or keep the charger on it full time, slow trickle.

 

[01BlkGT]

I drive my car an avg. of about once every two weeks or so and my red top has just enough amps to turn over the starter and get the car going. Then again, I have a 35 min. commute so that gives it enough time to recharge itself.

 

[Daggar]

How long the warranty on these red tops? Mine is about 4 years old all the sudden, decided to take a dump.

+1 for not leaving a Red Top sitting around for any length of time. The battery was perfectly healthy about 2 weeks ago and now will loose charge with nothing hooked to it. It's toast. Didn't take much non-use to kill it.

 

[Dope 97GT]

mine sat for 2 months and fired right up...I often let it sit for a while and can even take it out and jump another car with the battery on the ground. and its 4 years old

 

[Daggar]

Until this weekend, I thought they were indestructable then *poof*. It was just bad.

I check it with a voltmeter and it's a little ofer 6 volts. I charge it up a little with the battery terminal removed then check it again. I could literally watch the voltage drop on the meter go continually down about .04V every second.

Gotta be a dead or shorted cell.

 

[DropTopPony]

i've been through 3 red tops in 6 years...1st lasted 4 years but i drove the car almost everyday...last 2 would sit for a few weeks and lose charge...i am gonna try a yellow top this time.

 

[Daggar]

i've been through 3 red tops in 6 years...1st lasted 4 years but i drove the car almost everyday...last 2 would sit for a few weeks and lose charge...i am gonna try a yellow top this time.

I think I'm with you. This most recent battery that I got when my red top died is your run of the mill Energizer 72 month. I'll not be buying another Optima until this one quits on me. If it lasts me 4 years, I may never buy another Optima. hehe $47 for a 4 year battery vs $130+ for a 4 year battery.

 

[5.0's 4 ever]

I am on my third optima. The first red top lasted around 3 1/2 years. I then went to a yellow top and that battery only lasted around 1 1/2 years. I am now back to a red top again, at least I have a warranty on this one. My yellow top is one expensive paper weight that sits in my garage.

 

[GDawg]

Yes, most definately. Like bd said, you gotta get out and drive it or keep the charger on it full time, slow trickle.

So should I really keep the charger on it most the time with a "slow trickle" 2 amp charge? We're going into winter here in Colorado so my pony won't be driven hardly at all. I don't want to kill this battery so soon. I'm doing a slow trickle tonight and will do a couple hours a night if you (and others) think I should.

I've only had this battery for a month or so and I have hardly driven the car more than 40 miles.

:SNSign: