Who has an Optima battery?

95BlueStallion said:

I apologize for starting a thread and then bailing. My little boy got grumpy and needed my attention last night.

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Sound like your priorities are perfectly straight. No apologies necessary.

Four years on my red top and no problems. Left in the car over the winter by accident, just undid the negative ground ,come spring hooked her up and she fired right up. I guess I cant complain and my car sits more than its driven.

I picked up a battery tender after xmas with some money I got. Prior I had just unhooked the battery entirely when I put the car up for the winter and generally unhooked the battery after every outing as it may be 2 days or 2months before it goes out again from March-Oct/Nov.

I have had my Optima for 3-4yrs now and really like the battery tender as it has a quick plug to connect and disconnect.

Husky44, even though our batteries and many others (both AGM & flooded) are considered “sealed” batteries, all lead-acid automotive batteries can vent gas in extreme situations. For that reason, we always recommend that any battery installed in an enclosed location be properly-vented to the outside. Our group 27, 31, 51, 34C, and 78 batteries all have ports for connecting a vent hose. Although people do it anyway, we would never recommend installing an unvented battery in any enclosed space, because there's a legitimate, albeit unlikely, safety risk involved.

For example, IF there is a voltage regulator failure, and IF the battery is severely overcharged, and IF this goes unnoticed, and IF the battery vents because the internal pressure exceeds the release pressure of the vents, the gasses are both flammable and toxic. This may sound like a lot of “ifs,” but attorneys and engineers get paid to plan for every worst-case scenario. It is also a good idea to cover the unused terminals on a dual-terminal battery, especially if it is mounted in a location where it may come in contact with loose metal items, like flashlights or wrenches.

S&B, the information I posted (and much more) should be included with every battery we sell. I say “should,” because when there are tens of thousands of retailers selling millions of our batteries, there are likely to be at least a few batteries sold with that information missing. Even if that is the case, every battery we sell has a toll-free number (888-8OPTIMA) and an e-mail address (info@optimabatteries.com) printed on the case, if someone has any questions about our products.

N8Dogg98, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had with your four batteries and I'd like to hear more about the circumstances surrounding your issues. What kind of maintenance charger are you using and is there a specific setting you are using? Did all of these batteries fail while in storage and do you recall the voltage level of any of them?

COBRA90GT, I lost count of the number of boards I'm registered on a long time ago, but I think the number is approaching 1,000. I've only posted on a couple of hundred different boards over the years and only when I can offer assistance to people who have questions or concerns about our batteries. The Internet is a pretty big place and I don't catch every conversation, so if you see a thread where I can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me.

StadEMS3, 93-331-29psi, Chythar, LarsD, 95opal, blksn955.o & Kurt, I'm glad to hear you've all had good experiences with your Optimas. As a point of clarification on Kurt's comments regarding AGM batteries and regular battery chargers, AGM batteries can be charged just fine with these chargers in most situations. It is only when a battery becomes deeply-discharged (usually below 10.5 volts), that some chargers will not recognize or charge any battery. AGM batteries tend to have very low internal resistance, which allows them to accept and deliver energy far more effeciently than traditional flooded batteries. However, it will also allow them to continue delivering energy in applications where the high internal resistance of a traditional flooded battery might not, like a parasitic draw. As a result, a vehicle with a parasitic draw may only discharge a flooded battery to just under 11 volts, while an AGM battery will continue to deliver current until the battery is discharged well into the single digits.

However, AGM batteries also tend to have a very low self-discharge rate. That means if an AGM battery is not connected to a parasitic draw, it will be able to hold it's charge far longer than a flooded lead-acid battery. While it is good practice to disconnect a stored battery if use of a maintainer is not possible, the battery should always be fully-charged (about 12.6-12.8 volts for RedTops and about 13.0-13.2 volts for YellowTops) before it goes into storage. It is also a good idea to fully-charge a stored battery again with a battery charger, before re-installing it in a vehicle.

Lars, while the quality of the batteries produced in our Colorado facility was excellent, the degree of automation in our production process now has greatly decreased variability, which has resulted in increases in consistency and the reliability of our batteries. More importantly, we still stand by the same quality standards that were in place in Colorado. The end result is the best batteries we have ever made and we do make all of our own batteries. We do not outsource our production to third party manufacturers and we do not modify the specifications of any of our batteries for any of our retail partners.

Nick, as I mentioned before, disconnecting a stored battery is good practice, but checking the battery voltage should be a part of that process, especially if your bolt-ons include underdrive pulleys. A properly-functioning alternator will put out approximately 13.7-14.7 volts. However, underdrive pulleys will often lower that output significantly, to the point where a battery is never getting a full charge and slowly discharging over time, depending on driving habits. I often read posts on other boards, where guys claim it is a good idea to periodically start their stored vehicles and let them idle in the driveway. I can't speak to the mechanical benefits of such a routine, but I do know this will actually do more harm than good to the battery, if the alternator does not have an opportunity to replace the energy that was lost during storage and starting.

I would really encourage you to measure the voltage of your battery, as it will let you know if your charger did what you thought it would, as well as the output of your alternator when your engine is running.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
OPTIMA Battery Power Pack Nation

Jim I never ended up measuring the voltage of the red top's I had. When the first one failed, it tripped the red error light on my battery charger and I brought it to Batteries Plus. They let it sit on their load tester overnight and said that it was in fact bad (had owned it for about 1 year). Good news is the warranty was a 3 year replacement so they gave me a brand new battery free of charge. One year later, same thing happened and I brought it to the store, it was bad, and they gave me another new one. Now this spring the battery was hooked to the tender all winter and when I installed it in my car it wouldn't even turn over. The red-top was completely dead.

I have a black and decker 2, 4, 6 AMP charger that also has a tender feature. Every fall I let it run at 2 amps until the battery is fully charged and then the charger just maintains the charge all winter. Suspecting the charger after the first 2 times, I ended up trying another battery tender my dad had during last winter, but the same thing happened. Therefore, I don't think I'll ever buy another Optima battery. It's nice of you to come on here and explain some of this, but before buying a red-top my car had a battery that had been good for over 6 years. I'd rather not worry about replacing a $150 battery each and every year, and would rather have my $60 battery last me 6-10 years.

OptimaJim:

Thank you for taking the time to come on here and answer questions. Thanks to EVERYBODY for having a rational discussion without turning it into a flame war. That's pretty unusual today in just about any forum--that's why us 5.0 SN95 guys rock--we're generally unusual...

Question for OptimaJim, that hopefully will help others, both now and those who actually use the search function later (with apologies to the OP for any piracy):

What is the recommended battery and maintenance procedures for applications like mine: A summertime only car that is in storage for 6 months out of the year, minor engine mods (more on my 67 than the 95), not running excessive electrical accessories (my engine, not my subwoofer, shakes my car), battery relocated to the trunk?

Husky44 said:

That's pretty unusual today in just about any forum--that's why us 5.0 SN95 guys rock--we're generally unusual...

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I'm a 4.6 SN95 owner

N8Dogg98 said:

I'm a 4.6 SN95 owner

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Alright, which one of you clowns left the door unlocked? Now look what happened!

Somebody get the tazer and the Febreeze, we've got some work to do...

Maybe that's what's wrong with your battery: Your motor drains too much power to make up for the missing pushrods.

I've had my Optima since 2003 or 2004 and it's still going. My car probably sees 1000 miles a year (maybe a high estimate the past few years, too) and sits during winter. I start it and let it run for 20 minutes a couple times a month, though not as often as I mean to. The Optima has only been unable to turn the car over maybe once or twice in all this time, and a quick zap w/the jumper box got it up and running again in no time flat. After that and letting it run for a short period of time, it always cranked right up again.

This spring, the Optima was dead as a doornail. I trickle charged it overnight and still had no luck, though it did come back to life enough to let me know I could get a response out of it. I brought it to Advance to have it tested but the voltage was around 5V and they couldn't do so. They offered to have me leave it there to be charged overnight, and they'd test it again in the morning. So I did that, and everything turned out OK. Battery charged to full voltage, starts the car right up after sitting a week or longer, etc. Good as new.

I keep hearing bad things about the 'new' line of Optimas and while I have no experience with them I'm fearing having to end up with one just the same. I like my ancient one just fine but at 8 years old I don't expect it to have too much more life left in it.

N8Dogg98, I'm really sorry to hear about the problems you had with your batteries and wish I knew the voltage of your batteries when you were having issues. Black & Decker alone markets at least nine different chargers. That makes it very difficult for me to keep track of all the different chargers out there and the various settings of these chargers. As I mentioned before, the settings for “gel” or “gel/AGM” should be avoided, as Optimas are not gel batteries, will not get fully-charged on those settings and could be damaged by them over time. Knowing the battery voltage can sometimes help me better understand a situation, as some chargers won't recognize or charge a battery discharged below a specific voltage threshold. I hope your new battery works well for you.

Husky44, that is a great question about maintenance procedures and one that I wish were asked more often. Proper voltage maintenance is the key to long battery life, regardless of brand. Even though our batteries are referred to as “12-volt” batteries, RedTops are fully-charged at about 12.6-12.8 volts and YellowTops are fully-charged at about 13.0-13.2 volts. Most batteries are about 50% discharged at 12.0 volts and fully-charged voltage varies by manufacturer. I've read some literature from other manufacturers that indicates significantly higher voltage levels for other battery brands, so that is a good number to know and a good place to start.

When any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and allowed to sit in that state, sulfation occurs inside the battery and begins to diminish both performance and lifespan. I know I mentioned that before, but it bears repeating, because so many late-model Mustangs run underdrive pulleys and/or car alarms, which are both notoriously hard on batteries. If you measure the voltage of your battery at the terminals, while your engine is running, it will give you the output of your alternator and should be about 13.7-14.7 volts. If your alternator is not within that range, it may not be keeping your battery maintained at a proper level, even if you drive your vehicle on a regular basis. In fact, it could be allowing your battery to slowly discharge over time.

If that is the case, you'll want to keep your vehicle on a quality battery maintainer or tender when not in use (and during winter storage). The best units are microprocessor-controlled and there are two basic types of maintenance chargers. Fully-automatic, “multi-stage or multi-step” chargers will monitor the battery and charge it as necessary. Multi-stage maintainers will charge at varying voltages and varying amperage (rarely exceeding 2 amps). Some of these multi-step chargers are also capable of being regular battery chargers (7 amps or more). These types of chargers are preferred.

Traditional “float” chargers provide constant voltage with tapering amperage to the battery, even when it is fully-charged. For float-charging, we recommend 1 amp max, 13.2-13.8 volts. These are OK too, but the multi-stage chargers are a better option.

Another number worth knowing is your vehicle's parasitic draw or "key-off" load. A typical key-off load is about 25 milliamps, but if a vehicle's draw exceeds 100 milliamps, there is an electrical issue that needs to be addressed. This video explains how to measure a parasitic draw.

Ozz, I'm glad to hear your RedTop is performing well for you. However, as I mentioned before, your practice of starting your vehicle and idling it for 20 minutes a couple times per month is very hard on your battery. I can understand if there are mechanical benefits to doing that, but there are certainly cheaper and more effective ways to keep your battery charged. If you need to do that for your engine's sake, be sure to recharge your battery with a battery charger afterwards. The 5-volt reading you mentioned often comes from a parasitic draw, so I would encourage you to review your electrical system for current drains.

Technological advances in vehicles have made parasitic draws a serious issue for battery manufacturers and automakers in recent years. Some new vehicles now come with their own battery maintainer and some battery manufacturers have responded by voiding the warranty on batteries discharged below a specific voltage level. If you are concerned about the health of your eight year-old Optima, you can have it load-tested by a battery specialist. Some will even perform this service for free. If anyone has any other questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
OPTIMA Battery Power Pack Nation

I had one in my Expedition, or better yet 2. I had 2 replacement within the warranty period, however, the 3rd time I swapped it for the Advanced Gold or Platinum battery - under warranty, well at a prorated cost. I drove the truck every day. I still have the Yellow Top in the Mustang for now, but it has to be started and driven or will need a charge every then and again. I recharge it using the 2 amp slow charge (AGM) and it wakes up. So the Yellow Top is good with all my electronics. The Red Tops just did not live past 2 years each.

What puzzles me though is new cars sit on dealer ship lots for months on end and fire right up with no issues, at least not that I've seen anyway.

OptimaJim, thanks for the link to the battery recovery video. This should come in handy when I need it. I wish I'd know about it earlier. Optima, may want to consider providing such data with their batteries to possibly reduce customers frustrations.

95riosnake said:

...You'll find many people have problems with Optimas. I think they work decent on cars that are driven regularly, but once they are let die a few times they're never going to be the same.

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Methodical, we do include that charging information with every battery we manufacture. However, I know that with millions of batteries being sold, some of them will inevitably lose their owner's manual before they find their way into a customer's hands. I'm sorry to hear you had trouble with the RedTops in your Expedition. I also have a RedTop in my wife's Expedition and have never had issues with it, although I've also checked to make sure a parasitic draw isn't slowly discharging the battery.

Because of the addition of satellite-based technology and significant increases in electrical demands, an increasing number of manufacturers now include battery tenders with new vehicles. VW factory solar chargers are everywhere and factory battery maintainers are now commonplace amongst super cars (I believe Ford included one with every GT they sold). Others have indicated some new vehicles can discharge a battery in as little as a week's time.

Long battery life for most folks and most brands really does come down to proper voltage maintenance. Keep your battery fully-charged whenever possible and it should last a very long time.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
Optima Batteries | Facebook

Jim, I can tell you that nothing came with the battery other the battery itself, but I am now armed with more information than before, which I will use to ensure my Yellow Top stays in tip top condition. Again thanks for the video link.

OptimaJim said:

Methodical, we do include that charging information with every battery we manufacture. However, I know that with millions of batteries being sold, some of them will inevitably lose their owner's manual before they find their way into a customer's hands. I'm sorry to hear you had trouble with the RedTops in your Expedition. I also have a RedTop in my wife's Expedition and have never had issues with it, although I've also checked to make sure a parasitic draw isn't slowly discharging the battery.

Because of the addition of satellite-based technology and significant increases in electrical demands, an increasing number of manufacturers now include battery tenders with new vehicles. VW factory solar chargers are everywhere and factory battery maintainers are now commonplace amongst super cars (I believe Ford included one with every GT they sold). Others have indicated some new vehicles can discharge a battery in as little as a week's time.

Long battery life for most folks and most brands really does come down to proper voltage maintenance. Keep your battery fully-charged whenever possible and it should last a very long time.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
Optima Batteries | Facebook

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Methodical,

I'm happy to help and I'm sorry to hear a user's guide was not included with your new battery purchase. I can send you one in PDF format, if you PM me your e-mail address. Thanks for choosing Optima!

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
OPTIMA Battery Power Pack Nation

I'm very glad I read all of this.

I too have replaced a few red tops as well as my buddy. I think the problem was leaving them outside over winter. We quickly found out that's not a good idea. This year, I simply removed the battery and put it in my basement. I put it back in 7 months later and it seems to work just fine! I'm going to monitor the voltage from now on though as well.

I have 2 optima batteries, 1 of them totally discharged, I tried per instruction for 2 days with AGM schumacher smart charger, NOTHING!

it's a fail, My warranty ran out in January, This battery looks brand new, car sat for a while. And one currently in my car leaks around the negetive post, Not much but it creates the build up.

Not happy with optima so far, I might just switch back to normal battery. One was manufactured in 11/07 and the dead one is 1/08. SUCKS!

Can you do something with this optimaJIM

Do they go bad right after the warranty expires? lol

hollywoodstang, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you've been having with your batteries. What was the voltage of the battery you charged for two days prior to charging and after two days of charging? Could you post a picture of the one currently in your car?

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
Optima Batteries | Facebook

I will take some photo of the one in the car and the other one which did not hold the charge. The voltage was right around 10 for the discharged/not holding a charge one.

And may i remind you, I charged this thing for 12hr with AGM charger at 2amp setting. It just threw the red light on the charger meaning "fail to charge"

I cleaned up the build up already around the negetive post, but it does still have proof of build up around the negetive connector

Anyways, I will post some pics Sunday Hopefully you can help me Optimajim.