optima battery problem

spmpdr wrote:

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Was the battery sitting on the concrete for a long period of time? Try to charge it even though it says its full. If you have a charger with a 2 amp trickle charge charge it for about 4-5 hours then try it.

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Then when you are tired of messing around with that deep cycle hunk of junk.... get a new battery.

KarTuneMan wrote:

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Then when you are tired of messing around with that deep cycle hunk of junk.... get a new battery.

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Man is that the truth!

to the OP, you can't trickle charge an optima battery.

ckeeler wrote:

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KarTuneMan wrote:

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Then when you are tired of messing around with that deep cycle hunk of junk.... get a new battery.

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Man is that the truth!

to the OP, you can't trickle charge an optima battery.

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spmpdr wrote:

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why cant you trickle charge an optima battery?, Ive done it numerous times with success both yellow top and red top.

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ok, maybe i'm speaking in generalisms, however, for the most part you can't trickle charge an optima battery. they just dont take a good charge that way most of the time. i've messed with hundreds of them, and the only way i ever had good sucess charging them back up to par was to use a "fleet" type charger, you know the big billy bad ass roll around ones? and charge them with the max jump start setting (usually 150-200a) for about 10-15 mins, then back the charger to a 40-60a setting for 2-3 hours, and then let it trickle charge on a 10-5a charge for 3-4 hours. after all that, they tested like new ones (for a few months anyway) and i could put them on an actual carbon load tester and they wold test till the cows came home (for a few days). anything less and they just wouldnt really pass a decent carbon load test (at least not enough where i would say the battery was worth a crap, even though they would pass a digital battery tester as good, the carbon load test, would time after time prove that those digital battery testers are crap for telling you what a batteries real worth is). i dont know why, but for some reason a trickle charge was never enough to activate the chemicals in the battery good enough to "really", not just "seemingly", charge one of those optima piles of crap back up to snuff.

ckeeler wrote:

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spmpdr wrote:

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why cant you trickle charge an optima battery?, Ive done it numerous times with success both yellow top and red top.

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ok, maybe i'm speaking in generalisms, however, for the most part you can't trickle charge an optima battery. they just dont take a good charge that way most of the time. i've messed with hundreds of them, and the only way i ever had good sucess charging them back up to par was to use a "fleet" type charger, you know the big billy bad ass roll around ones? and charge them with the max jump start setting (usually 150-200a) for about 10-15 mins, then back the charger to a 40-60a setting for 2-3 hours, and then let it trickle charge on a 10-5a charge for 3-4 hours. after all that, they tested like new ones (for a few months anyway) and i could put them on an actual carbon
load tester and they wold test till the cows came home (for a few days). anything less and they just wouldnt really pass a decent carbon load test (at least not enough where i would say the battery was worth a crap, even though they would pass a digital battery tester as good, the carbon load test, would time after time prove that those digital battery testers are crap for telling you what a batteries real worth is). i dont know why, but for some reason a trickle charge was never enough to activate the chemicals in the battery good enough to "really", not just "seemingly", charge one of those optima piles of crap back up to snuff.

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Based on my experience with yellow top batteries, they are not worth the money. Purchase another brand.  I purchased my first yellow top with very high expectations and since then, returned two batteries.  I am on my third yellow top right now and this one seems to being holding up somewhat well.  Optima batteries are over rated in my opinion based from past experiences.

haemphyst wrote:

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...also, the "storing batteries on concrete" myth is just that - a myth.

Read here...

From this page comes this:

Q: Will a battery rapidly self discharge if placed on concrete?
A: No, placing a battery on concrete will not cause it to discharge any faster than any other surface.

More information...

From this page:

Concrete — We frequently hear that storing batteries on concrete is bad as it will drain the batteries. ...well it used to be bad back in the days when batteries were constructed out of wooden crates soaked in tar. A long time ago batteries used to ooze electrolyte onto the concrete eventually creating a ground allowing current to leak out as well. This hearsay has been perpetuated as batteries will lose their charge over time. Batteries stored at less than full charge for periods of time will form large, hard sulphate crystals further degrading the battery. Go ahead and store your battery on concrete, just make sure it is charged when you put it away and give it a charge from time to time to prevent sulphation.

Here's the google link, if you want to find more accurate information...

So, with all this information at your fingertips, you can safely believe that storing a battery on a concrete floor is no more dangerous to it than storing it under the hood in your car...

Now, all that being said, you have mistreated that battery. ANY battery will malfunction in any case of mistreatment. The red-top under my hood (and ALL the other red-tops I have ever used) has never once left me stranded, (I've only had it six years, too!) has never discharged to a point to where my lights dimmed; it's never done anything out of the ordinary. The one I had in my '86 Civic lasted almost TEN years, before I got rid of the car - with an OEM 65A alternator and a little better than 1000 watts of system! In Bakersfield, the summer heat here is HELL on an SLA, and the Optimas have held their ground better than ANY other standard SLA battery I have ever used. I, personally, will continue to use them. Expensive, yes, but worth every penny to me!

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i was just about to bring up that this is a myth, but you beat me to it. thanks for the info.

MikeHusain wrote:

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Based on my experience with yellow top batteries, they are not worth the money. Purchase another brand.  I purchased my first yellow top with very high expectations and since then, returned two batteries.  I am on my third yellow top right now and this one seems to being holding up somewhat well.  Optima batteries are over rated in my opinion based from past experiences.

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thinking an optima battery=a good battery, is like thinking BOSE=hi end audio gear. it's all marketing. if marketing makes you "think and believe" it's good, then hey, your gonna think it's good regardless of weather it is or not.

oldsmobile94 wrote:

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yes i wanna recharge it, yea it sat aroound during winter but was not on concerete sat on a dresser thats about 4ft off the ground. an  i have just an ordianary/basic battery charger. it worked for my red top when i needed it once before an a ton of other batteries.

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ok, so whats the problem? i dont understand the original post.

haemphyst wrote:

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...also, the "storing batteries on concrete" myth is just that - a myth.

Read here...

From this page comes this:

Q: Will a battery rapidly self discharge if placed on concrete?
A: No, placing a battery on concrete will not cause it to discharge any faster than any other surface.

More information...

From this page:

Concrete — We frequently hear that storing batteries on concrete is bad as it will drain the batteries. ...well it used to be bad back in the days when batteries were constructed out of wooden crates soaked in tar. A long time ago batteries used to ooze electrolyte onto the concrete eventually creating a ground allowing current to leak out as well. This hearsay has been perpetuated as batteries will lose their charge over time. Batteries stored at less than full charge for periods of time will form large, hard sulphate crystals further degrading the battery. Go ahead and store your battery on concrete, just make sure it is charged when you put it away and give it a charge from time to time to prevent sulphation.

Here's the google link, if you want to find more accurate information...

So, spmpdr, with all this information at your fingertips, you can safely believe that storing a battery on a concrete floor is no more dangerous to it than storing it under the hood in your car...

Now, all that being said, you have mistreated that battery. ANY battery will malfunction in any case of mistreatment. The red-top under my hood (and ALL the other red-tops I have ever used) has never once left me stranded, (I've only had it six years, too!) has never discharged to a point to where my lights dimmed; it's never done anything out of the ordinary. The one I had in my '86 Civic lasted almost TEN years, before I got rid of the car - with an OEM 65A alternator and a little better than 1000 watts of system! In Bakersfield, the summer heat here is HELL on an SLA, and the Optimas have held their ground better than ANY other standard SLA battery I have ever used. I, personally, will continue to use them. Expensive, yes, but worth every penny to me!

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spmpdr wrote:

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Was the battery sitting on the concrete for a long period of time? Try to charge it even though it says its full. If you have a charger with a 2 amp trickle charge charge it for about 4-5 hours then try it.

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Yeah...There isnt much to the concrete myth...When Batteries were first made(1900'ish)...They were made in tar-lined wood boxes...Which caused external leakage...So with todays batteries...And no external leaking...Setting them on concrete really doesnt effect it...In fact...Some believe that the concrete works as a heat sink...essentially slowing down the natural discharge rate(3% a month'ish)Thought i would throw this in there...! We actually do new and reconditioned batteries at the shop...I have a nice big print-out for the customer who doesnt want to buy the battery that was sitting on the concrete...I just refer them to the wall...!