Safe to trickle charge an Optima??

[Fish]

This POS Optima has died on me twice so far since it has gotten cold. Took the alternator off and it tested fine. Ive been using my jump pack to get the car running since I have been lucky enough to have it die on me while at home.

I figure maybe if I leave it on the trickle charger overnight it should help out. Or is that a bad idea?

Click to read more...

 

[bikrboy128]

yes you can, or so says the manufacturer.

you can use any charger on an Optima as long as the voltage is regulated properly. If your charger will remain on indefinitely the voltage should be at 13.8 volts maximum with a one amp maximum current.

i've never had to do it, so i have no experience with it. but i've read horror stories from people that left their optima on a trickle charger. the stories include flaming/exploding optimas in them

 

[Fish]

i've never had to do it, so i have no experience with it. but i've read horror stories from people that left their optima on a trickle charger. the stories include flaming/exploding optimas in them

Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeah, a situation I dont feel like getting myself into. If it was a standard battery I wouldnt think twice. However, these Optimas seem to be hit or miss for everything.

 

[syP]

we always trickle charge them.. no problems.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

just drop it off at autozone....if it explodes it will at least take out some dumbass kids. thats what i did.

 

[Yaj Yak]

red top or yellow top?

 

[Chrisco]

The biggest thing about the optimas is that 13.8 volt maximum. If you charge them higher than that it will kill the batteries. This is a bit of a problem for some vehicles because their charging systems put out upwards of 14 volts. Might want to check into that with yours.

 

[Fish]

red top or yellow top?

Yellow top.

Thanks for the heads up Chrisco. Ill have to look into that.

 

[Yaj Yak]

Yellow top.

Thanks for the heads up Chrisco. Ill have to look into that.

weird.

as i have said too many times... my yellow top kicks ass, and i am a believer... i have had great luck with it, and my car sometimes sits for 2-3 weeks not moving.

 

[Fish]

I thought that maybe it was the alternator not charging the battery fully, so thats why I had it tested. But if it is fine, then something is wrong with the battery.

Another thing that might be fucking things up is the ZZP Volt booster. I can take that off and see what happens.

 

[Runtz52]

my yellow top has been workin fine for me, had it hooked up to a 3500 watt stereo for a while, did work with that shit, and my upgraded alt, i see on average 14volts, never had an issue with my optima. donno faulty unit perhaps, but ive hit and miss stories guess i got a hit

 

[M@]

but, but, but, optimas are the bestest battery evar!!! They nevar die!!!!11one Must be something else wrong or something!!

ooooor optimas are just fucking overrated.

 

[Runtz52]

ooooor optimas are just fucking overrated.

this is true too, but with my side terminals i was limited to pretty much optima, i looked at others for my system such as the kinetik series, and PowerXS, but none of them have side terminals and i couldnt find any where around here that sold them(fuck paying for shipping on a battery), im assuming fish had the same issue with the side terminals, but i could be wrong

 

[Fish]

but, but, but, optimas are the bestest battery evar!!! They nevar die!!!!11one Must be something else wrong or something!!

ooooor optimas are just fucking overrated.

FWIW, this piece of shit came with the car. I didnt buy it.

 

[Fish]

Now that I think about it, this battery has been a piece of shit since I got the car.

The very first time I hooked the powertuner up to rip the bin, the PT told me to go fuck myself since there was only about 11.1 volts of juice. I had to run the car for 10 minutes just to get the PT to want to download the bin.

 

[bikrboy128]

i got my red top as a christmas gift and it never worked right. without the car on it puts out 12.1 volts which will start the car fine, but makes my HIDs flicker like strobe lights. but it was better then the 5 year old exide battery that came with my car

 

[01Cobra]

I'm still on the factory battery from 2001. Lucky me.

 

[syP]

I'm still on the factory battery from 2001. Lucky me.

Paul (leddzepp) is still on his factory battery i believe.. if not he just replaced it last year... his car is a 1994

 

[Fish]

Paul (leddzepp) is still on his factory battery i believe.. if not he just replaced it last year... his car is a 1994

SHOs are too weak to even utilize a full battery. Didnt you get the memo??

 

[smug]

my old yellow top that was in the gtx sat for 2 months over the winter and cranked the car perfect

 

[M@]

my old yellow top that was in the gtx sat for 2 months over the winter and cranked the car perfect

My shit sat for longer, and still fired perfect...no-name autozone battery

 

[Yaj Yak]

ur shits purple.

it doesnt count.

 

[SaturdaysGS]

Paul (leddzepp) is still on his factory battery i believe.. if not he just replaced it last year... his car is a 1994

Remember when we (you) did the battery on my 97 Regal and it was the original? I only replaced it since I figured I was on borrowed time.

 

[Oreif]

I have a yellow top Optima in mine. For the winter I hook it up to a "Battery Tender Plus".
http://www.batterytender.com/

It's been going strong for 3 years now. Since the car can sit for a week or two I went with the yellow top and it's always started. The only thing I have noticed is that if they get low, they tend to recharge very slowly.
I had a red top before and it would get low after a few months of sitting (before I had the battery tender) and required nearly 8 hours to recharge fully.

 

[Yaj Yak]

i just had a good talk with our interstate battery guy... and he told me to check out the stuff on the internet...

http://www.batteriesareus.com/index...id=157&zenid=b2937d5a237e6a885f522e22a1724cab

Battery charging instructions:


* Voltage at the battery terminals when vehicle is running should Be from a minimum of 12.8 volts to < 15.0 volts
* Battery chargers should charge 13.8 ? 15.50 volts,

Never charge a battery at > than 15.6 volts.

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)
ALL Optima's need Charged up if they have been discharged, before testing!




We compare charging an Optima to waking a teenager up on Saturday morning, or filling an empty 55-gallon drum with water ? it?s going to take some work!

Charging 10 amps on a drained 31 series battery is like filling a 55 gallon drum with an eye dropper!
Charging 10 amps on a drained 34/78 sries battery is like filling a 55 gallon drum with a 10oz cup - it can be done; but why?

Your alternator will not (and should not be used to) charge an OPTIMA up - unless you have a 100 amp alternator and less than 100 amp draw, and charge it for A long period of time with the car running. (and this will only ruin your alternator)

im betting the dudes in here who didnt have good luck with their optimas...

didnt charge em correctly... not that i would have known how before this... but its a pretty big deal...



mainly this part:

> 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)