anyone had a optima battery fail?

[emarsh]

bought two about 10 months ago, the passenger side will not take a charge (separately) above 11. 6 volts after 2 hours with the portable. Seems like a bad cell, anyone had any problems at all?

 

[willyslover]

several time a year I take a DOA one to a full charge after several days of trickle charging... I don't think they like a full charging after a full discharge. .



My Son had one completely dead for 2 years[yellow top]... . and I did a 2 week trickle charge. . he has been using that battery now for another 2 years in a car he starts about 2 times a month.

 

[SRadke]

I will agree with Willyslover. I ran one dead once and it was bear to get charged up again. My 10 amp charger wouldn't do it on 12 volts so I charged on 6 volts putting in about 7 amps for a couple days before I could switch back to 12 without overdrawing the charger on the 12 volt setting. Never had one fail though.

-Scott

 

[lmills]

I have a friend that has lost two of them and refuses to buy another.

 

[illflem]

A welder buddy of mine has a Redtop on his Lincoln welder that was dropped four years ago, the entire bottom third of the outside is gone.

Still works just fine. Let's see you do that with a lead - acid battery.

 

[JohnE]

Some of the Johnson Controls aka Sears DieHards batteries are the same. They require a nice long recharge process. Actually most lead/acid batteries work better on a nice slow recharge.



I believe many are spoiled by the short recharge on Ni-Cad and metal halide and expect the same out of automotive style. Just isn't the same.

 

[drag racer]

I swear by Optimas. The red top in my race car is going on 4 years old, only with sporadic use and sporadic recharging, still cranks my 14:1 compression motor over like the day it was new. Put 2 new red tops in the Ram when the factory ones took a dump last Fall, and about a week after I installed them, I accidentally left the CB on for a week straight before I noticed it. They were both as dead as a door nail, and they recharged in a few hours and have been fine since. They are worth every penny and then some in my opinion.

 

[WDaniels]

At where I work we loose two or three every month during the winter. I personally will not own one. If they totally discharge, most of the time they will never re-take the charge. What we use are the redtops like everyone else except these are 600. 00 apiece and take a special charger to recover them. Recover about 35 to 45 percent after a total discharge.

WD

 

[emarsh]

went to cosco to get a new one and they gave it to me for a difference of $12. works for me

 

[JDerbedrossian]

battery

had a redtop for my race car lasted 4 months imo its not worth the money, go to kragen buy one with a warranty they last longer

 

[illflem]

JDerbedrossian, your free replacement warranty was in effect, how come you didn't use it?

 

[DrJC]

I read a Consumer's Report article on batteries some months ago and recall that the Optima was not one of the recommended purchases.



Dr JC

 

[MMeier]

Did they say why? Personally I like them , just this weekend hopped in the racecar and nothing, I 'm thinking WTF, so Ilook under the hood and realized ,oops forgot to disconnect the thing 2weeks ago after last race. Jumped with box and put on 12amp charger every round and seems fine now. This along with another are now coming up on 5 yrs of abuse and still working fine!! Will put the one in racecar ona 2amp trickle charge for a few days though just to be safe!!

 

[illflem]

Consumer Reports has also said that Dodge trucks are unreliable and you are better off buying a Tundra...