Maint-Free Battery Needs Maint

[Wiredawg]

Fellow Rammers:



I was servicing RV batteries and my wife's trucks battery today, when I decided to check the batteries on my 2000. I pried off the the covers and all water levels were real low. I had 2 cells with lead plates exposed and 1 cell just barely above the plates on the other one. I added distilled water and sealed the covers back on with high-temp RTV. Maint-free batteries suck.



If you have over 36K on your trucks, you might want to check your water levels too.



Wiredawg

 

[Pit Bull]

Mines a 2000, figure I will need new ones by next Fall. Don't like to mess with batteries, bad karma and bad acid. I'll buy some new ones and help keep the economy going

 

[Cooker]

If the batteries are low is distilled H20 the preferred liquid to use to top them back off? Is there something better?

 

[Shooter]

Cooker: distilled water.



Oil, filter, transmission service (16 qts) and the batteries were in the sun (toasty warm and pilable). Tried the batteries in the winter and no luck, Today with a 24" screwdriver I got them off.

30 months old, all cells were right at the top.



I did cut the long keepers off so as to be able to remove the caps with out endangering the battery case again in the future. It was nice to know that the battery was full up after that long in the desert. 53k miles.

 

[Joe G.]

Use a thin piece of plywood to protect the battery and a claw hammer to get the caps loose the first time. It should be a regular maintenance item to check the level and fill with distilled water. My OEM batteries lasted about 150K miles (my memory may be getting bad, but if that number is very far off illflem with set me straight).

 

[illflem]

My memory might be off also but it seems that Joe and I both got 5-6 years out of our stock maintenance free batteries by maintaining them. Replaced with Optimas, the only true maintenance free battery.

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by illflem

My memory might be off also but it seems that Joe and I both got 5-6 years out of our stock maintenance free batteries by maintaining them. Replaced with Optimas, the only true maintenance free battery.

I'd reather replace mine with Optimas than maintain the factory maintance free batteries. Are the Optimas the same size as the OEM's?

 

[illflem]

The Optimas are a little smaller and much lighter than the stock batteries but will fit in the battery hold downs with no modifications.

 

[csevers]

batterys chat question

I have heard a lot of tdr members going to Optima? batterys What is the reason for this? are they that much surperior to regular batterys? What about CCA of the Optima's ?

 

[illflem]

Optimas, or gel cell batteries in general are truely maintenance free, cause no corrosion, and don't make a acid mess if they leak or blow up. What I like most about Optima brand gel cells is the extra long warranty.

 

[craftybigdog]

I ran into the same problem with the stock batteries and replaced them with red top optima batt and I love them they seem to work great I think from now on I will only use optima!!!!!!!!!!

 

[duaneparks]

All this leads me to a STOOPID question...



What's the difference between Yellow and Red top Optimas?



Is it the deep cycle thing? Thanks!



Duane

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by duaneparks

All this leads me to a STOOPID question...



What's the difference between Yellow and Red top Optimas?



Is it the deep cycle thing? Thanks!



Duane

One is Red and one is Yellow Sorry I could not resist. Got to quit drinking and checking this site Yes it is the CCA's one of them has more deep cycle. If I new which one i would tell you.

 

[jcbrown]

New Optimas...

Group 31 battery; release date of May or June of 2002. I have JPEG's of preliminary information if anyone is interested?

 

[Thomas]

Group 31 Optima courtesy of jcbrown.

 

[Matt42]

Will the new Optimas have a greater current capability than the blue tops? I have had trouble with blue top Optimas causing smoke followed by burn out in a 12 volt motor used in a Venturo truck crane. I would like to keep using the spiral cell battery because the idiot-resistance of the Optima is desirable. (You should meet some of the idiots... ) But replacing motors is a pain.