Optima Battery Problems

[Hilldweller]

That's my basic plan, Jim; swap genny for solar.
Maybe Martyn will see this and want to trade at OEX '12...

[OptimaJim]

Jim K, I didn't think you were trying to bait me at all. Your questions were certainly valid and I hope I answered them well enough for you. There are dozens of battery sizes to choose from, all with varying price points, performance levels and warranty coverage, which doesn't always make a purchasing decision easy. We do tend to be conservative in how we present our products, as we would prefer to under-promise and over-deliver, than the other way around.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

[Jim K in PA]

That's my basic plan, Jim; swap genny for solar.
Maybe Martyn will see this and want to trade at OEX '12...

He better show up with cash AND a panel for you! Those little Honda gennies are expensive! I dont think I have $400 in my 100W solar setup.

[Jim K in PA]

There are dozens of battery sizes to choose from, all with varying price points, performance levels and warranty coverage, which doesn't always make a purchasing decision easy. www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

Oh, so VERY true Jim. I may wind up with an Optima 31M blue top in the back of the Jeep at some point. Although a Wrangler has reasonably generous under-hood space, it is nothing compared to what Series/Defender LR owners have.

[Hilldweller]

He better show up with cash AND a panel for you! Those little Honda gennies are expensive! I dont think I have $400 in my 100W solar setup.

I got the genny at a good price due to a misprint at Northern Tool ---- and I want the flexible solar panel anyhow. I'd like to keep it stowed in a Pelican case and just throw it in the back of the truck and forget it 'til I need it...

[brussum]

OptimaJim (and gang),

I always read about guys using blue tops in an effort to achieve that happy compromise between a red top starter and yellow top deep cycle battery...the best of both worlds, so to speak. What are the pros and cons of using blue tops as a primary starter battery, as well as to get deep cycle performance. What about using yellow tops for that same reason? It seems like the blue tops are designed for boats, which do not start as frequently as a car on a day-to-day basis. Will that extra strain take its toll?

Thanks,
John

[Stumpalump]

If one battery is bad it will drag down the good batery but It is a flat out lie created by the battery compamys 40 years ago that the batterys must match. They don't. It's a myth or lie or what every you want to call it. If you have a bad battery then buy one battery of your favorite flavor. Buy two and you fell for the sales pitch that they need to match.

A stuborn to charge optima may still have hope. By stuborn I mean you followed the advise on Optimas site and did everything you can to charge it back. The last resort is to remove it from the vehicle and thump it on the concrete floor about 40 times. Raise it off the floor about 6" and slam it down. Go easy if the case is cold or bring it in the house overnight first. This breaks up the sulfate crystals and allows it to take a charge. It works well. Thump it a few more times a day while bringing it back to life.

FWIW My $200 Sears Diehard Platinum Odessy died in 6 months of the Arizona heat. I wondering if Optima is better in the extream heat?

[Hilldweller]

OptimaJim (and gang),

I always read about guys using blue tops in an effort to achieve that happy compromise between a red top starter and yellow top deep cycle battery...the best of both worlds, so to speak. What are the pros and cons of using blue tops as a primary starter battery, as well as to get deep cycle performance. What about using yellow tops for that same reason? It seems like the blue tops are designed for boats, which do not start as frequently as a car on a day-to-day basis. Will that extra strain take its toll?

Thanks,
John

The Yellows and Blues are the same internally but the Yellows have a longer warranty. I only got the D31M Bluetops because there is no Yellow in that size and I wanted the extra reserve.
For the dual service you're talking about, get the Yellows.


As far as dropping a battery to break up the sulfate, you could just bump the battery with a higher amperage burst too and not risk damaging the case. Although Optimas are tough, I don't think the warranty includes spiking them in the endzone...

[Stumpalump]

I have heard about spiking the amps to do the same thing as dropping it and wonder if spiking an amp draw like welding with the battery would do the same thing?

[OptimaJim]

brussum, Bill is absolutely correct about YellowTops and BlueTops being identical internally, except for the 34M BlueTop, which is identical internally to our Group 34 RedTop starting battery. Consumer YellowTops also come with three year, free-replacement warranties, while the BlueTop warranties are two years. We do offer D31A & D31T YellowTops, but both are commercial batteries, come with commercial warranty coverage and may need to be ordered, depending on the retailer. BlueTops also come with additional threaded top posts for marine applications.
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As long as the cranking amps on the battery you are using meet or exceed the demands of your engine, you can focus your attention on finding a battery with the ability to be deep-cycled and the most reserve capacity. As long as your batteries are fully-charged and don't have a parasitic draw on them, they should be able to sit for several months at a time with no ill effects.
.
Stumpalump, I can't speak for any battery manufacturers but Optima, but I will respectfully disagree with the suggestion that batteries dissimilar in size, age or type should be used in parallel or series applications. While this can be done, it is not recommended, especially on larger banks of batteries. On this point, I speak not only at the advice of our engineers, but from personal experience. My family owned an electric car in the 1980s and when my dad started replacing batteries (16 in total), he tried to save money by only replacing the failing batteries. When he started replacing batteries he had just replaced a few month prior, he decided to listen to the manufacturer, who originally advised him to replace them all at once. After doing that, the new bank of batteries ran successfully for several years.
.
Regardless of how well a battery is maintained, it's performance will continually decline over it's lifespan and your charging system will continually work harder to recharge it. Mixing and matching batteries with different charging requirements can have negative effects on both batteries- one chronically undercharged, the other chronically overcharged. BMW's charging systems now require all batteries to be registered with the vehicle's charging system, so the charging parameters can be adjusted accordingly. When their batteries are changed without doing this, the charging system can overcharge the battery, because it still thinks the old battery is being charged.
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While a 10-amp charge for up to two hours can help break up some sulfation in our batteries, we do not recommend intentionally dropping them from any height. Stumpalump, I'm sorry to hear about the problem you had with your previous battery after six months of use. Do you recall what the voltage of the battery was and the circumstances surrounding your issues?
.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries