Optima Batteries-Good or Bad

[Hambone]

I believe when a battery shorts out the alternator/regulator will still try and make it fully charged. With a shorted cell it wont take a charge, still showing low voltage, the regulator will go to full output.

 

[slowrev]

Dave,
The battery went shorted. Otherwise why would a new battery fix it. The new battery worked for at least another couple of years.

 

[slowrev]

Yes that is overcharging a battery. Usually caused by using a HIGH current charger, maybe in boost setting.

 

[centex]

Andy, all I know about the batteries is that the first one I bought was for a Corvette. After a month of use I noticed that it was charging constantly and was getting hot. I took it back the store where they put it on their battery analyzer where it got so hot that it started smoking ( or more correctly steaming.) They gave me another battery free but it would not hold a charge. I sold the car shorly thereafter. A few days ago the battery in my truck died so I after I got the truck started I drove straight to the auto parts store and bought a red top Optima battery. I put it in the truck at the store but it did not have enough charge to crank the engine so I took it back in the store and had them charge it but it still would not crank the engine. So I just got another brand of battery. I will say that I put one in my Harley four years ago and it had performed flawlessly. I have let the bike sit for 4 months and it would start the same as new. Over the last two years, I have only rode the bike once a month and the battery holds its charge between these rides so this is an exceptional battery quite unlike the full size ones I tried.

 

[centex]

"If your Ammeter was showing 60 amps, that's not the batteries fault that's a failure of the regulator in your alternator and the alternator overcharging the battery. (You were boiling the acid in the battery). The battery can't "increase" it's power output, it actually decreases with usage. (at least it can't increase it's output significantly . not sure what effect ambient heat/cold have on it)"

I don't know how you came to this conclusion as I did not say anything about what my ammeter was showing. In fact it was constantly showing 20 amps charge with this battery. The charging system in this car works perfecty and did for the entire 30 years that I drove this car for 350,000 miles before I sold it. The battery in question had an internal short that showed up in the first month of use, i.e. the battery was no good.

 

[BigDave]

I bought an Optima, basically due to the recommendations that got here at TBN. I have an unusual set-up. I bought a deep cycle Optima, not sure what color - maybe yellow?. I also bought a solar panel and put the set-up in my shed. It lights up a couple of workbench lights via a power inverter. Anyway, the solar panel has a health meter to check the battery. It started out green, then eventually went to yellow, and now it is red after about a month. The panel claims it is charging (a different green light), but the battery is losing charge. I guess I'll have to get the voltmeter out to determine the problem, but I'm starting to suspect a bad battery.

 

[dmftoy1]

I guess I've never seen an internal short, but I have seen voltage regulator's go bad. Something to keep in the back of my mind next time I have to troubleshoot! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

have a good one,
Dave

 

[slowrev]

Dave,
Cells in batteries can short out reducing the batteries voltage by about 2.2 volts. With the Alternator still cranking out 14.8 volts the internal resistance of the battery is down so more current flows thru the battery. Batteries can also go open, this usually happens when a strap between 2 cells breaks.

Happy charging /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[5030]

I certainly hope I don't have a problem with the D-31M Optima I just put in the camper. It wasn't cheap, but I seem to have to replace the flooded cell batteries every year.

The warranty is for full replacement for 2 years. We shall see.