Optima battery gone bad overnight

[Gary Fowler]

My Kubota 900 RTV came with an Optima battery and it was working fine then overnight it went dead. It wont take a charge at all. I had it checked and it has 13 volts but only 30 amps output. The voltage it high enough that it shuts off the charging immediately. I replaced the Optima battery with a comparable sized NAPA 85 month battery for a little over $100 vs nearly $200 for a new Optima. The Optima was about 4 1/2 years old which is about the life span of a regularly maintained regular battery so I couldnt see paying double price for a battery that is not going to last more than a plain lead/acid battery.
This one was cranking over great and went dead parked in my garage overnight. Anyone else have instant failure on Optima batteries.

 

[Markcuda]

And to think, I was considering a Optima battery

 

[SpudHauler]

Gary I don't know if this is your situation or not but here goes.

I had a gel battery, not Optima, go bad after leaving the key on over night. Put 2 am charger on it because it was a motorcycle battery and no go. Tossed it and replaced it with the same. No problems since.

But, a month later I learned something. You are supposed to zap these batteries when they go dead like that with a 10 am charger and often times they will recover.

Worth a try.

Might have saved me over $100 bucks.

 

[DIXIEDOG]

I run AGM batteries in my bass boat and they do like the higher amp chargers....I use a 15 amp Dual Pro onboard charger on mine and it works great.:thumbsup:

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

well for almost 5 years of service it would be about time for a battery to crap out.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Every battery failure I have ever had, they start getting weak first and eventually go flat. This thing must have had a catastropic failure internally or something as it went instantly. I didnt mention that when I tried to crank it, it started to turn over for just a fraction of a second then went out to where it would just turn on the instrument panel lights. I suppose for folks running ATV and motorcycles on demolition courses or similar extra rough terrain, the $200 price tag for one of these would be worth it as that seems to be where they are recommended, however for my service which is mostly on flat level ground, I couldnt see the benefit of one especially if it wont outlast a conventional battery.

 

[xtn]

Sounds like it lost a cell inside.

I chose a couple yellow top Optimas for my truck. They're the deep discharge type. I figured I could run them down without hurting them that way.

xtn

 

[Skyco]

I've never been an Optima fan but some love them.
IMO they are too much money unless you need the ability to run them on their side or upside down.
They've lasted the same or less in my use as a regular battery, and of course cost double.

re: the VRLA* type mc batteries, I'm struggling with one now, bought in feb this year and dead/bad already. Fortunately it has a lifetime warranty

What I read is the VRLA (*sort of a gel battery, but not really) need a higher voltage charge than many chargers can generate to revive them. This does not necessarly mean higher amps will do it, the battery is only going to accept what it can, you can't force more amps in without raising voltage. As much as 20 v is recommended for a "dead" VRLA battery...only do that with it disconnected fo course lest you might blow vehicle electronis.

Here is an excellent resource about batteries, geared toward MC batteries but the principles are the same..
http://http://www.yuasabatteries.com/pdfs/TechManual_2009.pdf

 

[crazyal]

I think the big selling point is that they can take higher shocks than a standard battery.

 

[rekees4300]

"Anyone else have instant failure on Optima batteries."

My truck needed a new battery so have been doing research re Optimas. There are many reviews in many internet forums that are negative. One consistent complaint is that they will not hold a charge very long in an inactive vehicle. My truck sometimes sits 2-3 weeks between starts. Today I went to Advance Auto Parts (an authorized Optima dealer) to see what they had to say. First thing I noticed was that there wasn't a single one displayed in their battery rack or anywhere else in the store. I told the salesman I wanted a new battery without mentioning any brands. He displayed a list of batteries available in inventory that were compatible with my truck. Interesting that Optimas were on the inventory list but none displayed for sale. Also interesting that as the salesman displayed the list he quickly skipped over the Optimas and said "those are expensive junk"! Needless to say, I did not purchase an Optima!

 

[not2old]

I had something similar happen when it was two years old and it was replaced free of charge. The warranty is eight years, prorated after one. Mine is now over the eight years old and I bought another for my other truck. It sat unused for over four months last winter and started my 460 promptly,without charging. Top quality regular batteries cost 3/4 of the price of an Optima here, and I was forever replacing them on a prorated warranty. Felt like I was renting them.

 

[jinman]

I've had a red-top optima in my New Holland TC45D tractor since 2006. I paid $112 for it on sale at Sam's Club and it has been both reliable and trouble free. Previously, I had battery acid leaks that destroyed one radiator and two HST cooler hoses with metal tubes. I also had to rebuild my battery stand because the lead-acid battery leakage destroyed it. Since the Optima, not one starting problem nor any problems with leakage or dirty terminals. I leave my tractor sometimes over a month without starting and it fires right off. In winter, I leave the tractor outside and the Optima has supplied full glowplug power and a prompt start in 8-20 degree weather.

Gary, I don't know if Kubota's price is $200 on your battery or if that is the going price everywhere. You didn't say if it was a yellow, blue, or red top battery. The redtop is a starting battery and not designed to deep cycle. If you bought a regular battery and are happy with it, that's awesome. However, many of us are thrilled with the performance of our Optimas and would go right back and buy another if the current one failed.

In my diesel pickup, I use Autozone's Duralast Gold batteries that are full replacement out to 3 years and then prorated out to 8 years. Those have also been excellent batteries in a standard lead-acid configuration. I don't see any reason to change to an Optima in my pickup.

 

[BoFuller]

"Anyone else have instant failure on Optima batteries."

My truck needed a new battery so have been doing research re Optimas. There are many reviews in many internet forums that are negative. One consistent complaint is that they will not hold a charge very long in an inactive vehicle. My truck sometimes sits 2-3 weeks between starts. Today I went to Advance Auto Parts (an authorized Optima dealer) to see what they had to say. First thing I noticed was that there wasn't a single one displayed in their battery rack or anywhere else in the store. I told the salesman I wanted a new battery without mentioning any brands. He displayed a list of batteries available in inventory that were compatible with my truck. Interesting that Optimas were on the inventory list but none displayed for sale. Also interesting that as the salesman displayed the list he quickly skipped over the Optimas and said "those are expensive junk"! Needless to say, I did not purchase an Optima!

I take my 2003 Tacoma on 4-wheeling trips fairly often. I put a redtop in for starting and a yellowtop as a backup in case I run down a battery using my winch. I have had both for about 7 years and they are still working fine, and that is in the hot Arizona temperatures.
I prefer that a store does NOT have an Optima on hand when I order one, because that means it has been sitting around for awhile. My buddy's store sells quite a few, but he doesn't keep any Optimas in stock. He will only order them so that they are as fresh as possible. :thumbsup:

 

[savageayape]

I have a deep cycle absorbed glass mat battery which I use for my camper on my property in the forest and I love it. I have a nice battery charger with an AGM setting which charges it much faster than the old deep cycle batteries I used to use. It holds a charge much longer. It is my understanding you should not run the battery all the way down before recharging it though. In my opinion, the AGM batteries are a great improvement over the previous technology.

I'm certainly not an expert on AGM batteries, but if you just type AGM battery in a search engine, you can find out the specific information on this type battery and I think you'll find it's an improvement over The other types.

 

[Gary Fowler]

The NAPA dealer who is listed as an Optima dealer in my area didnt have any in stock either and said they were too expensive for most folks. I just bought his 84 month lead acid battery as a replacement since all my RTV does is cruise around the house and pasture and not any rough trail riding to jostle it around. I suppose if you were into rock climbing and susceptible to overturning the vehicle, gel batteries would be ok and worth the money, but for my service, lead acid works for me and I expect to get at least 5 years out of this one for just a tad over $100