07-27-2017, 06:50 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Sugar Land, TX
Posts: 4,395
|
Optima battery
The 12v optima battery in one of my antique cars had been sitting for a few months. I put the battery charger on it and the auto charger thought it was a 6v. So I jerked it out and jumped it to my Honda. That got the voltage above 6v so the charger recognized it as a 12v battery. Then I had to select slow charge it to get it up to charge which is a long wait. Not much experience with optima batteries.
Is this the normal routine for an optima battery neglected a few months? Should I put it on a trickle charge all the time I'm not using it?
__________________
41 woodie https://41fordwoodie.weebly.com/ |
07-27-2017, 06:53 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: uk
Posts: 367
|
Re: Optima battery
I have a trickle charger on mine because ive went through a couple of batteries because ive let them go flat too many times, the optima is too expensive to let it keep going flat and maybe not come back one day.
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|
07-27-2017, 06:53 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 7,063
|
Re: Optima battery
I believe trickle is the best for those types of batteries.
I have two. One about 8yrs old and another about 3. work great, I disconnect when not in use and charge with a basic 6v schumacher charger occasional. Pull for winter, probably not a issue for you. |
07-27-2017, 07:04 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: warner robins ga 31088
Posts: 494
|
Re: Optima battery
I have one in my roadster that I bought in 99 .Still works good, but I drive my car a bit.
|
07-27-2017, 07:41 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: East Coast in CT
Posts: 1,544
|
Re: Optima battery
The trickle charger is the best way to bring the Optima back to life but you need to remember the battery is an AGM type so using an older charger for standard lead acid battery's is not really the best charger to restore life in the AGM type battery. I use a $20.00 two amp Schumacher brand charger I purchased at Home Depot to charge my Optima its good for lead acid and AGM battery's its slow going but it works great. Another way to charge the AGM if you only have a lead acid charger is to first connect the AGM battery to a lead acid battery next connect the charger to the lead acid battery. Sounds strange but that's a good way to do it if your charger is not rated for the AGM type battery.
Ronnieroadster |
07-27-2017, 08:15 PM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 7,063
|
Re: Optima battery
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
|
07-27-2017, 08:27 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: on the Littlefield
Posts: 6,163
|
Re: Optima battery
I expect the car to start even after 6-8 months of sitting, never tricle charge---or other charger, only driving, but I have the stock 6V system ---got 16 years from the last optima using "neglect" ----and I run bright halogen bulbs too
I have some yery old chargers, I have revived "bad" optima batterys with them, no need for a "fooling" battery to get the charging started |
07-27-2017, 09:05 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 8,296
|
Re: Optima battery
What Kurt said above....
__________________
The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... "Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!" "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0 |
07-27-2017, 09:20 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Socal
Posts: 795
|
Re: Optima battery
Only had one that never came back. It was DEAD.
Sitting (unconnected) in a car for 5 years though is really hard on any battery. Couldn't bring that one back, no matter what I tried. Even the in-parallel charging trick didn't do it. I have Optimas in 3 of the 5 vehicles at my place. The Optima quality isn't quite what it was 20 years ago under Gylling but they're still pretty decent. |
07-28-2017, 12:03 AM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Clarkdale, AZ
Posts: 121
|
Re: Optima battery
We've used optima batteries on our endurance race cars for a few years now and use their charger to maintain and occasionally bring one back to life. If you run an Otima batteries should you should use one of Optima's computer controlled charger to maintain the battery. Here's the least expensive (and the one we use) charger: http://www.jegs.com/i/Optima-Batteri...waAiQmEALw_wcB. It can perform magic onn these AGM batteries. There is a more full-featured model but this $90 version has proven adequate with our batteries.
|
07-28-2017, 03:44 AM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Tinley Park Ill
Posts: 1,063
|
Re: Optima battery
Wal-Mart has a three amp charger for about $20. It is rated for all types of batteries.
|
07-28-2017, 05:04 AM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Melbourne Australia.
Posts: 2,082
|
Re: Optima battery
Unfortunately Optima do not make a charger for their 6 volt batteries, only for 12 volt. Regards, Kevin.
|
07-28-2017, 06:24 AM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Alvaton, Kentucky, USA
Posts: 959
|
Re: Optima battery
I use a Battery Tender. Works great.
|
07-28-2017, 07:22 AM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern New Jersey
Posts: 370
|
Re: Optima battery
This is my choice for 6v optima & 12v pulse chargers. High and low watt chargers.
http://www.batterysaver.com/store/c5...5_Watt%29.html http://www.batterysaver.com/store/c4...2_Watt%29.html Note the high watt 25 you can charge 2 batteries at the same time. I believe they can be (2) 6v or( 1) 6v and (1) 12 v?? check with Mfg. or (2) 12v. The low watt just a single battery.
__________________
Assumption is the mother of all foul-ups. Last edited by stangblue; 07-28-2017 at 07:56 AM. |
07-28-2017, 07:39 AM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Capital of Corruption , NY
Posts: 813
|
Re: Optima battery
I have some yery old chargers, I have revived "bad" optima batterys with them, no need for a "fooling" battery to get the charging started[/QUOTE]
Optima suggests using a good battery to fool some chargers that won't charge a battery that's less than 10.5v. |
07-28-2017, 08:32 AM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,774
|
Re: Optima battery
we had a cord in our shop waiting for ir,s owner to decide if he wanted to restore it it sat two years with an optima batt. when he said do it i sat in the car & tried starting it . it started right up. the cord is 6v & a v8 eng. if you ask why we let it sit two years we do at least two restros a year for him he is a very good client
|
07-28-2017, 08:35 AM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 3,817
|
Re: Optima battery
https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Logix-PL2.../dp/B009RXYU4I
I recently purchased this Solar PL2520 intellignet battery charger/maintainer for all of my battery applications at NAPA on sale for about $80. |
07-28-2017, 08:37 AM | #18 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Melbourne Australia.
Posts: 2,082
|
Re: Optima battery
Lets face the facts that an Optima battery is a lead acid battery and not really a lot different to a normal lead acid battery whose plates swim in a bath of diluted sulphuric acid. The optima has the acid or electrolyte enclosed within the plates that take up all the space inside the battery case because of the SWISS ROLL construction. No battery should be allowed to sit unused in a vehicle or otherwise in a state of discharge of more than about 20% (unless its a deep cycle type) regardless of the time its sitting there. Having said that I have had several optimas sitting around for 8 years or more(not in cars) that have been still OK and only charged now and then. The big advantage with an optima is the large working surface area of the plates compared to a normal battery the same outside dimensions. That's why the optima has larger cranking amps capacity, simple really. You have to look after all your batteries ESPECIALLY if they are idle and check them every month for voltage. Every sitting around type vehicle should have a battery isolating switch to prevent any possible drain into the vehicle of the battery. A low charge of one to 4 amps for a day or so each couple of months will keep them up. I don't leave batteries on trickle charge indefinitely. I have used optima batteries in a fleet of high drain commercial vehicles (big city fire engines) for more then 30 years and found them to be the best battery for power and service under very tough conditions. The 6 volt optima is the best 6 volt battery for antique vehicles by a long shot in my opinion, but I know others will differ. Some just because they are not made in the USA any more. I have an optima red top in my 1988 Toyota Hi-Lux Utility for 19 years. Regards, Kevin.
|
07-28-2017, 08:42 AM | #19 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: 36 miles north of Albany NY
Posts: 2,957
|
Re: Optima battery
I have two battery maintainers, one 12 volt Harbor Freight, and an eBay 6 volt clone of the HF model. During the winter the 12 volt one does duty on my garden tractor, the 6 volt one on my '41 coupe.
|
07-28-2017, 10:46 AM | #20 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: H.B. So. Calif
Posts: 411
|
Re: Optima battery
Use a float charger not a trickel charger.
|
|
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|