Dead Battery Issue

[Ace23]

Put a new Optima Red top in the car back in May and its ran great. 2 weeks ago I cranked the car up and took it about 20 miles down the road to a friends house. Upon leaving his house I stalled the car backing out of the drive way and had to crank on it awhile to get it fired back up.....when it fired it sounded weak cranking back up. I drove the car 20 miles back to the shop and put it up. 5 days later I pull it out hop in and hit the starter and absolutely nothing but the starter clicks.

1. Pulled the battery and took it to Autozone and it was at 0%. The charged it and said it tested to be a good battery

2. Whats the next step? They told me to bring the car to them and they could hook up to the battery and see if it was being charged. Guess I'm looking at an alternator or voltage regulator.

[strictlypersonl]

It's time to bring the car to someone who understands charging systems on a basic level. You could have a bad alternator, bad voltage regulator, or some other related electrical problem. Frankly, Autozone is probably not that place, since they likely don't have the required general knowledge.

[Ace23]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

It's time to bring the car to someone who understands charging systems on a basic level. You could have a bad alternator, bad voltage regulator, or some other related electrical problem. Frankly, Autozone is probably not that place, since they likely don't have the required general knowledge.

I don't rely on Autozone but did use them to test the battery. Was not aware they had a way to hook up to a battery and check to see if it was being charged.....just seemed like it was a good first step in verifying the battery was good.

[Blas]

Would recommend charging battery first, and since it is a Optima, that is a PIA. You can research that procedure on line. Next thing to do is to see if the battery is actually charging. Jump car to start. Connect volt meter to + side of battery and - to good ground. Rev engine to 2500 RPM, hold it there and check volt meters reading. Repeat test with volt meter on hot side of firewall mounted starter solenoid. Output should be 13.6 to 13.8 volts.. . If your output is less than 13.6 volts, check all the connections on battery and main chassis grounds. The voltage regulator is the first thing to replace. (Least expensive - assuming you are not running a single wire alternator) repeated tests. Any red light on dash when engine running? Contact me if you need additional guidance. (My contact info is below)

[jhv48]

With the engine running, where is the needle on your ammeter pointing? To the right or left of center?

[itstock]

Check the alternator at the battery then the alternator at the alternator while it is slightly above idle. Then move back from the alternator depending on results.

[Ace23]

Originally Posted by Blas

Would recommend charging battery first, and since it is a Optima, that is a PIA. You can research that procedure on line. Next thing to do is to see if the battery is actually charging. Jump car to start. Connect volt meter to + side of battery and - to good ground. Rev engine to 2500 RPM, hold it there and check volt meters reading. Repeat test with volt meter on hot side of firewall mounted starter solenoid. Output should be 13.6 to 13.8 volts.. . If your output is less than 13.6 volts, check all the connections on battery and main chassis grounds. The voltage regulator is the first thing to replace. (Least expensive - assuming you are not running a single wire alternator) repeated tests. Any red light on dash when engine running? Contact me if you need additional guidance. (My contact info is below)

Battery has been recharged and I dropped it back in the car tonight. Thanks for the info as I will give it a try. I haven't tried to crank it again since I dropped the battery in it. The only red light I have ever seen as the dash light to the left of the steering wheel and that has only illuminated when I intially crank it and the idles drops down really low.

Originally Posted by jhv48

With the engine running, where is the needle on your ammeter pointing? To the right or left of center?

I haven't been in the car in a few weeks and honestly can't recall. shouldn't it be going to the left of center when running or when any of the lights or fans kick on?

Originally Posted by itstock

Check the alternator at the battery then the alternator at the alternator while it is slightly above idle. Then move back from the alternator depending on results.

Will do. Thanks

[Murky781]

Make sure your fan belt is tight. Friend had the same problem, jumped thru a lot of hoops until he checked to make sure the belt was tight. 2 minutes later with a pry bar and wrench, the problem was solved. They do stretch a little over time and the slightest loosening can cause a non charge problem. first step....is the unit plugged in?

[jhv48]

Originally Posted by Ace23

I haven't been in the car in a few weeks and honestly can't recall. shouldn't it be going to the left of center when running or when any of the lights or fans kick on?
Will do. Thanks

No, the needle should be to the right of center when running if your alternator is charging properly. Turn on the fans and it will drop to the left suddenly then return almost to center as your regulator adjusts the alternator output to compensate for the high drain of the fans. If the needle is to the left of center while running, you are running on battery power instead of alternator power and your battery will eventually die along with your engine.

[Dwight]

After four Optima batteries I gave up and bought a cheap lead battery that lasted five or six years.
I did recharge my buddy's Optima using a lead battery hooked parallel while charging. Tested bad at Auto Zone but after charged it lasted several years.

I copied this from Optima site



Do I need a special charger for my OPTIMA® battery?
Both the OPTIMA® Chargers Digital 400 & Digital 1200 12V Performance Battery Charger and Maintainer enhance the performance of OPTIMA and other AGM batteries, recover deeply discharged batteries and extend battery life. However, under normal vehicle starting applications, most regular automatic lead-acid battery chargers will properly charge an OPTIMA battery. However, since OPTIMA batteries are frequently used in high-performance applications or nonstandard vehicle starting applications, there are certain instances that must be given special considerations.

An OPTIMA battery is an AGM battery, not a gel battery or regular flooded battery. A deeply discharged OPTIMA battery (less than 10.5 volts) will not test or recharge properly if treated as a gel battery or regular flooded battery. A handheld electronic battery tester will most likely provide inaccurate test results.

An OPTIMA battery has the benefit of very low internal resistance, which allows high-amperage output as well as efficient charge acceptance. This benefit also allows an OPTIMA battery to run longer than its specified ratings and run to a lower voltage than typical flooded batteries. All of this can lead to confusion when it comes to recharging a deeply discharged OPTIMA. Most basic battery chargers have a built-in function to prevent charging a battery with less than 10.5 volts. If your OPTIMA battery is discharged below that, the battery charger may not start up.

Most high-quality, modern battery chargers now have built-in features to charge AGM batteries like OPTIMA batteries. Some have specific AGM settings which should be used to charge an OPTIMA battery. Do not use gel or gel/AGM settings, as they will not fully charge an OPTIMA battery and could damage it over time. However, even some AGM-compatible chargers will not recharge deeply-discharged (less than 10.5 volts) OPTIMA batteries. In those instances, it may be necessary to follow the parallel charging instructions described elsewhere in this FAQ.

For regular charging we recommend a maximum of 10-amps, 13.8-15.0 volts. For float charging, we recommend 1 amp maximum, 13.2-13.8 volts.

Under normal (engine-starting) conditions, an OPTIMA battery should never experience “at-rest” voltages below 10.5 volts. In these applications, most 12 volt chargers (old or new) or alternators will sufficiently recharge an OPTIMA battery with at least 10.5 volts. Typically, we only see issues with charging when it relates to stand-alone deep-cycling applications or severely discharged OPTIMA batteries.

[Ron61]

I have ran Optima batteries in all of my Cobras and had good service from them. When not running I hook a Deltran Battery Tender to them and one lasted almost 11 years and another just over 12 years. The one that I have now is about 5 years old and is still going strong.

Ron

[RallySnake]

I ran Optima batteries for years. I use a battery tender to keep it charged when in the car is parked in the garage. The only problem for me is the size and weight. They are massively heavy. I bought a Bosche AGM battery a year ago. It is made with the plates flat in the box instead of rolled into a spiral like the Optima.

I read somewhere that you only need 400 cold cranking amps to start a V8 engine in a warm climate. So I bought the small one and it is half the weight of the Optima and much smaller too. It's been working great for over a year.

RS

[Ace23]

Pulled the alternator and took it to get tested. Turns out it failed so another one is on order. I hope this will resolve the issue.

[undy]

I would rather have a sister in a house of ill repute than own an Optima Battery. Every one I've owned has gone belly-up in no time. After each and every failure switching to a lead acid battery cured my woes and the new battery lasted for years. The last premature failure was in my Cobra about a year ago. I guess I'm a hard learner.

[Bernica]

I have Optima Red Tops in the Cobra and a few cars. The Cobra has two of the 6v wired together. The AGM batteries are a little tricky to "rejuvinate" when they go down.

I looked at a lot of chargers and ended up with this one from Griot's. It has worked very well and seems pretty smart. Has ability for you to select between AGM, Gel, and Standard lead batteries and also between 6v and 12v. It will go into "Restore Mode" on deeply discharged batteries including AGM's.

So far, it has worked on several different dead batteries of all types. I just connect it, select the battery type and voltage and leave it overnight.

Here is the link. It looks like now it has a big brother model too

Battery Manager V - Battery Care - Car Maintenance - Griot's Garage

[Rjw289]

I have been charging my Optoma Red for three years now on a Griots battery maintainer. I have though selected the "AGM" setting. Based on what was mentioned earlier, is this really the wrong setting for the battery?

Thanks in advance.

[Bernica]

AGM is correct setting.

[Large Arbor]

I had a red optima die and replaced it with a brand new one that had a defective cell. Took it back and got a new one and it is working fine. My charging issues were due to the alternator wire had a fuseable link that died resulting in no charge. Fixed that and it seems to be working well.

Phil

[MYF]

Put a red Optima in my 66 Corvette about 12 years ago and it is still working well. Wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

[Jaydee]

I have a yellow top and because it wasn't used enough whilst building the car it sulphated and wouldn't allow it to be charged by a Ctek or Projecta chargers. It show error light evrytime. The shop tested the battery and it showed 1000 cca but sulphated? I now use a cheap 1.6 amp auto charger and it charges ok. I have seen on youtube where they use an old fashion transformer type charger to overcharge the battery to bring dead batteries back to life.
JD