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Ha! I have never had a flat tire with this car in almost 20 years!
Optima Red Top problems
- Thread starter Kern Dog
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65RoadRacer
Well-Known Member
I had a blue top for years, it finally went bad after the car sat and I couldn't bring it back. I bought a yellow top, (blue is just a yellow top with marine terminals now - they're not the same 'storage' battery they used to be) and the yellow top wouldn't keep a charge over 12 volts. I've basically had 8 Optima batteries in five years in three different vehicles, the only one still going strong is the one in my Toyota pickup (the third Optima in that truck over the past few years). It will get an Odyssey when the Optima fails again.
Dragon Slayer
Well-Known Member
You can not accurately measure battery voltage without a load. So while a surface charge of 12V unloaded may exist. If you put a load on it like high beams you may find voltage drops significantly. Hope it is good, but true test is loaded. I charged my old 8-9year red top to 12V by meter, but it could not turn over a small lawn motor electric starter.
OSDart
Well-Known Member
I took the old red top (6-7 years old)out of my Dart while it was down for up-grades. Installed it in my '65 Belvedere. Been working great.
When the Dart was finished I bought another red top. Installed it in the car and walla! Nothing. Showed 12.4. Voltaged dropped to 6.7v in starting mode. I charged it for 24 hrs with same results. Took it back and exchanged it for another. No issues since. I don't have any experience with the Odyssey batteries. I did ask about them but our local O'REILLY'S didn't carry them. I assume they're same as the Optima? I did see somewhere Odyssey offered a metal case and a poly. What is the pros/cons of each?
When the Dart was finished I bought another red top. Installed it in the car and walla! Nothing. Showed 12.4. Voltaged dropped to 6.7v in starting mode. I charged it for 24 hrs with same results. Took it back and exchanged it for another. No issues since. I don't have any experience with the Odyssey batteries. I did ask about them but our local O'REILLY'S didn't carry them. I assume they're same as the Optima? I did see somewhere Odyssey offered a metal case and a poly. What is the pros/cons of each?
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I have had good luck with NAPA brand batteries for my daily drivers. I just thought with the extended times the old Dodge sits, I needed something that holds a charge a LONG time. I may have been wrong about using an Optima though.
danf_fl
Well-Known Member
Am I understanding correctly that your charger has trouble charging AGM batteries, but no problem with wet cell?
https://autofthings.com/agm-vs-standard-battery-charging/
https://autofthings.com/agm-vs-standard-battery-charging/
With any AGM battery, to get it to hold a charge you gotta use a wet cell battery in line. So, connect the 2 positives together and the 2 negatives, now hook your charger to the wet cell battery.
I had to do this to bring a Red Top back from the dead and it worked great.
I had to do this to bring a Red Top back from the dead and it worked great.
65RoadRacer
Well-Known Member
The old Blue Tops were great for that.. they were Boat/RV batteries and I used one in the Plymouth for years. When it finally died, I replaced it with a Yellow because Optima told me that they no longer make the "blue top" as we knew it, it was just a Yellow with Marine terminals. The yellow failed on me and I replaced it, then that failed and I was told I didn't have a warranty anymore because it was a replacement. After I tried charging it and it nearly blew up, that's when I turned to Odyssey.
Dragon Slayer
Well-Known Member
When dead, not a routine charge. It is the charger that is the issue. It thinks the battery is bad and then cancels charging. Point being a fully discharged AGM has too little voltage left. So you trick the charger by using another battery with a good voltage level. In this case, both the good battery and the charger will be charging the discharged battery. Once you have a sufficient charge (voltage on the AGM) you can remove the other battery and finish the charging.
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It worked!
The Red Top was down low and seemed too far gone. I tried something new. I charged it, disconnected it for a day, then charged it....all in all, I charged it off and on about 4 days. I would check the voltage after each day's charge session then see how it held overnight. After the last session, I was happy to see it was at 12.4 but I wanted to let it sit a week to see if it would drop off. Today it was at 12.2 so I put in back in the battery box and fired it up. All seems well for now.
I am going to try this on my other Optima, the Blue top. it is about 7-8 years old, maybe older. I have nothing to lose but a few bucks worth of electricity!
The Red Top was down low and seemed too far gone. I tried something new. I charged it, disconnected it for a day, then charged it....all in all, I charged it off and on about 4 days. I would check the voltage after each day's charge session then see how it held overnight. After the last session, I was happy to see it was at 12.4 but I wanted to let it sit a week to see if it would drop off. Today it was at 12.2 so I put in back in the battery box and fired it up. All seems well for now.
I am going to try this on my other Optima, the Blue top. it is about 7-8 years old, maybe older. I have nothing to lose but a few bucks worth of electricity!
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