Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Reviving Optima Batteries
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341249 is a reply to message #341244] |
Sun, 24 February 2019 06:25   |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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If this guy guy is a battery tech representing Optima, this is a good reason for me to never buy a battery from them.
Can you SAY KABOOM?
I know what he is trying to do, but using heavy battery cables and a good battery is NOT that way to do this. Using a battery and cables capable of several hundred amps is not the way to do it. If there is a short or the battery develops one while charging, I believe the correct non-profane word to use is KABOOM.
He had several better choices.
1. Use a charger that does not check for a reference 12 volts before starting.
2. Keep the existing charger and use some low current 12 volt source with very thin wires like on of the $5. HF battery maintainer to fool it into starting. Once it is started usually you can remove the reference voltage immediately and the charger will stay running. If it is still needed, leave it on for an hour or so while charging using your smart charger. The maintainer can only put out about 6 watts (1/2 amp) and can not supply enough power to blow up a battery.
I hope someone does not get hurt or blinded from flying battery parts and acid following this utube video.
Can you spell LAW SUIT?
Quote:From an Optima technician on how to restore a deeply discharged Optima battery.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+tube+Reviving+optima+battery+with+10+amp+manual+charger&&view=detail&mid=1C0331BFC432EF4217441C03 31BFC432EF421744&&FORM=VDRVRV
I have just revived a 7 year old Red Top that my brother said was dead. I used a Die Hard manual charger with 10amp and 2amp settings.
Set to 10 amps and hours later I used my automatic charger with AGM charging capabilities and got a full 100% charge.
If you find that the top of the Optima battery has a bulge it will not take a successful charge as one of the cells is dead. Also
when charging and the battery gets 100 degrees (hot to the touch) that would also indicate a shorted cell.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341257 is a reply to message #341244] |
Sun, 24 February 2019 10:33 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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Yes he should have made the neg battery jump at the Optima not the flooded cell to minimize danger. He should not leave setup unattended. He keeps calling that charger conventional but it has some smart circuit if not turning on. I have and old dumb Rayovac 10A charger for things like this. It's just a transformer and rectifier with breaker and Ammeter. It will get a very low battery into a range where a smart trickle can finish it over several days without the hi Amp paralleling risks.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341258 is a reply to message #341244] |
Sun, 24 February 2019 10:38 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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Furthermore he says the battery is "good" once charged without doing ANY load performance testing! If this is how they test returned product, no thanks!!
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341284 is a reply to message #341244] |
Mon, 25 February 2019 04:03 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Yes John,
There were several other minor errors in the video. I just wanted to say in my posting:
DO NOT DO THIS AS HE IS SHOWING
I have blown up a few lead acid batteries in my time.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341334 is a reply to message #341244] |
Tue, 26 February 2019 07:31 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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Ken your assesment was spot on. I was just further embelishing. I remember back in to 70s I got into a Chevy C 50 truck and hit the key to crank. BOOM. The battery exploded. The entire top was gone and exposed. From that day on I used much increased safety precautions around batteries.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341356 is a reply to message #341244] |
Tue, 26 February 2019 12:10 |
TR 1
Messages: 348
Registered: August 2015
Location: DFW
Karma: -7
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Senior Member |
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He never says to leave these unattended, and he mentions you need to monitor the battery temps and that if it gets hot, you have a bad battery and to stop....
Yes it is definitely better to sack up and buy an AGM charger if you have AGM batteries...
But if:
1. You are not an idiot
2. You don't have an AGM charger
this works fine... You only need to do it for a few minutes until the "Smart" charger thinks the AGM is no longer dead.
BTW, the reason modern chargers do not recognize the discharged AGMs is to prevent people from blowing themselves up when charging conventional batteries that have faults.
Also, as to Optima batteries, I have not bought one recently, but I have 5 vehicles with these batteries in them, all the batteries are over 10 years old, and one is even from 2003, and is still going strong. Only thing I don't like about the Optima's is their cost. I've been going with less expensive AGMs from East Penn to save some $$, but none is over 5 years old, so I won't know if I've actually come out ahead vs the Optima's for some time.
The only thing conventional lead acid batteries have going for them is up front cost.
But:
They don't last as long as AGMs, so you need to replace them more often, and they require more periodic attention. I've cleaned up, repainted, welded in new metal on enough vehicles that used lead acid batteries that I will never buy another. I've even switched the house batteries on the GMC over to AGM. Just don't have the time to deal with the maintenance, the replacements and the mess.
If you're going to keep a vehicle for any length of time, and you value your time, AGM is the only way to go.
Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
Manny 1 Ton Front End,
Howell Injection,
Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
Fort Worth, TX
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341357 is a reply to message #341244] |
Tue, 26 February 2019 12:22 |
TR 1
Messages: 348
Registered: August 2015
Location: DFW
Karma: -7
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Senior Member |
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FWIW, I've also run 2 Odyssey AGMs... One is around 8 years old, and not doing so hot... But it sat for a while after my son wrecked my truck a few years back. The other is a lightweight race battery, and seems to be doing ok. But they were a ton of money.... IMO, not better than the Optimas...
I've been running this battery in the GMC as a starting battery, as well as 2 in my diesel truck, and have been pretty pleased, though I haven't had them long....
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/duracell-agm-deep-cycle-marine-and-rv-battery-group-size-sl34magm/prod3590225.ip
I believe it is an East Penn. It sells for around $120 at the Sams Club here.... Not really much more than a regular lead acid battery, and a steal for an AGM of this capacity.
Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
Manny 1 Ton Front End,
Howell Injection,
Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
Fort Worth, TX
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| Re: Reviving Optima Batteries [message #341358 is a reply to message #341357] |
Tue, 26 February 2019 12:45 |
TR 1
Messages: 348
Registered: August 2015
Location: DFW
Karma: -7
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Senior Member |
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TR 1 wrote on Tue, 26 February 2019 12:22I've been running this battery in the GMC as a starting battery, as well as 2 in my diesel truck, and have been pretty pleased, though I haven't had them long....
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/duracell-agm-deep-cycle-marine-and-rv-battery-group-size-sl34magm/prod3590225.ip
I believe it is an East Penn. It sells for around $120 at the Sams Club here.... Not really much more than a regular lead acid battery, and a steal for an AGM of this capacity.
Looking back on this website, I forgot to mention that there are some bad reviews from people using this as a trolling motor battery... And I can't speak to that, as I'm not using it as a deep cycle...
However, from what I read, this is the same battery as the Deka34 AGM/Die Hard Advanced Gold automotive battery, just with Marine terminals, which are handy for hooking up the GMC...
Here is a link to the Die Hard which includes reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/DieHard-38232-Advanced-Gold-Battery/dp/B077741997/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?keywords=Duracell+AGM+34&qid=1551206138&s=automotive &sr=1-1-fkmr1
Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
Manny 1 Ton Front End,
Howell Injection,
Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
Fort Worth, TX
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