Optima red top charging

[fastdavedk]

I watched Musclecar this morning and they talked about the problem that I have suffered with my numerous red tops. That is, once the battery goes dead, it can't be revived.

Anyway, what I think the host said if you hook your battery charger through another battery and then to the red top it will somehow be fooled and therefore recharged?

Does anyone know anything about this?

 

[Red C5]

I don't see how that would fix the battery.

 

[Just a 6]

Here's the link:
How To Charge an AGM Battery - Hot Rod Magazine

 

[charlief1]

AGM batteries require a pulse charger. Autozone has them and will charge the battery for free if you can leave it with them.

 

[Alky V6]

A battery charger specifically designed to charge an AGM battery should be used. I believe they are called smart chargers. I use a highly recommended CTEK Multi US 7002.

 

[Dino1]

Never ever, ever quick charge an Optima battery. you can put them an a trickle charger to get them back up. But never exceed 6 amps. You can keep them maintained with a 2 amp charge with no problems. I have two red tops in my race car, and charge them between rounds with a 6 amp charger, I have a 7 year old one I pulled out of the race car in my truck that is still going strong today. These batteries have a 10 year life if maintained properly. A simple trickle charger will do the job if you don't let it go dead.

 

[fleebag]

If i dont drive/crank my gn up once a week my red top will die, i have to trickle charge it then its ok. but still pisses me off

 

[garyk1970]

im going to try this....i cannot bring myself to throw away an optima,so i have a few to try..ill post back my findings...very good info,thanks...

 

[garyk1970]

double post

 

[fleebag]

u gonna do it twice?:biggrin:

 

[WeSS]

agm battery charger

I've got this one and it works perfect for the red tops. I love the optima batteries but you need one of these to charge it correctly if ever drained completely down.

Schumacher SC-8020A Battery Charger/Engine Starter

 

[dentmasters01]

A friend of mine brought me a red top that he said was dead. I checked it and it had about 3 volts. I have been cycling it off and on for about a month, and it now holds a charge. It had been off the charger about a week and I checked it last night. Had 12.43 volts. Just a cheap charger on a 2 amp setting. I think the key is on and off, then back on and off with a little down time in-between. This is the same way I do my jetski batteries and my deep cycle boat batteries during the winter with no problems.

 

[OptimaJim]

fastdavedk, the issue you are referring to is a charger-related issue and not specific to Optima. In fact, some companies will void the warranty on their battery if it is found to be discharged below 10 volts. The problem is that many chargers will not recognize or charge any battery that has been discharged below a certain voltage level (usually around 10.5 volts). Wiring the discharged battery in parallel with a charged battery allows the charger to “see” a battery and deliver current to the discharged battery. We created a Tech Tip video on our YouTube channel (OptimaBatteries) that also explains this procedure.

I can't speak for other AGM battery manufacturers, but most standard chargers will work just fine on Optimas. AGM-specific chargers are preferred, but “gel” or “gel/AGM” charger settings should be avoided, as they will not fully-charge an Optima and could damage it over time. Our batteries can be charged at rates up to 10 amps, but if the battery gets hot to the touch or begins venting, charging should be discontinued immediately.

If a vehicle does not see regular use, a quality battery tender or maintainer is an excellent investment. When any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and allowed to sit, sulfation begins to diminish both capacity and lifespan. I can't speak as to the mechanical benefits of periodically starting and idling a stored vehicle, but this practice may actually do more harm than good to a battery, if the alternator is not given enough time to replace the energy used during storage and starting. If anyone has any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.

 

[Alky V6]

fastdavedk, the issue you are referring to is a charger-related issue and not specific to Optima. In fact, some companies will void the warranty on their battery if it is found to be discharged below 10 volts. The problem is that many chargers will not recognize or charge any battery that has been discharged below a certain voltage level (usually around 10.5 volts). Wiring the discharged battery in parallel with a charged battery allows the charger to “see” a battery and deliver current to the discharged battery. We created a Tech Tip video on our YouTube channel (OptimaBatteries) that also explains this procedure.

I can't speak for other AGM battery manufacturers, but most standard chargers will work just fine on Optimas. AGM-specific chargers are preferred, but “gel” or “gel/AGM” charger settings should be avoided, as they will not fully-charge an Optima and could damage it over time. Our batteries can be charged at rates up to 10 amps, but if the battery gets hot to the touch or begins venting, charging should be discontinued immediately.

If a vehicle does not see regular use, a quality battery tender or maintainer is an excellent investment. When any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and allowed to sit, sulfation begins to diminish both capacity and lifespan. I can't speak as to the mechanical benefits of periodically starting and idling a stored vehicle, but this practice may actually do more harm than good to a battery, if the alternator is not given enough time to replace the energy used during storage and starting. If anyone has any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.

Hi Jim. You stated that an Optima will take a 10 amp charge. Is there any instance where using that much amperage to charge would be preferred? Or, would that amperage just be used to get a quick charge.
If one had the time to let the battery charge for a long time, what would be the preferred charging amperage?
Thanks for your time!

 

[Mark E.]

The answer is definately a different battery. Red tops went down hill several years ago. I used to have them in everything I own.

The Oddysey batteries have been working very well as with the Deka. The carquest NGK battery is a Deka. The new DieHard Platinum is a rebadged Oddysey.

Lots of good info here.
Batteries...Optima alternatives? - Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board

You are not alone with Optima troubles. Change battery brands and all is well.

Mark E.

I watched Musclecar this morning and they talked about the problem that I have suffered with my numerous red tops. That is, once the battery goes dead, it can't be revived.

Anyway, what I think the host said if you hook your battery charger through another battery and then to the red top it will somehow be fooled and therefore recharged?

Does anyone know anything about this?

 

[OptimaJim]

Hi Donnie, we frequently recommend a 10-amp charge for up to two hours on batteries that have been deeply-discharged and allowed to sit for extended periods of time. This higher rate will help break up some of the sulfation that has formed and restore some performance. As I mentioned before, if the battery gets hot to the touch or begins venting, charging should be discontinued immediately. Charging at up to 10 amps at the track is ok as well, but we do not recommend charging at a higher rate than that.

For long-term charging, we recommend using a quality battery tender or maintainer. The best units are microprocessor-controlled and there are two basic types of maintenance chargers. Fully-automatic, “multi-stage or multi-step” chargers will monitor the battery and charge it as necessary. Multi-stage maintainers will charge at varying voltages and varying amperage (rarely exceeding 2 amps). Some of these multi-step chargers are also capable of being regular battery chargers (7 amps or more). These types of chargers are preferred.

Traditional “float” chargers provide constant voltage with tapering amperage to the battery, even when it is fully-charged. For float-charging, we recommend 1 amp max, 13.2-13.8 volts. These are OK too, but the multi-stage chargers are a better option.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.

 

[fleebag]

What do you consider "long periods"?
For a battery to lose it's charge in 10 days is not good.IMO
Especially when I have 15 of the same 12v batteries but a Yokum or Exide. And I can let my trucks sit for two weeks without issue.
but my red top in the gn goes dead in 10 days.
I'm just saying

 

[Alky V6]

In my experience with Optima batteries, it's best to have them on a tender. If you let them deeply discharge, even once, it seems to be hard to get them back 100%. If you let them deeply discharge over and over again, I would imagine it would have even more of an affect on the battery capacity.
I could be wrong about that. It's just how I perceive it from personal experience. Hopefully, an expert will straighten me out if my perception is off.

Also, be aware of parasitic draws on the battery from the vehicle. The draws could be different from one vehicle to the next.

 

[OptimaJim]

fleebag, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you've been having with your battery. I should start by saying our RedTops are fully-charged at approximately 12.6-12.8 volts. In looking at some of your other posts, it appears as if you've had some past issues with your wiring and/or a parasitic draw, which I hope have been resolved. If not, our Tech Tips #7 video on YouTube explains how to measure a parasitic draw and track down the source.

If your parasitic draw measures 25 milliamps or less, it is possible there are either issues with your charging system or your battery was never fully-recharged from the previous issues you had. If you can fully-charge your RedTop and leave it disconected from your vehicle for 12-24 hours, it should hold close to it's maximum voltage. If it holds voltage when disconnected from your vehicle, but loses voltage when connected, there is probably an electrical issue in your vehicle that need to be addressed.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.