///BHRpowered Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 6 years, including storage conditions and it was time to replace my optima. Went to pick one up today, July 22nd, got home and removed the top cover to see it was a 12/07 battery, over a year and a half old. Went back and picked up another, but this one is rated at 1100CA and 800CCA with a decent reserve. I know the stock battery was something like 750-800CA, and my old optima was 900. is 1100 over kill/would it cause any problems? FYI, for anyone looking optima is having a rebate thing going on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troutman Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Firstly, I've heard of Optimas lasting 8 years plus, what symptoms made you want to replace it? I have a red top with 800CCA from memory, and I thought that was the highest CCA capacity available. The stock Millenia battery would be something like 450-500 CCA if it's anything like other models on the market. Higher CCA capacity does not cause any problems, some guys with multiple battery set ups approach 2000 - the starter only takes what it needs. However, I imagine it would not be a good idea to electrocute yourself with such a battery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 its barely 6 years old, but has under gone storage conditions and been 100% discharged several times. The battery seemed fine, but then the float charger could no longer get it to a full charge, then I tried to start the millenia once and it did a half crank, tried again and nothing, in general everything from subs to windows going very slow. In march 2008 it was tested as having very low (for optima) cranking amps, only around 550 or so when it was rated at 920 to begin with. In the spring time it started up just fine, another time I left it whatout a charger and 3 days later it started, but just barely. I was hoping to get 8-9 years out of it. Right now I'm currently testing my float charger on my yellow top in the jeep. I will be very very very displeased if the charger is bad. The new models have anywhere from 850-1175. I think its the group 35 or 38 or something I picked up, with no side posts. What bothers me is I have now had a trickle charger on new battery for 6 hours and its barely charged. I think after 19 months of sitting on a shelf it might be bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginph Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Cold cranking amps will not harm anything. It should be as much as it can be. And it will not kill you since with 12V, you will not get too many amps thru your body. Well of course it depends which part of our body you are trying to short the posts 6 years? That makes it very expensive. I thought they would go forever, esp for someone like you who doesnt use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 It was installed march 03, but the barrery was 11/02 after checking My yellow top is a 4/05 and is used often so it damn well better fucking charge. But if it is my float charger its possible the battery is good and had just been sitting more or less without power for a decent amount of time and discharged...which would piss me off. I have another charger, would it be a good idea to put that one on and then have it tested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginph Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 If you have a voltmeter test the voltage on the charger, idle and while charging. I imagine it is hard to charge the redtop since it has very small internal resistance (high CCA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 I do, but the one charger I can't test. What bothers me is that the float charger has now been on my jeep for 3 hours and hasn't reached full charge. The same Jeep I drove today, tha has a barely 4 year old optima yellow top and is plenty strong. I'm starting to lean towards a but float charger, I have switched to a traditional trickle charger and put it on the millenia's old battery, we shall see how it looks in the morning. Left float charger on Jeep all night. Well also see what that does. I can't imagine I have 3 bad optima batteries, according to optima the max charge time for the smallest charger would be 350 mins, which I have exceeded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troutman Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 I think I have figured out the discrepancy on CCA specs. I quote "0F" figures (far colder than it ever gets here) but they also have 32F figures (even that's colder than it typically gets here) which have higher CCA. Looks like only the Blue Top exceeds 1000 though, which is a marine battery. http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_prod...edtop/specs.php http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_prod...uetop/specs.php Personally I use a small Projecta 1600mA trickle charger and almost always it charges batteries at least overnight. I think slower charging is better for the battery personally. If it doesn't charge overnight, the battery is probably screwed. I can't comment on other charger types though, so let us know how you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginph Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Faster charger = higher voltage = screws battery. Why do you have to charge jeeps battery? dont you use it either? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ing-schu@online.no Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Why do you have to charge jeeps battery? dont you use it either? Batteries rarely last long in non-driven applications. My stock Xedos battery gave up after a month rest and never recovered. My experience is that unless the battery is fairly new, a "trickle charger" may not be able to switch to maintenance charge because the current never drops below say 1,5 amperes. This does not mean the battery is so bad it needs replacement though. What is interesting during charging is voltage, not current. The charge voltage should not exceed around 14,2 volts. If it is more than 14,5 volts, the battery will boil dry if left too long. I prefer using a fairly hefty 20 ampere charger and limit the time instead. This is what the onboard alternator does too; maybe 40 amperes charge or more is normal right after startup. But I recently bought a C TEK 3,5 A charger which is ideal in nondriven applications as it can be permantly connected in the vehicle. Needs power supply of course. But I don't believe what the marketing says; that it can recover sulphated batteries. Every lead batterys worst enemy is lack of charge over time. When charged regularly, like in a daily driven car, a battery may last 15 years. I am not into Optimas. In my opinion they are overrated. Not unlike Jeeps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troutman Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 As long as they are kept on a charger when the car is driven, I have found batteries last an amazingly long time. I am expecting a long life out of my red top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 For many years it was not on a charger. I use a deltran 800 charger which has a rate of 800ma, which is well under the limit optima recommends. Some time during the night on my Jeep it switched over to float mode, so it should be good. But the amount of time it took means either my yellow top isn't in top sharp, or my alt is going bad, or charger is going bad. I never usually charge my jeep, just a test. As for the millenia's OLD battery I put a trickle charger on it over night. Its either dead or dying so it can't do any harm, but I want to make sure its "fully charged" before taking it to be tested. I will find out this afternoon when I return home about the state of new battery, but im still displeased about it sitting on the shelf so long. fyi xedos - optima say there batteries can go 12-18 months without needing to be recharged troutman - CCA amps is only 800, CA is whats over 1000. Oh and the reserve is 110 whatever the fuck that means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 *edit* seems battery charger might be decent, when I unplugged and plugged back in it went into float, and since it went in over night with the jeep I guess its good. new battery may or may not be good, old battery will be tested. But when I take the battery out I want to do some cleaning and would perfer to make only one trip to the store Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackin Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Cold cranking amps will not harm anything. It should be as much as it can be. And it will not kill you since with 12V, you will not get too many amps thru your body. Well of course it depends which part of our body you are trying to short the posts 6 years? That makes it very expensive. I thought they would go forever, esp for someone like you who doesnt use it. a friend of mine was installing a high powered sound system that had 4 batteries and got electrocuted. apparently he ran accross the yard cursing and shaking and then threw up foam. it sounded pretty crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginph Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Every type of battery needs different charging scheme for optimum performance and life. The voltage may not be constant during the charge. Search (or ask) what optima requires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted July 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 There was a good guide I received with it, and my battery tender are lamost right on par. Now I just have put 1 more coat of paint on the battery tray, reinstall, clean some more, do a quick wash on the front fenders and bumper incase anything touched them from fingersweats to sweat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.