How much does high heat affect battery life? (1 Viewer)

[NorCalDoug]

My optima blue top that I bought 16 months ago started failing. For the past 4 or 5 days, it seemed to have a hard time fully recharging. I took a couple day-long trips -- more than enough time to charge the battery, but when I'd start her up in the morning, it seemed to have very low on available CCAs.

Temps have been around 110 deg F for the past week. I know cold affects automotive batteries -- does heat have a negative affect as well?



Rather than screw around with the battery, I returned it to Costco and picked up a new one (got a full refund since it was within the 18-month free replacement period -- otherwise, I think they prorate the amount now).

I run a fridge 24/7 most times, but have not had it running for the past 2 weeks because it drew too much battery power trying to keep up with the heat.

Thoughts? Comments?

 

[Beowulf]

Heat is brutal on batteries but 18 months is about 36 months too soon IMHO. FWIW I had an Optima orange top fail at 22 months and got an almost-free replacement. I paid extra and got a yellow top. I am currently running a red and a yellow but the one that failed has me doubting the reliability of Optima... another reason that I put in the dual system.

-B-

 

[IdahoDoug]

Heat is actually what shortens battery life and damages them, where cold does not. It's a misnomer that cold damages batteries. Actually, it simply makes them less able to deliver their stored power but they fully recover this ability when warmed. Naturally, it also requires more power to start a cold engine due to internal friction and longer starting cycles.

So, yes - heat kills batteries where cold only renders them temporarily less effective.


DougM

 

[Jon916996748]

You might look into getting a different brand battery. I've had great experience with Enersys batteries. It was in a bit of a different application, but the qualitiy and reliability was there. We were pulling 1700 amps into 3 five-h.p. electric motors for about 30s. This was enough to melt the lead on the terminals of the Optimas. After each run we still had a good bit of juice left, the voltage drop wasn't to bad. I like the Optimas, but I'm not convinced they are what they claim to be.

 

[-Spike-]

I have rarely seen a battery, other than the factory issue, last more than 2 years in Phoenix. Optimas and Orbitals (both gel cell) are the only batteries I have heard of that can regularly beat this mark here in the heat. I have heard that completely discharging a gel cell battery will kill it.

-Spike

 

[Mickldo]

If you run your fridge 24/7 without the battery getting recharged properly due to run time of the motor not being enough the battery will suffer and it's life will be shortened dramatically.

I run my fridge 24/7 as well and I travel about 80km round trip every day. Thats only about 1hr of charging verses 24hrs of discharging. My voltages stay up for quite a while but every now and then I will put the battery on charge just to top up the battery to 100% capacity.

I'm thinking about a solar panel to trickle charge the battery while the car is parked at work during the day.

 

[tech_dog]

I think the problem is that on hot days, a constant voltage charging system will cook your battery. The most sophisticated charging systems take temperature into consideration and lower the charging voltage when the temps are up.

I've thought about trying to put a temperature compensating charging system into a LC, but it's not at the top of the "to-do" list.

 

[valentine]

I have heard that completely discharging a gel cell battery will kill it.

-Spike

I did this & my red top still works 2 years later. I went to work & left the headlights on. Came back 10 hours later & the truck wouldn't start

 

[NorCalDoug]

... I have heard that completely discharging a gel cell battery will kill it.

-Spike

isn't that sort of the point of the deep cycle battery?

 

[MaddBaggins]

Heat is bad for them, but 16 months is a little to soon Doug. I've been running an Optima red top for 2 years in Southern AZ heat and it's still going strong. You probably got a bad one.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Doug-I'm thinking the problem is the constant drain of the fridge and short charge cycles. Plus, if you got the D34M from Costco, it's a little short on juice for an 80 series anyway. Remember, even a deep cycle battery has a limited number of discharge/charge cycles. Certainly more than a non-deep cycle, but not infinite either.

You have to use a deep cycle battery given your 24/7 power needs, but I would use one with more capacity like, for instance, the D31M or yellow top equivalent.

My vote-turn off the fridge. In this super hot weather in a hot car, it probably runs full time anyway. At 3 amps per hour thats 24 amp hours in a typical work day, which is half the capacity of your battery(aprox 50 amp hours). Then a 30 minute commute home likely does not charge it back to full. Repeat this a few times and your battery is either drained or dead.

Now when are we installing that Hellroaring system???

 

[Beowulf]

Now when are we installing that Hellroaring system???

Matter of fact, now would be a good time for Doug to install the Hellroaring system. He's getting 1 new deep cycle and it's best to have compatible batteries with a dual system. Andy's excellent HR installation has been the model for many of us. Well documented and easy to duplicate.

-B-

 

[TomH]

I have heard that completely discharging a gel cell battery will kill it.

isn't that sort of the point of the deep cycle battery?

Actually, completely discharging any battery will shorten its life. I think the recommendation is to recharge after the battery reaches about 50% of its total capacity

Tom

 

[NorCalDoug]

I have all parts except for the cables, clamps, and the 2nd battery.

I have the rest...battery tray and all associated bits...hellroaring system..

I suppose I could just buy several feet of cable...but I'd prefer to get the right amount.

Andy - you still have that crimper, don't you?

 

[NorCalDoug]

Actually, completely discharging any battery will shorten its life. I think the recommendation is to recharge after the battery reaches about 50% of its total capacity

Tom

yeah...I actually do know that...I was just being a smart-ass

I found that I had no problems if I drove th etruck every day, including a short trip during lunch. If I skipped a trip, however, or waited until the late afternoon to drive on a weekend, I would have just enough juice to crank the engine over.

 

[LX_TREME]

Doug, you need to cool it

 

[alia176]

Doug,

Is there a difference between the Yellow and Blue top when it comes to vibration handling? Yellow is for off roaders and Blue is for boaters and I thought Optima mentions this point on their site somewhere.

Ali

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Doug,

Is there a difference between the Yellow and Blue top when it comes to vibration handling? Yellow is for off roaders and Blue is for boaters and I thought Optima mentions this point on their site somewhere.

Ali

The blue and yellow are supposed to be the same inside, but the terminals on the blue are much more convienient.

 

[Rich]

...
Temps have been around 110 deg F for the past week...does heat have a negative affect as well?
...

When a valve regulated lead acid battery, such as an Optima, overheats, battery gas, is released, and, unlike a wet cell battery, is gone forever.

I expect that the unusually high 80 crusier under hood temps, in combination with the very high ambient temps, have likely done in your Optima.

The big advantage the old fashioned wet cell batteries have over the sealed batteries is that you can remove the caps and add water as often as necessary to replenish. They also can pack more capacity in the same physical space as an Optima, and cost quite a bit less per amp-hour capacity.

 

[Mickldo]

As far as I understand it the cycles refered to with deep cycle batteries are the charge cycles. The amount of time from 100% charged through discharge and back to 100% charge. The shorter the time of this cycle the longer the battery will last. If the battery was fully recharged every day it was used it will last the maximum amount of time, but if the battery isn't fully charged the cycle time continues until it is fully charged again. So instead of the cycle time being 24hrs it is now blown out to a week or so. This will drastically reduce battery life.

By using your main battery for starting duties as well as running the fridge the depth of the cycle is increased leading to the need for even longer recharge times. By using dual batteries both the batteries will stay closer to their 100% capacity.

Cruiserdrew- your vote was to turn off the fridge. Are you crazy? the will get hot.