Hello, I noticed your conversation regarding our batteries and wanted to offer some assistance. I apologize for the length of my response, but there is a lot of ground to cover. chicago, while our batteries can be mounted in a variety of orientations, we do not recommend mounting them upside down. Since you mentioned the “g” word, I should clarify that Optima batteries are not gel batteries, but SpiralCell AGM (absorbed glass mat) lead-acid batteries. Our batteries can be treated and charged just like any other lead-acid battery in most situations. However, “gel” or even “gel/AGM” charger settings should be avoided, because they will not fully-charge an Optima and could damage it over time.
Since you are shopping for batteries online, I would also encourage you to find out the warranty and return policy on any battery you are considering, before making a purchase. You can read our warranty policy
here. Any retailer from which you purchase a new Optima should provide warranty service for you, for the full duration of your warranty. However, there are some online retailers that do not. We strongly recommend that you find out the warranty procedures before making a purchase. If the seller’s procedure is to contact the manufacturer or if they do not provide a customer service phone number that they answer (not the Optima batteries customer service number) we recommend looking elsewhere.
For same-day purchases and service we recommend visiting your nearest Optima retailer, as online purchases can take multiple days to arrive. Likewise, in the event that product support service is needed, online purchases must be shipped back to the original seller and can take several days to be processed and returned.
OPTIMA-authorized online retailer requirements:
• Ship Optima products in approved shipment packaging
• Answer a toll-free service phone number during business hours
• Adhere to and honor the Optima factory warranty policy
• Provide an in-house warranty program
Proper voltage maintenance is the key to long life for any battery, regardless of brand. When batteries are discharged below 12.4 volts and allowed to sit, sulfation begins to diminish both performance and lifespan. That is why we recommend a quality battery tender or maintainer for any battery that doesn't see regular use. While I see plenty of mentions of CCA in this thread, no one has mentioned the parasitic draw of their vehicle and that is often the source for many issues perceived to be battery-related.
Woody, Taildragon, GLTHFJ60, '74 UA FJ, poor boy pulling, Tapage, peesalot, kling-on, Blue77FJ40, and LandCruiserPhil, I'm glad to hear you've all had very good success with your Optima batteries. We do collect testimonials, if anyone is interested in
sharing their experience with us.
By the way, Phil, please do not charge your new Optima at a rate higher than 10 amps and when you do charge your battery, be sure to check on it periodically, to make sure it doesn't get hot to the touch. It sounds like your charger either has no voltage regulation or it may no longer be working correctly. If you set your charger at 40 amp “manual” and let it run 6 hours, this might mean that the charger would continue to pump out 40 amps regardless of how much the battery is charged. 40 amps x 6 hours = 240 amp hours for a battery that probably has a capacity of 50-55 amps hours. This is analogous to letting a 40 gallon/hour pump run for 6 hours to fill a 55-gallon drum. I appreciate that you recognize the mistake that was made, as some folks would prefer to imply that the drum was defective in this analogy, because it overflowed. While I'm glad to hear your battery is still working, it probably will have a shortened life due to this abuse.
Since this is a topic that frequently comes up on 4x4-related sites, I should clarify that our RedTops are great batteries for most stock and starting applications, but they are not designed or warrantied for deep-cycle applications, including winching. There is a reason I have a picture of a YellowTop underneath my name on this board. Anyone running significant electrical accessories (like a winch or refrigerator) should use a battery designed for deep-cycling, like our YellowTops.
Gumby, I'm sorry to hear you haven't been satisfied with your Optima. When any battery is discharged to the point where your vehicle needs to be jump-started, it is a good idea to fully-recharge the battery with a battery charger as soon as possible. Most alternators are designed to maintain batteries, not recharge deeply-discharged batteries. Asking an alternator to perform that task can lead to the cycle of dead batteries and jump-starts you experienced and eventually, the demise of either your battery or your alternator.
js93cruiser, contrary to what your friend at a battery shop may have personally experienced, the quality of Optima batteries has never been better. Even though Chop Shop hasn't personally come across any, our batteries are used in a wide variety of military applications and AGM batteries are quite common in large-scale, industrial applications. In fact, our batteries are original equipment in Peterbilt 379X Special Editions, and can be found in a other applications, from TREX mining trucks to emergency response vehicles.
Many of the “bad” batteries returned to us now are only deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly-recharged. Many battery chargers will not recognize or charge any battery that has been discharged below a certain voltage threshold (usually around 10.5 volts). In those instances, using
this parallel charging technique can recover those batteries.
This is a charger issue and not unique to Optima. In fact, other manufacturers have dealt with this issue by simply voiding the warranty on their battery, if it is found to have been discharged below a certain voltage level, which can often occur in winching applications. We felt the more pro-active option was to create a video on parallel charging and spread the word to our retailers and customers.
Cruiser88, there is not, nor has there ever been an issue with our manufacturing at any of our facilities. Myself and Cam Douglass, our Director of Product Development and Marketing, are the only people who post online on behalf of Optima and neither of us have ever said anything to the contrary. That is not to say that we have a 100% defect-free manufacturing rate, as no manufacturer does. However, many of the batteries returned to us under warranty have either been abused in some way as you suggested, or are just deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly-recharged. Our return policy has not changed since February 2009 and can be viewed in the link previously provided. However, if you come across a thread that contradicts what either Cam or I have posted, please provide a link, so I can address it. I do thank you for mentioning reserve capacity, as that and the ability to be deep-cycled are often more important considerations than cranking amps in 4WD applications, but are often overlooked.
4rnr, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had with your batteries. Do you recall what the voltage was on either of the batteries when you began having issues? 2Everest & pc4400, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had with your batteries. Can you tell me more about the circumstances surrounding your issues?
Gumby, while our batteries and many others (both AGM & flooded) are considered “sealed” batteries, all lead-acid automotive batteries can vent gas in extreme situations. For that reason, we always recommend that any battery installed in an enclosed location be properly-vented to the outside. Our group 27, 31, 51, 34C, and 78 batteries all have ports for connecting a vent hose. Although people do it anyway, we would never recommend installing an unvented battery in any enclosed space, because there's a legitimate, albeit unlikely, safety risk involved.
For example, IF there is a voltage regulator failure, and IF the battery is severely overcharged, and IF this goes unnoticed, and IF the battery vents because the internal pressure exceeds the release pressure of the vents, the gasses are both flammable and toxic. This may sound like a lot of “ifs,” but attorneys and engineers get paid to plan for every worst-case scenario.
While I don't know that I'd necessarily agree with everything Chop Shop posted about our batteries (I do think our batteries are good), he does raise some very valid points that are applicable to all batteries, not just ours. Batteries in daily drivers do tend to last longer than those that only see occasional use. All batteries will benefit from regular use and/or maintenance. No battery will ever be as good as it was when it was new. If you are hard on batteries, you are more likely to have more problems with them, than someone who is not. Winches should always be attached directly to the top posts on our batteries.
Chop Shop, depending on how long an Optima has sat, it very well may not come back to 100%, but most times
it will come back and provide many years of reliable service. How long have your five Optimas been sitting and have you attempted to parallel charge them? Our batteries do not need to be charged more often than flooded batteries, because they have a lower self-discharge rate. The typical problem that most folks have is that they park their vehicle for the season when it is partially-discharged, with no maintenance charger, and a key-off load that deeply-discharges their battery to a voltage less than there charger will tolerate.
Fast Eddy, since you did ask specifically, I do have dual RedTops in my diesel Excursion and while I don't tow with it all the time, I did have my 24-foot trailer behind it the other day and I will be using it at the end of the month to haul horses back from Mississippi. Given what you posted about your intermittent short, it sounds like you may have some electrical issues in your vehicle that need to be identified and addressed. Also, if your tow rig is a diesel (OE dual batteries) both batteries should be replaced at the same time, with batteries of the same size, type and age. Measuring the parasitic draw I previously mentioned might be a good place to start and
this video explains how to do it.
If anyone has any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
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