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Message started by W1CK3D R4C1NG on 12/19/10 at 2:29pm

Title: dead battery question
Post by W1CK3D R4C1NG on 12/19/10 at 2:29pm

does anyone know of a easy way to bring a optima yellow top battery back to life? it wont take a charge...

or should i ask if theres some kind of "home remidey"

Thanks
Rich

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Andrew on 12/19/10 at 3:13pm

Hook a good battery to it with a set of jumper cables, then hook a battery charger to it on the 2 amp setting and let it sit for about a day. If it's a good battery, it will taks a long time to charge.

Hooking a good battery to it gives the battery charger something to charge. A charger needs a little voltage to recognize it's been hooked to something.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by W1CK3D R4C1NG on 12/19/10 at 3:42pm

right on... thanks... i actually read somthing like that... so i hooked it up and left it on there for a few hours... it still wouldnt take a charge... but maybe it was becuase i didnt have it on the 2 amp... i'll give it another try the way you said...

Thanks...
Rich

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Andrew on 12/19/10 at 4:14pm

Give it plenty of time. If that doesn't work, junk it.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by OLD SCHOOL#6 on 12/19/10 at 4:34pm

Hey Rich -- Andrews suggestion is a good one, but a "few" hours is not anything close to long enough. Optimas take a "long" time to charge ( especially a real dead one) -- 12 hours minimum, and sometimes up to 24.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by W1CK3D R4C1NG on 12/19/10 at 5:10pm

hopfully it'll work... would hate to junk a 200 dollar battery just becuase some moron took it out of my fiero and left it sitting on the ground "for months" instead of putting it back when they were done...lol

Thanks again
Rich

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by mw56racing on 12/19/10 at 8:30pm

we own a auto parts store we charge and check a whole lot of batteries the optima is a real good battery but if you let one go completly dead they usually wont come back up. even if it is fairly new. dont know why but thats been the case for us. your best chance is too boost it on engine start then when you see the amp gauge move it is taking a charge switch it too low and leave it a long while we use a 2amp charger over night.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Meneley1 on 12/20/10 at 11:54am

I have a red top I have been trying to nurse back to life. It was down to 6, so I put it on the 2 amp charge for good long while. It got up to about 8.5 & wouldn't not go up anymore after that. So then I put it on the 40 amp. The battery then started to get hot, so I pulled the charger off. It did get up to 12.5, but when I checked it about an hour later it was already back down to 10. This battery is not even a year & a half old. Losing my faith in these optimas.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Andrew on 12/20/10 at 1:53pm

That's kind of the way I thought this story was going to end, but you've got to try. I've seen a couple of batterys come back from the dead before.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by W1CK3D R4C1NG on 12/20/10 at 2:25pm

well i put it on the charger yesterday after your first post... i took it off about an hour ago, and its still saying it has 12.7 volts... im gonna let it sit for a little while longer and see were its at... but maybe i'll get lucky and it will hold... if not i'll give it another shot on the charger over night and see what happens...

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Andrew on 12/20/10 at 7:41pm

IT'S ALIVE... ALIVE!!!

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by 18racr on 01/04/11 at 11:31am

SO DID IT WORK??

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by W1CK3D R4C1NG on 01/04/11 at 12:18pm

yes and no... i got it were it would take a full charge, but it wont hold a charge... it drops down to 8 volts or so by the next day

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by woodracing35 on 01/04/11 at 12:30pm

i had a red one and used it in my race car for over three years before it started to not work...i remebered that it had a three year warranty from the factory so i took it back and missed my warranty date by two months...so i had to buy another one...lol...i guess what im trying to say is if the warranty hasnt ran out you might want to just take it back and exchange it if thats an option for you

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by jp80 on 01/04/11 at 1:37pm

I had a red one that lasted 10 years. I've heard the thing that kills them is sitting for any extended period with a low charge. Had another red one that only lasted about a year. I think a low charge over the off season killed it.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Dietzsch_Racing25 on 01/04/11 at 1:37pm

I bought a red top from Costco. It went dead within 6 mo. I brought it back to Costco, got my money back and bought one of their Costco "specials" for less than half the price. It has been in the car for over 5 years now. Still going strong.

CD

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by ka_jd7and1 on 01/04/11 at 1:52pm

The Optimas (if I remember right) had changed where they are manufactured, and the quality tanked when that happened.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Wally_Stewart on 01/19/11 at 8:19pm

The Red Top Optima is a "starting battery" as stated on top of battery and should be used with an alternator, not designed as a storage battery. The Yellow Top Optima is a storage battery and should do the job if taken care of.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by W1CK3D R4C1NG on 01/19/11 at 9:48pm

i've always loved the Optima's... and never had any problumes with them, except for this one... but oh well, i knew it was a slim chance to revieve it after sitting like that... live and learn i guess... maybe since it will take a charge and hold it for a couple hours, i should thro it on craigs list...lol... they'll be long gone before they realize it dont hold a charge for long... j/k that would be messed up, although im sure theres alot of scams like that on there

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by imracin68j on 01/22/11 at 6:23pm

The problem you guys are having is with overcharging. The colored top battery's need to be trickle charged. I went through a lot of expensive batteries until I did some research. I've never had a problem since. Get a decent digital charger that has a 2 amp charge. They go for around 40 bucks.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Missle Motorsports on 01/22/11 at 8:22pm

COSTCO used to sell the Optima's at a Good Price, but have now Discontinued Them.... Anyone else have a Good Source for these, without breaking the bank?

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by sj_valley_dave on 01/24/11 at 4:07pm

Sam's Club sells Optima's..not sure on current price though...

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by Wally_Stewart on 01/30/11 at 10:45pm

Pep Boys had a yellow top for $189 I think it was.

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by mountainman on 01/31/11 at 7:17pm

the trick as already been mentioned....Keep 'em charged. A battery stored with a low charge will kill it. Charge is your friend :)

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by ministocker56 on 01/31/11 at 9:06pm

ya can put a alt switch to charge it when you want & turn it off when you want more rpm , Humm probly only cost you 8-10 dollars maybe

Title: Re: dead battery question
Post by sj_valley_dave on 02/01/11 at 10:30am

Yellow tops, $162 at Sam's Club