NEWS PARTS JEEP & 4x4 ATV & UTV

Optima: Rechargeable?

701 Views 12 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Nickmil, Jan 20, 2000

Discussion Starter · Jan 20, 2000

I know, I'm stupid, but it's real easy to leave the lights on, on a CJ. After 10 hours, I got nothing when I turned the key. Can my Redtop be recharged with my home charger I use for other car batts.? Thanks for any help.

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Dirt Dog

· #2 · Jan 20, 2000

Yes!
I know I'm gonna get kinda flamed for this but I(we at work) have had nothing but bad luck w/ them.
I hope yours lived......[sad]

Wider is better but taller is cooler!

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LEVE

· #3 · Jan 20, 2000

Dird Dog, would you please let us know more about the problems you have had with the Optima battery? I've been lusting after a set for 5 years... but never had the money to pop for a set. Perhaps I'm just as well off with the less expensive Excide Gel Cells I have now. What's your opinion?

Good Jeepin'

Larry

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130

· #4 · Jan 20, 2000

I have an Optima Red Top and while four-wheeling at night burned off my alternatory belt without knowing. I drove home 40 miles with the HIGH beams on, and the next day drove to the grocery store and back- a 3 mile trip, before getting home and popping the hood to see why it was starting hard. The battery charged up extremely quickly and has worked fine- although very recently there is a lag between turning the key and the time the starter kicks in, I hadn't considered the battery since my starter has had a lot of time under water and mud and it wasn't like this for quite a while after the battery died...and quite recently after the snorkel install /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

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Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 20, 2000

Check with optima, but it used to be that if your battery drained flat you had to start the charge briefly with a higher voltage ( like 18 volts ). This would "kick" the coils and then it would take a full charge. Optima can give you a charger cat # that has this feature. Phone 888-867-8462

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Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 20, 2000

Some kinds of batteries die different ways. I run Optima. Don't know how it dies. I expected it to recharge if it did die completely. (Die means run completely out of electricity) Mine never has died so have not had to test it, but would really like to know if there is some problem with letting an Optima run completely down. Let us know - or anyone else for that matter - if there is a problem if the Optima does run completely down.

Doug '97 TJ
My Web Site

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Dirt Dog

· #7 · Jan 20, 2000

The first 12(yes 12) did'nt last 1 1/2 years. We use our stuff hard but this was silly for something that cost this much. They would recharge when down but after 6mo if it went flat I've never had one come up. A good A/C Delco has SMOKED them in my experiance, and thats what we use(again!!!!)
If you want an optima red top doorstop you can have one (or however many you want) if you want to pick it/them up/wwwthreads_images/icons/mad.gif......at least they look cool.
BTW 1 set for a year and never got used went down and never would take a charge!/wwwthreads_images/icons/frown.gif
My "boss" never bit*hed , he just never bought any more and we "donated almost new(but dead) ones to the battery man for a buck a piece.
I really hope a bunch of you guy's are having good luck w/ these batteries cause of all the good things I've heard about them , but NO MORE FOR ME!

Wider is better but taller is cooler!

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Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 20, 2000

i have bought a few dead ones and revived them. take them to you local battery store and have them put on their "gang charger" this can up the 70 volts and a battery to shock it back to life. have done this to two and have had no problems with them since. the only thing you need to remember about them are to maintian your charging system so that it provides no less than 13.5v and no more than 16 volts. delco regulators a common for putting out more than 16v if not watched.

dan

/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.giflet it snow/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

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Dirt Dog

· #9 · Jan 20, 2000

We have one(3) , but good answer.

Wider is better but taller is cooler!

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Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 20, 2000

Never heard anything like this before, but do understand it and am not questioning it. BUT do have a question.
Suppose you are out in the woods all night (alone, BTW - not fun, but makes the question more reasonable) shine the lights all night watching for grizzly bears or some such and run the Optima flat out. Fortunately with the foresight of parking on a hill, a quick run down the hill and pop the clutch, FIRST will it start (assume it will) and SECONDLY and more importantly, will the alternator recharge the Optima? If it takes a heavy jolt to "wake it up", that leads me to think it may not charge off the alternator. Right or wrong?? If it doesn't, 'course can always push it off again, but what happens to all that electricity that the alternator is putting out while the battery is not charging?

Doug '97 TJ
My Web Site

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jeepgod

· #11 · Jan 20, 2000

ok.. here we go.. have had one for 3 years now.. ran it dead.. i dont know.. 3 4 times. . ya i do some ******* stuff with these local yocals out here.. and it happens.. put the charger on it. BAM back it is.. till the next dumb incedent.. and yes my alternator has recharged it..

love the thing.. right now its in my wagoneer.. starting a 401.. need mucho amps for that ....

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Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 20, 2000

Well this is an interesting thread. I was going to buy a red and yellow optima's from JD's Offroad special
http://www.jdsoffroad.com/ for $284. But after reading this I'm not sure it's worth it.
My plan is use a deep cycle as my auxilary battery for my winch and use the main for starting, etc.
The auxilary can drain down and I can switch it to dual to charge it up again with the alternator.
Also if I leave the lights on I can switch to dual and have the auxilary supply the power to start.
Now I'm thinking a good AC Delco for main and a good deep cycle for auxilary and save the $.

Lee

/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif

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Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 20, 2000

I work in an industry that KILLS batteries. I like Delco's but they sulfate like any other battery. We started
buying Optima's 4 years ago and have been much happier. I had one go bad after 3 years, took it back and got a new
one FREE OF CHARGE. They have a 5 year warranty on them. I have one in my race/sand Jeep and
have one in my trail cj-5. The only thing I've found that kills them is running them completely dead and
leaving them that way. We've actually worn out the side post threads and worn down the top posts to a
point where the clamps won't tighten down far enough anymore and the battery keeps working.If you
run it down to a point where it won't take a charge then hit it hard with a heavy duty battery charger
and go again. Nickmil

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