These were the numbers on the old battery and the replacement is only 6 months old.
As I now know the draw was 60 mA and not .06 mA but that should not kill a battery on 6 months.
CK5
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Optima batteries, 4/10/18...battery status update
- Thread starter 76zimmer
- Start date
These were the numbers on the old battery and the replacement is only 6 months old.
As I now know the draw was 60 mA and not .06 mA but that should not kill a battery on 6 months.
I would add that the only thing you really know is your current is less then 70mA. You have run out of digets on your multimeter at that setting. You would need to put the probe in the mA slot to get the real measurement. Just don't open your door when you do that, the dome light is enough to pop the mA fuse.
I'm having success with Orbital but I haven't had it for over a year yet. The Optima's never made it past 2 years in my Range Rover.
Got a new fuse for my fluke and check the draw again. As you can see it's 53 mA. I guess it just rounded up. This makes me wonder even more about optima batteries. Going completely dead in 4 days from 13+ volt charge to 3.44 volts. Plus the fact that two $200 batteries gone to poop when they were never ran down in the first place.
I'm no battery expert but I would suspect that if you tore that battery apart it would be sulfated. I suspect my Optima reached the same fate even though it was always on a battery tender. Honestly I wouldn't waste anymore time with the thing. Get a different brand battery, I know I won't be buying Optima's in the future. They just aren't worth the money anymore IMO.
I agree and wont be buying them either.
Once I get all the numbers put together I'll be taking this one back for a warranty replacement.
MJB774X, parasitic draws kill all kinds of batteries all the time- just ask Corvette owners. The answer to dealing with a parasitic draw is not to keep throwing new batteries at it, but either reduce the parasitic draw or maintain the voltage in a battery when it is not in use.
Rene, last time I heard from you, I believe you were going to cycle your RedTop a few times. Were you ever able to do that? For the benefit of those who are late to this conversation, Rene's (tRustyK5's) truck in his avatar does appear to have a winch on it, although I believe he previously indicated that the previous owner broke it (please correct me if that is not accurate). Our RedTop batteries are SLI (starting/lighting/ignition) batteries and are not designed or warrantied for deep-cycle use.
Tim, as I indicated in my previous post, a 60-milliamp draw should take about 38 days to discharge your battery (even longer at 53.1). The fact that the same discharge issue has happened to you with consecutive batteries in a short amount of time would indicate there may be something going on with your electrical system that is unrelated to your batteries and I would tell you that regardless of the brand you are using.
If you can fully-charge (about 13.0-13.2 volts) and disconnect your YellowTop from your vehicle for 12-24 hours, it should hold close to it's maximum voltage. I would be interested in knowing what the voltage is after that time.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Rene, last time I heard from you, I believe you were going to cycle your RedTop a few times. Were you ever able to do that? For the benefit of those who are late to this conversation, Rene's (tRustyK5's) truck in his avatar does appear to have a winch on it, although I believe he previously indicated that the previous owner broke it (please correct me if that is not accurate). Our RedTop batteries are SLI (starting/lighting/ignition) batteries and are not designed or warrantied for deep-cycle use.
Tim, as I indicated in my previous post, a 60-milliamp draw should take about 38 days to discharge your battery (even longer at 53.1). The fact that the same discharge issue has happened to you with consecutive batteries in a short amount of time would indicate there may be something going on with your electrical system that is unrelated to your batteries and I would tell you that regardless of the brand you are using.
If you can fully-charge (about 13.0-13.2 volts) and disconnect your YellowTop from your vehicle for 12-24 hours, it should hold close to it's maximum voltage. I would be interested in knowing what the voltage is after that time.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
SwampLife
Registered Member
this thread makes me a little nervous as I just spent 500 on two yellowtops for my diesel, but i have to say they did last me through about 2 weeks with no alternator before they wouldn't start it.
It shouldn't. If we have learned anything from this thread it is that any fault never, ever, lies with an Optima battery.
4xcrazy
3/4 ton status
Never bought an optima, never will, I may get flack for this, but I have always bought the Autozone Duralast gold batteries, 3 year free replacement warranty, which here in Arizona, they don't tend to last that long anyways, no matter the brand, so it's usually replaced for free at least once. They are the biggest cranking amp batteries I have come across yet, and power everything up in my truck and really have had no problems with them ever, even after the Burb has sat for several months, yes they do lose some charge,(always hooked up) I either put them on a 10 amp charge for half a day or take them in to the store for their power chargers they have, they always come back and don't have any issues with them.
I did hear a comment from an uncle though, stating that the bigger cranking amp batteries don't tend to last as long as standard/average ones due to the larger number of plates inside, leaving less room for the liquid & chemicals, not sure on this, because he's said some other stuff in the past that I know better than to believe.
I did hear a comment from an uncle though, stating that the bigger cranking amp batteries don't tend to last as long as standard/average ones due to the larger number of plates inside, leaving less room for the liquid & chemicals, not sure on this, because he's said some other stuff in the past that I know better than to believe.
Vetteracerx
1/2 ton status
I had a red top in my 01 ZO6 for around 1 year. Never problems with a draw. My wife and I drove 300 miles to a destination. I was inside for around 30 min. I tried to start my car. Totally dead. The battery was very hot? Did it short out internally? I had to walk about a 1/2 mile to a walmart, buy a battery , tools and carry all the crap back to my car. Not fun and I will never buy another one.
This needs a correction. It will take 38 days to discharge a brand new Optima I agree with that. The problem is at least with Optima's is that a tiny parasitic draw on the battery greatly reduces the life of the battery unless its charged up IMMEDIATELY. If its your daily driver will probably work fine. But if you regualarly let it sit for 2-3 days at a time the Optima wont last long. For my Range Rover that sits over the weekends my Optima's lasted at most 2 years. NEVER longer. Just because a battery can start a car doesn't make the battery good. Those Optima's start with an excellent reserve capacity which quickly diminishes to almost nothing.
Even on a battery tender the dang Optima doesn't last long. My last one lasted just barely 4 years in my NSX but before that I was replacing one almost every year.
My blazer sits for weeks at a time. I have a stereo and an alarm with remote start and paging alarm in it. I have a $40 Les schwab cheapo special in it. Going 5 years strong now. So no, not all batteries behave the way Optima's do. When you buy a premium battery you expect premium performance. With the Optima your paying a premium price and getting walmart special performance JMO.
I really don't understand this comment
How does this make the Optima any good? The battery I pulled from my NSX reads 12.7V after 24 hours yet wouldn't start a lawn mower. Voltage has nothing to do with current capacity. I can maybe understand the internal resistance inside the battery makes it drain itself and that is what your commenting on. But a battery with the correct voltage doesn't guarantee a good battery either. The only way to guarantee that the battery is any good is to load test the battery.
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Charged it to 13.64 last night and disconnected it. In the morning it was 10.44.
There isn't anything else I know to check. Draw is with in a reasonable limit, the alternator checks out fine and I'm not burning anything up so what else could it be. I'm not the only one suffering from repeated dead optima batteries.
I've got them in my 2500 dodge. Garbage as well. My buddy worked at autozone and got me a deal on them 2 years ago. Ive had both batteries replaced twice, on my third set. I'll be looking for another brand when they finally stop exchanging these. I'm fairly certain the golds have a 7 year warranty.
I've got an optima in my gmc. It randomly dies, too. When it was a year old it sat for about 7 months out of the truck. It fired right up. In the last few months it's died overnight 3 times. It always comes back, but I'm always expecting it to strand me somewhere. I expect more when I pay more. Pretty disappointed as well. Seems like they're just riding on a name rather than producing a quality product.
haven't read, but I'm guessing we're talking about red tops? 
ah, the joy's of "cranking" batteries.....
They usually do ok in a DD, but the first deep discharge they get, they're fubar'd... might bring 1 out of 10 back in to decent service...
you guys should all be running deep cycles for the occasional accidental full discharge factor alone.... I'll take the 100 less CCA (which don't mean chit, the load, is the load) for 300 reserve minutes any day...
ah, the joy's of "cranking" batteries.....
They usually do ok in a DD, but the first deep discharge they get, they're fubar'd... might bring 1 out of 10 back in to decent service... you guys should all be running deep cycles for the occasional accidental full discharge factor alone.... I'll take the 100 less CCA (which don't mean chit, the load, is the load) for 300 reserve minutes any day...
Well I think that is probably the thing that pisses a lot of us off is that they don't get deeply discharged. If that were the case it would be understandable.haven't read, but I'm guessing we're talking about red tops?
ah, the joy's of "cranking" batteries.....
I own 5 cars so the Range Rover gets driven everyday but the weekends. Just sitting over the weekend is enough to fubar these Optima's in short order.
My NSX sits on a battery tender year round. Gets driven maybe once a year. Toast after barely 4 years. Before that I was replacing them about every year.
yeah, that was just an anti-sheep-establishment rant on my part..
I certainly won't vouche for Optima... I have seen more failures in the boats in recent yrs... but I have, maybe, 6 Optima's (owner bought) out of 200 batteries, so it's not a huge slice to be looking at..
my only guess could be in lead quality.. the design hasn't changed afaik... and I do like the tech.... I'm always pushing my customers on Lifelines, quality piece... but wet batteries are so much cheaper, the swapover is slowed...
We get an occasional bad wet Interstate off the truck.. but it's very very rare, 1 in the last 3 yrs... we get consistent service out of the em, albeit messier...
I certainly won't vouche for Optima... I have seen more failures in the boats in recent yrs... but I have, maybe, 6 Optima's (owner bought) out of 200 batteries, so it's not a huge slice to be looking at..
my only guess could be in lead quality.. the design hasn't changed afaik... and I do like the tech.... I'm always pushing my customers on Lifelines, quality piece... but wet batteries are so much cheaper, the swapover is slowed...
We get an occasional bad wet Interstate off the truck.. but it's very very rare, 1 in the last 3 yrs... we get consistent service out of the em, albeit messier...
4xcrazy
3/4 ton status
It's been a long time now since I heard this somewhere, but I was told that like tire manufacturers, batteries are also one of those items that are only made by one or two manufacturers in the U.S. Companies go to these manufacturers with the specifications on how they want their batteries made, and then they are produced and labeled accordingly.
yup... not sure how many but there's only a few...
BUT, the specs mean EVERYTHING... it's like when snappy spec's something out to a tool manny, as opposed to HF or something...
BUT, the specs mean EVERYTHING... it's like when snappy spec's something out to a tool manny, as opposed to HF or something...
What is a Lifeline? I have a boat just using a wet cell in that. I prefer the non-spillable batteries to because they are so much cleaner.
http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/
outstanding quality, but they ain't cheap... but even Lifelines are cheap compared to Rolls-Surrette's
wet batteries, but rebuildable, replaceable cells.. a battery for a LIFETIME!
http://www.surrette.com/
I RARELY see them, much less in recent yrs... they are STUPID money!
