ShaunO

My battery has bit the big one. I took it in to Battery World and they said that it's beyond repair. As well, they say the price of an Optima has doubled. Can anyone recommend a place to get a decent deal?

RacerJason

iTrader: (5)

Just a question but why do you want to put a 50 pound battery in your car? I've got a blue top sitting in my garage that I use to boost my cars but I can't imagine installing it.

Alak

iTrader: (9)

If anyone knows batteries, shaun would. Hes gone through about, what like half a dozen el-cheapo batteries? Why not get the best!

ShaunO

Actually, they haven't been el cheapos; they've all been Optimas, including the yellow top that came with the vehicle. I'm on my third one in less than 9 years. In years past, I have an electrical problem that wouldn't go away. That got sorted out, but this year I just didn't find time to drive the car, so the battery died.

I'd love to get a cheapo battery, but I believe it has to be a gel cell if it's inside the cockpit. Right?

Alak

iTrader: (9)

Sounds about right. My car came with a red-top. But to be honest, I have no Idea where to buy optimas in store anymore. CT used to carry them, but now they have only motomaster eliminator, which is a good gel cell battery too.

TD07

Walmart had them, Costco had them. I can't confirm they still do but they did. Also a place called A&D battery could get them and I delt with East Penn for work and they would bring them in as well.

now

iTrader: (1)

unreal
I get on average 12 + years out of an optima.
I have a yellow top that I left dead for two years in my old cosmo and
it froze each winter and it charged up and tested good this spring!
I would say your charger is nfg.
I use a pulse type charger which brings them back from what looks like the grave.
I sell batteries at my shop and i have yet to get a optima that wouldnt charge back up
other than the one that was 15 years old.
matt

rd_turbo

iTrader: (4)

I remember seeing the at a local Costco not too long ago...not sure how stock varies from province to province

ShaunO

I'm not familiar with the term 'pulse' charger. Can you give me a for instance?

For what it's worth, I have a decent charger. It has settings for conventional and deep cycle bateries, and it can charge at 50a, 10a, and 2a. I've tried all charge rates, as I've been told that a charger won't charge a battery at 2a if it's completely dead. (Obviously, I've only used the 50a charge rate for maybe a minute at a time)

Right now, the old battery is at Battery World, where it was purchased. They called the other day and said they weren't able to revive it.

now

iTrader: (1)

how old was this battery?
canadian tire has pulse type chargers, cant remember the make of the one that
i have but i am sure there are other makes.
maybe you have a magic touch for doing in opima batteries.
matt

Syritis

iTrader: (2)

It just has to be a no-maintanence (no vents) battary and ur fine, so any optima works.

ShaunO

Nah, I don't have a magic touch. In the case of the first couple batteries, the car had a pretty severe electrical problem. It was the brain for the alarm. Because it was a fairly high-end alarm, I kept trying to repair it rather than starting fresh with a new alarm. In the case of the last battery, I hooked the battery up in March in order to move the car and then never disconnected it. By the time I got around to driving the car, the battery was dead.

Alak

iTrader: (9)

Is a pulse type the same as a trickle charger?

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

"Pulse" chargers are supposed to charge the battery by applying pulses. Some claim that its a miracle charger. Really, this topic comes up about once every month on the EV list and in general there is no scientific evidence to back up claims that pulse charging is any better then standard charging. Lead acid batteries are funny creatures. Generally just a few heavy charge cycles with either type of charger and a few discharges will bring some life back to a "dead" battery.

now

iTrader: (1)

if the battery isnt that old you should be able to get a new one with warranty.
walmart sells them just under 200.

ShaunO

I didn't pull the trigger on getting a new battery. I'll go back to Battery World and pick up the old one. If I can charge it, great. If not, I guess I'll go out and get a new one.

TYSON

Optima batteries are crap. The very short (for a battery that costs that much) warranty is from date of manufacture, not date of sale. As has been stated already, the only proper way to charge them is with the 'pulse' charger, which means your alternator does not charge it correctly.

If you need a cell battery, buy the Canadian Tire one. Way cheaper, and they don't give you any lip when you take it back.

I would get an Odyssey if I was going to spend a bunch on the battery, spill proof battery you can get in smaller sizes.

This is the charger I was referred to as able to recover Optima batteries from the dead. CTek Used to be $200, now $70.

The local stereo shop was able to recover 30 of 31 Optimas that had been returned as failed and would not hold a charge from a regular charger or alternator. (He had covered the warranty for each out of his own pocket after Optima told him to get fucked, despite selling truckloads of them)

84stock

iTrader: (5)

Costco usually has the best price

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

A "pulse" charger is actually not the way to charge an AGM type battery. While an alternator does not charge them correctly, it's not because of the lack of pulsing but because of the low finish voltage. If you cycle a battery such as an Optima (which I agree is a total waste of lead and sulphuric acid...the quality of Optimas has gone down a LOT in the last 7 years) you need to have a high finish voltage on the order of 14.9V or so. An alternator is not set up for this charge curve so the battery is chronically undercharged. This only applies for CYCLE use though, not starting use. All deep cycle batteries will have similar behaviour.

ShaunO

You're not the first person to recommend the Odyssey. Maybe that's the way to go. For $70, the CTek sounds interesting, but I hate to roll the dice with $70.

Alak

iTrader: (9)

I have to say, in my FB, I have a red top optima. The voltage never moves from 13.5 ever. You can turn on anything, do anything at any idle and it will stay there. It flickers a bit, but never really moves. Undercranking I get about 13V.


But the best battery I ever owned was a Gel Cell Eliminator. I had one in my diesel truck (two accually) and they work very well in VERY cold tempuratures.

ShaunO

Cold weather is not a consideration for me. The car doesn't get driven unless the sun's out and the roads are dry.

Are Odyssey batteries fairly easy to come by in Calgary? Does Canadian Tire carry them? Walmart?

Out of curiosity, does anyone carry the CTek charger in town?

Syritis

iTrader: (2)

I've had my optima battary for 3 years now starting it everyday. the optima has out lasted 2 alternators and me overloading the system for much of a year. the stereo i had installed never gave me any extra amperage so the battary rare recieved a charge. not to mention being relocated, so the longer cables can't be nice to it either, but still it starts for me everyday, sun or snow.

Smitter

i'm runnin a Braille Auto battery.......the demensions are smaller compared to an oddysey with the same cca's....and they come dressed in carbon fibre

ShaunO

Thanks for the recommendation, but I think I'm going to try and round up an Odyssey battery today.

Next question... How does one legally dispose of a battery?