LOST JEEPS :: View topic - Optima Question/Lesson/Help

Well TJ you are obviously the expert and the battery guy that I talked to wasn't. By the way this is a new Diehard Gold battery called an "Advanced" and if you had taken the time to go to the link you would find that it was in a grey case not a black on as it common on the others in the Gold series.

On a more pleasant note, after getting the Schumacher to recognize the Red Top as a 12 volt battery and slow charging all night it is back to 100%. I am now charging the second one and was able to force it to be recognized as a 12 volt battery too. In case anyone else has this issue with an auto charger dealing with a battery registering under 8 volts, I put the charger in the jump start mode for a few minutes and was able to push the terminal voltage up to 9 plus volts. After that the charger was satisfied that it was a 12 volt battery and not a 6 volt.

Have a great day all and thanks to those who provided positive suggestions to get me headed in the right direction.

Author:	Cowcatcher [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:27 pm ]
Post subject:	Optima Question/Lesson/Help
I have had no trouble with my Optima in the Jeep and I have had two of them in my hay swather for well over 10 years. When I needed new batteries for the tractor about 4 years ago I chose not to heed all your warnings and bought two for the tractor. I went to start it up yesterday and it was dead, not even any warning lights on the instrument cluster. I checked to see if I hadn't forgotten and left the key on when I last used it a couple of weeks ago so I checked to see if the light switch was on....not much else electric on a diesel tractor, nope lights off. I dug out the Schumacher 100a charger analyzer and hooked it up and went on my way. This morning I checked to see if it was fully charged and it was but still nothing. I pulled the cables off and hooked up the charger again. I haven't had the Scuhmacher all that long and I didn't notice that it was recording only 6.7 volts on the batteries and charging as though they were 6 volt batteries. So, question for you all. Are they gone? Can I bring them back to a high enough voltage with a trickle charge with another charger to get the Schumacher to recognize them as 12 volts and charge them the rest of the way? Did my tractor kill them or is this the quality that can be expected not of Optima?

Author:	BlackLibertyCRD [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:14 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
Those batteries need a long slow charge overnight to be fully charged. I hate automatic charge selection for it not going to be right. Set manually to about 40 amp about 30 minutes then 10 amp to the end of the day then 2 amp overnight.

Author:	Cowcatcher [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
Thanks, I will try to return them to life. I did put them on my old 10 amp sears charger but it doesn't work so well and keeps shutting down. I need to replace the red top in the CRD before winter so I decided to go with an Odyssey this time around given this experience and all the bad I am hearing from others about Optima is bad. I have some old ones in the swather that just keep plugging away and I can't complain about the one in the CRD but I know others haven't been so lucky. If anyone is interested in the Odyssey TNRBattery has them for $235 delivered.

Author:	tjkj2002 [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
To charge a optima that dead take a wet cell battery and hook the charger to that and put on a 1-2 amp charge,then take jumper cables and go from the wet cell battery to the optima.That way the charger will keep charging it.If that does not work there done for.

Author:	Cowcatcher [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
The charger finally figured one of them out an is at 37% charge and about 11.7 volts. We will see if the other one charges when this one is done. The Odessey from TRM Battery was a DT. It didn't indicate that the $235 was a closout price and they were out of them. They subbed another one for the same price that has the regular top terminals and then the threaded posts for accessores. That may be a closeout too. The support guy at TRM was very helpful though and before we worked out a solution he suggested Sears Diehard Gold. He told me that Odyssey made this battery too. It is a 775CCA battery and on the Sears Friends site they are on sale for $139.**. If the Red tops are no longer dependable in the tractor these may be a good alternative. In the meantime I need to figure out what drew the Red Tops down or if they are jst warn out. I think I will be pulling the cables on them when not in use. If they stay charged unplugged I know I have an electric problem someplace.

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Author:	tjkj2002 [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:04 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
The Platinum Series from Sears are Odyessy batteries,the gold series is a normal wet cell battery made by someone else(not Odyessy).

Author:	Cowcatcher [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:26 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
tjkj2002 wrote: The Platinum Series from Sears are Odyessy batteries,the gold series is a normal wet cell battery made by someone else(not Odyessy). Man TJ you need to fact check! The is a gold AGM and the guy at the battery place told me it was also made by Odyssey. http://www.sears.com/diehard-advanced-g ... 850734000P

Author:	tjkj2002 [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:48 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
Cowcatcher wrote: tjkj2002 wrote: The Platinum Series from Sears are Odyessy batteries,the gold series is a normal wet cell battery made by someone else(not Odyessy). Man TJ you need to fact check! The is a gold AGM and the guy at the battery place told me it was also made by Odyssey. http://www.sears.com/diehard-advanced-g ... 850734000P That battery is not made by Odyessy,Deka makes that one, and the "Gold" series from Sears is in a black case.

Author:	Cowcatcher [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:23 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
Well TJ you are obviously the expert and the battery guy that I talked to wasn't. By the way this is a new Diehard Gold battery called an "Advanced" and if you had taken the time to go to the link you would find that it was in a grey case not a black on as it common on the others in the Gold series. On a more pleasant note, after getting the Schumacher to recognize the Red Top as a 12 volt battery and slow charging all night it is back to 100%. I am now charging the second one and was able to force it to be recognized as a 12 volt battery too. In case anyone else has this issue with an auto charger dealing with a battery registering under 8 volts, I put the charger in the jump start mode for a few minutes and was able to push the terminal voltage up to 9 plus volts. After that the charger was satisfied that it was a 12 volt battery and not a 6 volt. Have a great day all and thanks to those who provided positive suggestions to get me headed in the right direction.

Author:	papaindigo [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:15 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
Having gone that flat I'll be curious to hear if they will hold a charge.

Author:	tjkj2002 [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:27 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
Cowcatcher wrote: Well TJ you are obviously the expert and the battery guy that I talked to wasn't. By the way this is a new Diehard Gold battery called an "Advanced" and if you had taken the time to go to the link you would find that it was in a grey case not a black on as it common on the others in the Gold series. On a more pleasant note, after getting the Schumacher to recognize the Red Top as a 12 volt battery and slow charging all night it is back to 100%. I am now charging the second one and was able to force it to be recognized as a 12 volt battery too. In case anyone else has this issue with an auto charger dealing with a battery registering under 8 volts, I put the charger in the jump start mode for a few minutes and was able to push the terminal voltage up to 9 plus volts. After that the charger was satisfied that it was a 12 volt battery and not a 6 volt. Have a great day all and thanks to those who provided positive suggestions to get me headed in the right direction. The battery you linked to is a re-badged Deka Intimadator AGM,not a Odyessy battery and hence the lower cost.The regular Gold series from Sears is a wet cell battery.

Author:	BlackLibertyCRD [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help

Author:	Cowcatcher [ Thu Aug 16, 2012 6:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Optima Question/Lesson/Help
Out with the old and in with the new. Replaced the OEM Red Top with the new Odyssey today. In the meantime both of the redtops on the tractor came back to life and are doing fine. I do need to figure out what drew them down originally. Boosting them on the charger to get them from 6.7 V to about 8.9 then slow charging them did the trick. Now I need to find the parasitic load that sucked the life out of them. i am suspicious of the starter solenoid. Thanks all for your help and advice.

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