Thread: optima wont hold charge

Hi
Any battery will only take so many discharcge/recharge's If you have partially flattened it a lot then recharged it a lot it might just be on the way out.

Have you checked to see how much charge is getting to the battery with the engine running

Another possibility is what is called an open circiut, this is a small break in the internals of the battery. They will often still charge up but not as well. This one is a bit of a worry to charge as there can be a small spark that jumps across the break and can sometimes result in the battery igniting the gas given off while charging resulting in an explosion that sprays plastic and acid everywhere. ( Best not done inside)

If you can put on a slow charge overnight or even longer on as low a charege as you can and check it with a hydrometer in the morning. A long slow trickle charge is good.

If you have any doubts take it to an auto electrician and get him to do a load test after you have charged it fully.

Also don't leave it sitting on a concrete floor while charging they do not like that.

Hope this helps Andrew

its a optima which is a deep cycle gel cell battery so cant check it with a hydrometer

Sorry didnt realise try thr other stuff anyway.

Originally Posted by disco_mitch

its a optima which is a deep cycle gel cell battery so cant check it with a hydrometer

yellow top is deep cycle, blue top is a cranking battery

Don't trickle chargers kill gel batteries?

optima is not a gel but a spiral cell battery......

and the blue top can be used as a deep cycle as well as starter just like the yellow IIRC the blue top unlike the yellow can be mounted in any position....it can also sit around for 12months not being used and still have the amps required for cranking.

optimas do not have a long life I believe it is around 5yrs.....but like others have said I guess it depends how you have treated the battery.

what sort of dual battery set up have you got...have you checked your main battery if thats knackered I think there are possibility's it will wreck your second very quickly

Any Optima can be mounted in any position. The blue top's chemical composition is between the Yellow top (Deep cycle) and the Red top (starter) and can be used for deep cycling and starting.

Originally Posted by dullbird

optima is not a gel but a spiral cell battery......

and the blue top can be used as a deep cycle as well as starter just like the yellow IIRC the blue top unlike the yellow can be mounted in any position....it can also sit around for 12months not being used and still have the amps required for cranking.

optimas do not have a long life I believe it is around 5yrs.....but like others have said I guess it depends how you have treated the battery.

what sort of dual battery set up have you got...have you checked your main battery if thats knackered I think there are possibility's it will wreck your second very quickly

yea it has had what i would call a harsh three years of life always flattened always had something running off it,
about my main battery you know what i really havent thought about that might go to battery world the sarvo if i get time