Thread: Traxide vs. Redarc

Originally Posted by landoman

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So can I conclude from this that my starter ( 8 months old ) is in ok shape

I now want to find why it’s loosing charge over 4 or 5 days

....

Is it a redtop?
Brother has a yelow top and redtop.
His yellow is fine, may lose half a volt in two weeks(or so).
Redtop does exactly the same as your description. Batteries about 2 years old now. Just came out of the blue.
Bro doesnt' drive the TD5 a lot too. I had it in my driveway for a few months doing small bits and bobs on it, and how I noticed this redtop becoming a problem.

Tests fine after a day or so sitting after a good charge.
Hold charge OK-ish for a few days(maybe 3 or 4 or whatever).
But in a week, maybe 5 days, drops down to under 12v, and even tho 11.9 should be OK to start the TD5, it won't.
We have a VSR dual batt with a jump starter over ride to the yellow top. I gets just enough current to get the TD5 started.

But in two weeks of no starting or charging the redtop, even the jump start feature won't crank the TD5 .. I have to hook up the truck battery to start it.

I've read that Optima have dropped the ball in recent times with the quality of their batteries.

Originally Posted by Tombie

This 8 month old battery... there’s a thing called a warranty.

Take the battery to the shop, have it load tested.......

My Century lasted 10 months.
Dropped a cell.
Idiot me, left it in the car after jump starting, and removed it at the store.
Of course the car charged the battery up again.
Counter person tested battery .. all good .. even tho I know it wasn't.
DOH!

Next day, I disconnected it and repeated the process.
This time around at the store, was the Century salesman/service chap.
He tested it, and didn't even place the battery under load.
Showed 9 volts, and he instructed store person to replace battery.
Took about 5 mins.

No problem to get a new battery if it’s the problem ...it’s just that I’m not convinced yet that it is

Tested at super cheap says the battery is good

Now have done the following as per traxide suggestion

Put starter on. Ctek every night for 10 nights

After 10th night took off the ctek and let battery
Rest for 2 hours
Voltage 13.01
Turned ignition on voltage 12.62
Turned headlights on voltage 12.30

After 2 mins voltage 12.31
After 3 Mins 12.32
After 4. 12.34
After 5. 12.34
After 6. 12.34
After 7. 12.35
After 8. 12.35
After 9. 12.35
After 10. 12.35

Turned ignition and lights off and waited 30 mins. Voltage 12.58

Could we conclude that the battery is ok ?

In my book she's good. I clamp metered my car one time. 30amps when the door is opened. It's crazy.

Originally Posted by landoman

Could we conclude that the battery is ok ?

Hi Landoman and sorry mate, while your test shows that your battery is in a reasonably good condition “NOW”, it is no indication as to what your battery’s condition was before you started the rejuvenation cycles.

The problem you were having in the first place was about diminished battery CAPACITY.

The Battery Test you got done was for the CCA of the battery and a battery’s CCA has absolutely nothing to do with or is in anyway an indication of battery CAPACITY.

I think it's just the commonly reported issue of optima quality degradation in recent years.

I'd done similar things to brothers D2TD5 when I had it for a few months about mid year.
It was sitting for a few weeks getting some dash panel stuff done to it, and knowing the batteries were only a couple years old at most(maybe 18 months) .. I didn't expect them to have issues.
But the redtop lost charge in about a week. Less so, the yellow top.
Put it on the charger .. etc, etc... held charge for a very short while .. a few days(maybe 5 or 7 or whatever) and dead again.

I have a NOCO charger, did a rejuvination .. no difference in either charge holding ability, nor any better at CCA.
CCA rating even after letting it sit for a few days was always just over what the battery was rated at.
I think D34 reds have 800CCA, battery tester always showed just above, maybe 805 or 815 or whatever, but always more than rated.
This was about mid year(before Queens Birthday) so I can't recall all the details exactly, but I remember it seemed to be OK .. other than losing charge after a few days.

As the interior panel work took few weeks to complete(massive idiot damage by previous owners!) .. I then had it constantly connected to a solar panel, and cheapie redarc regulator for weeks.

Brother has had the D2 back since about Sept, and he's reporting battery is still losing charge after (say) a week or so. But it cranks fine after sitting for say 3 days or so, with volts showing low 12's.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Landoman and sorry mate, while your test shows that your battery is in a reasonably good condition “NOW”, it is no indication as to what your battery’s condition was before you started the rejuvenation cycles.

The problem you were having in the first place was about diminished battery CAPACITY.

The Battery Test you got done was for the CCA of the battery and a battery’s CCA has absolutely nothing to do with or is in anyway an indication of battery CAPACITY.

Ok good so if we assume my battery is in fairly good condition NOW ( just checked voltage at
12.83 ..24 hours after last test ) after the rejuvenation process is there my other tests I would need to do to check CAPACITY...before I re hook up my traxide and see what happens

many thanks

First I’d just put it back in the vehicle and hook the vehicle up ONLY.

Then do your monitoring again.

This will set baseline for standard vehicle draw.

Originally Posted by landoman

Ok good so if we assume my battery is in fairly good condition NOW ( just checked voltage at
12.83 ..24 hours after last test ) after the rejuvenation process is there my other tests I would need to do to check CAPACITY...before I re hook up my traxide and see what happens

many thanks

Just put everything back together as it was, and see how long your batteries take to discharge now.