Auxiliary Battery Issues

I had a Yellow top leak from the negative terminal about 10 Years ago and swore that I wouldn't get another. It severely corroded the RRC battery tray before I discovered it.

BUT the blue top is about the only one that fits easily in the ARB second battery cradle for a D2, with enough CCA AFAIK.

I have converted it to starting battery

I had one for 4 years until I thought it was bad because of bad starting , which turned out to be injector washers. LOL
I bought another then and it is still OK.
Optimas are supposed to handle heat better than other AGMs.

Regards Philip A

SSB do a Commodore battery that will go in there nicely.

Or XS Power - higher capacity but +$500 price tag.

There also appears to be a CAT agm that should fit, I’m chasing that up!

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

I had a Yellow top leak from the negative terminal about 10 Years ago and swore that I wouldn't get another. It severely corroded the RRC battery tray before I discovered it.

BUT the blue top is about the only one that fits easily in the ARB second battery cradle for a D2, with enough CCA AFAIK.

I have converted it to starting battery

I had one for 4 years until I thought it was bad because of bad starting , which turned out to be injector washers. LOL
I bought another then and it is still OK.
Optimas are supposed to handle heat better than other AGMs.

Regards Philip A

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Although minor, my battery hold down clamps are destroyed, will have to try source new ones, terminals are stuff there went 15 bucks, hold down decent hold down clamps will be around $30 min, also need a new battery after extremely low amounts of use (it's a third car) and 18months.

My starter is a $229 SuperCharge Gold, and it's been great, no problems, and it's now three years old.

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Originally Posted by Ferret

Specs don't list a CCA rating. Can you use a battery like that to jump start yourself if your main battery carks it.

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I've tried using the Optima to start the D4 when the starter has been below 11.7V so wouldn't start and it wouldn't do it anyway. Flicked to winch mode to link the two, nothing. So not even considering that, unless someone else has tried it and had success with a dead main?

I'm considering this SeaMaster Gold Marine Battery MF 640CCA
SeaMaster GOLD, Marine heights

I'm not sure it will fit though, as it has very close to optima spec heights, if the terminals are usually not included, if they usually are then it will most likely be too tall.Will need to measure mine when i get it back.

80AH, 640CCA

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Originally Posted by Russrobe

I've tried using the Optima to start the D4 when the starter has been below 11.7V so wouldn't start and it wouldn't do it anyway. Flicked to winch mode to link the two, nothing. So not even considering that, unless someone else has tried it and had success with a dead main?

I'm considering this SeaMaster Gold Marine Battery MF 640CCA
SeaMaster GOLD, Marine heights

I'm not sure it will fit though, as it has very close to optima spec heights, if the terminals are usually not included, if they usually are then it will most likely be too tall.Will need to measure mine when i get it back.

80AH, 640CCA

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I wouldn’t bother with anything not AGM

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Originally Posted by Russrobe

I've tried using the Optima to start the D4 when the starter has been below 11.7V so wouldn't start and it wouldn't do it anyway. Flicked to winch mode to link the two, nothing. So not even considering that, unless someone else has tried it and had success with a dead main?

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I've had success with starting from the Optima auxiliary 3~4 times, hence the original question.

If your Main is flat then I have found after flicking your Traxide switch to link the batteries you need to wait ~5 minutes before trying to start.

The flat main battery seems to suck all the life out of everything once you connect to auxillary to it. Give it a bit for the two batteries to equalise somewhat.

Hi folks and you can only jump start from a second battery, if the cranking battery is in a good condition but in a low state of charge.

I test every vehicle I can, to see how low a cranking battery can be before it no longer has the ability to start a motor.

With my TDV8 RR, when I first got it, I discharged the cranking battery and an Optima D34 Yellow top down to 11.5v.

At 11.5v, I could still start the V8 off the just the cranking battery, at 11.3v, I could not turn the motor over, but after connecting the Optima ( which was at 11.5v ) the motor started.

The problem with this type of test is that both batteries were in a good state of health.

I common "complaint" I get is that while on holidays, someone has had a problem with their D4 cranking battery going flat and they could not start the motor.

They all have the same question in that " isn't the isolator supposed to protect the cranking battery from going flat".

My first question to them is " Did you measure the voltage of both batteries " and in most cases, the answer is NO.

In some cases, they have and they didn't click to the potential problem being of their own doing when they get a voltage reading of say 11.0v on the cranking battery and anything up to 12.0v on the auxiliary battery.

My next question is " How many children were with you "

They nearly always state one or more and I reply " that's why you couldn't start your motor "

If people keep going to their D4, opening doors or the tailgate, then they will eventually discharge both batteries down to 12.0v.

At 12.0v, my isolators turn off and end up protecting the AUXILIARY battery.



NoW to the low life mongrel who owns one of the companies importing Optima batteries.

After a number of my customer contacted me over problems with their Yellowtop batteries and one of them supplying me with the phone number of the owner. I gave him a call.

He is nothing more than an arrogant lying SOB.

First off he claims that the warped top is nothing more than a cometic fault and the batteries is still fully functional.

This may be the case with most of the complains, but some are having the same problems mentioned here, where one of the terminals is appearing to corrode.

When I raised this with him, he stated that they had tested these batteries and they were good. But he then claimed that those having problems had overcharged the Optima.

To this I replied that they were all in Discovery 4s and as such, the highest voltage they could get is 14.7v and he replied that this was too high for an AGM.

To which I informed him that Optima specifically state that their batteries can be charged with as high as 15.1v

He then stated, and I asked him to repeat his answer " What happens is the "REGULATOR" turns off and this causes the Optima to over charge "

After he repeated this a second time, I asked him " If this was the case, why don't the AGM cranking battery have the same problems"

To this he replied he was busy and he hung up.

My question then is: "is Traxide going to continue using Optima yellow tops?"

This attitude by this fellow is a worry. Would it be wise to send a report to ACCC?

cheers Neil

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Originally Posted by Dfornow

Would it be wise to send a report to ACCC?

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I reckon this is what is going to be needed.

I don't sell the Optima Yellowtops but even with the possible COSMETIC warp in some of them, they are still the best choice by far.

No other battery that I know of, offers the advantages that the Yellowtops offer.

But if you buy them either off eBay or through someone local, who will warranty to honour there warranty if needed, then all should be well.

None of the other batteries I have tried, including Lead Crystal, fit in the space in front of the cranking battery.

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Originally Posted by drivesafe

I reckon this is what is going to be needed.

I don't sell the Optima Yellowtops but even with the possible COSMETIC warp in some of them, they are still the best choice by far.

No other battery that I know of, offers the advantages that the Yellowtops offer.

But if you buy them either off eBay or through someone local, who will warranty to honour there warranty if needed, then all should be well.

None of the other batteries I have tried, including Lead Crystal, fit in the space in front of the cranking battery.

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I'm not sure why i can't just freight it back to them, or just drop it off to someone to knows what they're doing unlike this clueless monkey with no equipment accept for a 1980s bench teester and no common sense.

I'm no electronics genius (i'm in my 1st yr study of Electrical Engineering at uni though so hopefully know something by now), but this guys blame game tactics defy the laws of physics!

The problem i see is, if you buy off Ebay, will you be taking it to this guy like i have to, if you're from W.A? If so, i wouldn't recommend anyone from W.A buys one, as it will end up at the same place.

Be better off using a company that honours their warranty, even if it's only 12 months, pay 30% less for the battery, and replace them more often if required.