There Goes My Optima D34 Smugness!

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Originally Posted by gavinwibrow

Any more thoughts/action on this. Interested, as I have the same setup. Cheers

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Not really. I've changed the cutout setting to 11.8v but have not done any testing.

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Originally Posted by gavinwibrow

Any more thoughts/action on this. Interested, as I have the same setup. Cheers

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Hi folks, and if you are fitting the SSB battery then you can safely leave the ABG-25 setting at 11.6v.

The manufacturer’s specs state the battery can be cycled down to 10.8v ( or 0% SoC ) but while I was testing the battery I had ( before I recked it ), I found that by leaving the ABG-25 setting at 11.6v, you got a 95% usage from the battery.

You would only have about 3Ah remaining, but move the ABG-25 setting up 11.8v, you miss out on about 7+Ah for no real gain.

Remember we are covering normal RV usage, where you go out camping on a periodical basis.

If you were living in a caravan and depending on battery power 24/7, then I would not discharge the battery below 12.0v. but for our usage, your battery is going to die of old age way before you cycle it to death.


Again, the 11.6v setting is fine.

Hi there, sorry to cast up an old post but it wouldn't let me DM you.

I have the same issue with the D31a yellowtop. Not a deep cycle. But it seems to have drained and I'm being told by the supplier that it was battery abuse. Tbf, I'm not aware of anything that would have drained it with my setup and surely this battery with all its claims would hold up more than ine discharge. Considering it was treated the same way as the car, like a big expensive baby.

As soon as it hit the two year mark. Problems started occurring.

Did you ever get any answer or resolution with your battery issue?

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Originally Posted by DieselLSE

Picked up the bulging Optima D34 from the retailer. CCA test came back OK, but Ah was down (forty-six or eight or something instead of 55Ah). But I was concerned about the safety of the bulging, so I went straight to the distributors, Federal Batteries in Keysborough. To their credit, they spoke with me and confirmed that the battery must have overheated and sulphated by being overcharged after having been left flat for some time. Not sure about this as the Traxide ABG-25 is set to cut-out at 11.6v (20%SoC) and the battery wouldn't have been left flat for long. Also, the Traxide USI-160 is designed to work with AGM batteries, so I cannot see that overcharging the Optima.
I expressed my concern that the battery could explode and they agreed that was always a possibility with any battery.
Whilst they wouldn't deal with a claim directly from me, they would deal with the retailer. So I returned the battery to the retailer who is quite happy to submit a claim as the battery is two years into a three year warranty. Interesting that the warranty is now two years!
In any event, I'm not comfortable taking such a distorted battery into the bush and I'm not now comfortable with Optima, so I immediately sourced an SSB HVT-50D AGM from the Victorian distributor Hollyhock Batteries Plus in Carrum Downs. I spoke with the MD, Phil, who is happy to consider doing a deal with AULRO members.
I'll be emailing Phil with a link to this and other related threads and we'll see if he wants to get involved.
In the meantime, I topped up the SSB overnight and fitted it this morning. One advantage for D3/4 use as a second battery is that you can remove the posts and simply bolt the Traxide cables (i.e remove the clamps) directly to where the posts were.
I'm also considering re-setting the ABG-25 Low Voltage Cut-out module from 11.6v to 11.8v (>30% SoC). Other options are 12.0v (>40%) and 12.3v (>60%).
I'll update this thread with how the warranty claim goes.

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Originally Posted by Rickydsk

Hi there, sorry to cast up an old post but it wouldn't let me DM you.

I have the same issue with the D31a yellowtop. Not a deep cycle. But it seems to have drained and I'm being told by the supplier that it was battery abuse. Tbf, I'm not aware of anything that would have drained it with my setup and surely this battery with all its claims would hold up more than ine discharge. Considering it was treated the same way as the car, like a big expensive baby.

As soon as it hit the two year mark. Problems started occurring.

Did you ever get any answer or resolution with your battery issue?

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Nup. They rejected the claim and I retired the Optima from vehicle use. But I have it in use on Sunday Island where it is one of a (non-linked) group of batteries powering my little cabin via two solar panels and controllers. Optima is going fine, but it is not stressed. The SSB HVT-50D started failing middle of last year, so I replaced it with a SSB HVT-70 and also replaced the Varta G14, but I probably didn't need to as it is still testing well. I also received an updated US-160 controller from Tim at Traxide as the one I had was also playing up. I did all this before my Simpson Desert trip for obvious reasons!

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Originally Posted by DieselLSE

Nup. They rejected the claim and I retired the Optima from vehicle use. But I have it in use on Sunday Island where it is one of a (non-linked) group of batteries powering my little cabin via two solar panels and controllers. Optima is going fine, but it is not stressed. The SSB HVT-50D started failing middle of last year, so I replaced it with a SSB HVT-70 and also replaced the Varta G14, but I probably didn't need to as it is still testing well. I also received an updated US-160 controller from Tim at Traxide as the one I had was also playing up. I did all this before my Simpson Desert trip for obvious reasons!

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In case you are looking for another reason not to get an Optima, the L-shaped D3/4 +ve battery terminal won't fit it as the battery posts are further from the edge of the case, unlike in my D2 which was just a cable, so I was able to swap the old battery out and Optima in when the starting battery died suddenly.