Optima Battery.....

[Silver Bullet]

Well might have to add another $120 or so to the money pile. I bought a New Optima battery for the Stang about two months before it broke. Well It has sat in the car for about 4 years now. I know I have had to have it charged a couple of times due to it being drained. I let Autozone charge it yesterday and went to pick it up tonight. 12.91volts at first, under a load it dropped to 8.31 or so, I knew it might not be good. It said charge and retest so hopefully another trickle charge overnight cures the problem, but I doubt it. I have had another one I have had in 3 different vehicles that is eight to ten years old and still turns over my truck. Just my luck......

[Ranger50]

Make sure when you have those idiots at the "stoner"Zone test the battery make ABSOLUTELY, even to the point of being irate, sure the machine is set up to test an Optima battery. If they don't, you will ALWAYS have a bad battery show up. More times then not the monkey doesn't care either. They only know what the machine says, good or bad.

My buddy was a manager at Retread Auto here and after hours would see if the "bad" Optima's were really "bad"... He'd set the machine up as intended and test. I think he said all but one "bad" battery tested out good.

[Silver Bullet]

Make sure when you have those idiots at the "stoner"Zone test the battery make ABSOLUTELY, even to the point of being irate, sure the machine is set up to test an Optima battery. If they don't, you will ALWAYS have a bad battery show up. More times then not the monkey doesn't care either. They only know what the machine says, good or bad.

My buddy was a manager at Retread Auto here and after hours would see if the "bad" Optima's were really "bad"... He'd set the machine up as intended and test. I think he said all but one "bad" battery tested out good.

How is the setting different, I had a "what seemed to be a new guy" test mine.

Secondly, the volts under load seemed low....

Thanks for the input....

[Ranger50]

I want to say it's HOW the load is applied....

[quik lx]

Terry I have a tester and a trickle charger to check it out. Sorry again for last wed, stupid phone...anyway I get my schedule today and I'll call and check if anything 's good for you in the coming week!

[chad393na]

I'm not sure if it applies to the "gel cell" type batteries, but most batteries that sit for 4 years will go bad.

[Silver Bullet]

Well, I picked it up this A.M. and they used a hand held tester this time. When they put it under a load with it, the guage didn't even move. They said it was good. The guage not even moving under a load makes me skeptical of the machine, oh well. I will find out when I go to start the beast.

[BigBadStang]

i would try it before i went out an bought a new one. i too have had problem with "the zone" testing $hit and telling me it the part is bad and to later find out it was something else, and the tested part was ok.

[Silver Bullet]

Well here is an update...... I put the battery in my truck and it barely turns it over but it starts, after driving it for a couple of hours.... it seems it still will barely turn it over, but just enough to start it. Im hoping it will get better with a little use... I doubt it though.

[myownr]

with that 11 miles of wire you added, i doubt it

[Mista Bone]

SB, break out the DVOM and start reading voltages.

First off, with car running at 1500 rpm, no electrical loads, should see 14.3-14.6v depending on you voltage regulator.

Then start turning on electrical loads, mainly headlights on high beam, rear defroster, heater on full blast...you get the idea.

Voltage should stay about 12.0v, more common to see 12.5-12.7v depending on your grounds and alternator.

I suspect a corroded/bad ground....how old it the car?????

with that 11 miles of wire you added, i doubt it

Car audio install???? While most people upgrade the power cables, they over look the OEM grounding points, like block to frame, so the starter gets no where near enough voltage FLOW (amperage) due to the high resistance.

I think I got all the terms right, ask Paul!

[PonymanfiveO]

Junk that P.O.S. Optima and get a Mega-Tron.

[Black92LX]

Junk that P.O.S. Optima and get a Mega-Tron.

The Transformers Movie doesn't come out till the 4th of July

I had my Optima stop holding a charge but it was still under warranty and Advanced Auto replaced it no questions asked.

[Silver Bullet]

The Transformers Movie doesn't come out till the 4th of July

I had my Optima stop holding a charge but it was still under warranty and Advanced Auto replaced it no questions asked.

I called optima, they are making me jump through hoops and do circus tricks to get the warranty.

[BigBadStang]

The Transformers Movie doesn't come out till the 4th of July

I had my Optima stop holding a charge but it was still under warranty and Advanced Auto replaced it no questions asked.

hmmmm....alot of similarities...optima...optimus prime...then the mega-tron thing...
nice pick up there Black!!
thanks for the laugh!

[glassman]

Mines dead to and charging didn't help

[Silver Bullet]

Well they finally sent me a new one. I'm going to put the other one through charge after charge after charge and see if I can bring it back to life.

[glassman]

They sent u one???? I got mine at auto zone is that how they xchange em???

[Silver Bullet]

If you bought it at Autozone, just take it back there and if it is bad they will exchange it.

[glassman]

I'm going to, I just had it out of the garage and on the charger for about 2/3 hrs. and had to use a jump box to get it started.