optima red top death

so.. ..jeep runs fine.
yesterday, i started it up waiting for a pal.
he took over 5 minutes, so i shut her down.
went to start it again, got a half a cycle and then nothing.

turn the key again, nothing.
no power whatsoever.
checked all fuses, everything was good.
figured it was the battery.

i was right.
got a jump and it fired up.
my voltage indicator was all the way to the right and check gauges was on.
this went away after driving for maybe ten minutes..
..then came right back.
stopped and parked, and again, the battery is super toast.

so.. ..my question is this.
is this how optimas die?
without warning?

i put mine in in 03 and have had zero issues.
all the way up until its 'death' yesterday.

i want to get another one.
what do you guys know about red tops vs yellow tops.
and i suppose any ideas on the best deals in canada would rock.
vancouver bc.

cheers,

andy

sounds like maybe the regulator on your alternator started going out and was supplying to many volts to your battery. and fried it. it would prob be the reason your battery wasnt charging the first time you had it running. you could put in a new battery and moniter with a dvom the voltage at your battery with the jeep running. if it is erratic then look into your alternator. and if im not mistaken the yellow top is a deep cycle and the red is not. I know the red has more cca though.

i guess maybe it could be alternator - but i think not.
i have had zero 'creep up' troubles with power in the jeep.
it ran fine and started fine 5 minutes before the 'death'

then it suddenly wouldn't start.
but maybe youre right because it did read HIGH voltage on the gauges.
although, the gauges did go back to normal after i drove for ten minutes.

but why would a jump make it run then?

*waiting for 5-90's advice*

my yellow top died in a similar fashion.. instantly with no warning.

That is how my last red top died.

Rev

My Optima red top lasted 6 years, It ripped the battery box off my powerwagon 3 times and got run over by the 44's.

One time I had to search for it around a corner for 45 minutes!!

When I found the mangled battery, I smacked the negative post to seat it back on the battery, and it cranked right up!

So the tranny blew up in that truck and I put it in my 90 XJ... The battle Wagon.

Had a 9000lb winch on it and I yanked that rig all over the planet with that battery for another 4 years.

One day for no reason, after coming back from a beating, My voltage guage spiked out. I had thought it was the alternator, but after driving it just as you had said, it would normalize. it lasted another week then would not start the jeep any longer. after the first time it spiked, it was normal for a few days then it would not go UP to normal. If I disconnected the battery while it was running, the guage would read normal.

I NEED A NEW REDTOP!

:new: ...but the Odysee drycells look like the way to go!

thanks for the advice, everyone.
rev - i find comfort in your similar experience.

how was winterfest?

i will check out those odysees
-but i am inclined to just pick up another red top.

i suppose a 5 year run isn't too bad, considering.

thanks again,

andy

huh! who knew that optimas went out like that. never seen a battery die like that before. i guess now i know what to expect when mine gives up the ghost.

jeeptx23 said:

sounds like maybe the regulator on your alternator started going out and was supplying to many volts to your battery. and fried it. it would prob be the reason your battery wasnt charging the first time you had it running. you could put in a new battery and moniter with a dvom the voltage at your battery with the jeep running. if it is erratic then look into your alternator. and if im not mistaken the yellow top is a deep cycle and the red is not. I know the red has more cca though.

Click to expand...

As I recall, the Red Top is a starting battery, (high loads, high charge rate, short duration,) the Blue Top is a deep cycle battery (low loads, low charge rate, long duration,) and the Yellow Top is supposed to be a combination of the two. You want to kill a starting battery? Use it as a deep cycle. The reverse is also true.

Given what you've experienced and described, I'd first dig out my DMM and check a couple of things (before I replaced the battery, and started suspecting other things...)

1) Disconnect the ignition, check battery voltage. Should be 12.6VDC or higher.
2) Have a helper crank the engine while you want battery voltage - should be 9.6VDC or higher (lower indicates either a "surface charge" on the battery or a dead cell.)
3) Battery voltage should recover to 12.6VDC or better within a few seconds.
4) Reconnect the ignition. Start the engine. Voltage at the battery ("charging voltage") should be 13.0VDC or better. It should be slightly higher than battery voltage with the engine OFF, but should not be over 14.5VDC (and really shouldn't be over 14.0VDC.) Overcharging (too high of a voltage) can also kill a battery.

As an experiment, if the voltage is high, run the throttle up to 1200-1300rpm. The increase in available current should allow the voltage to drop, indicating a battery problem. If it doesn't drop, suspect the alternator or the regulator instead.

5-90 said:

As I recall, the Red Top is a starting battery, (high loads, high charge rate, short duration,) the Blue Top is a deep cycle battery (low loads, low charge rate, long duration,) and the Yellow Top is supposed to be a combination of the two. You want to kill a starting battery? Use it as a deep cycle. The reverse is also true.

Click to expand...

Specs and what is on paper is one thing.

I think 6 years of terrible abuse using a Red top for deep cycle Winching and starting, proves to me what a tuff battery the red top really is.


Specs and Real life are two different things.
6 Years says so.:greensmok

I have seen more Yellow tops die used as deep cycle then Red tops.

Edit: Also Blue top is the hybrid start/deep, not the yellow. Yellow is deep cycle.

XJRubicon said:

Edit: Also Blue top is the hybrid start/deep, not the yellow. Yellow is deep cycle.

Click to expand...

Thank you. For some odd reason, I usually get those reversed (I'm probably thinking "blue = marine," and most deep cycle applications I've seen are for trolling motors and the like on boats...)

I have heard from a few buddies that there may have been a change in Optima's production. They have revieved a few batteries direct which have not held a charge. Something may be fishy...

Vaulter09 said:

I have heard from a few buddies that there may have been a change in Optima's production. They have revieved a few batteries direct which have not held a charge. Something may be fishy...

Click to expand...

Defects are not uncommon. Had that been a sale to the public, they would have refunded or replaced it.:us:

XJRubicon said:

Edit: Also Blue top is the hybrid start/deep, not the yellow. Yellow is deep cycle.

Click to expand...

Actually the blue top is for marine. It's the deep cycle. Yellow is the combo, and red is the starting.

Edit: Just checked the optima site, it shows both the blue and yellow tops as deep cycle / starting batteries.

mattbred said:

Actually the blue top is for marine. It's the deep cycle. Yellow is the combo, and red is the starting.

Edit: Just checked the optima site, it shows both the blue and yellow tops as deep cycle / starting batteries.

Click to expand...

Really? hmm, I guess Optima's Own Website is wrong then!


Seriously... go have a look.

Hah... you edited before I noticed!

Seriously though... When they came out.... there were red tops and yellow tops. Red starting, Yellow Deep. The blue is new and has not been around as long.

XJRubicon said:

Really? hmm, I guess Optima's Own Website is wrong then!


Seriously... go have a look.

Hah... you edited before I noticed!

Seriously though... When they came out.... there were red tops and yellow tops. Red starting, Yellow Deep. The blue is new and has not been around as long.

Click to expand...

True enough, but both are combos. Yellow top is not exclusively deep cycle. Neither is Blue I guess, but that's made for marine use according to their site. So if it's in a vehicle and you want a deep cycle and starter battery, use a yellow.

mattbred said:

True enough, but both are combos. Yellow top is not exclusively deep cycle. Neither is Blue I guess, but that's made for marine use according to their site. So if it's in a vehicle and you want a deep cycle and starter battery, use a yellow.

Click to expand...

Yes, after looking over their site, it seams they have been doing a little tinkering with the color scheme's.

I would still run a red top in my rig opposed to the yellow.
If you look under the OFFROAD section they recommend the Red top.

As I said, to me the Yellow tops are not as lively as a Red top.
I have seen far more yellow tops die within 3 years then Red tops.

I still want to win the lottery and build a Dual Odeysse battery setup.

picked up a new 34/78 red top.

dropped it in, and she fired right up.

fyi