Problem with Optima battery

[greatscot3]

A while back (7/21/2021) I bought a yellow top Optima for my Cuda.
I have an alarm that draws .02 milliamps and after sitting for a while, the lead acid batteries I had bought in the past were deeply discharged.
This is primarily why I bought the yellow top because it was my understanding that the yellow top is a deep cell type that is not damaged as much as most lead acid batteries by being discharged and recharged.

After sitting for three months the battery was discharged to 1.94 volts which was unusual. I put a Battery Minder on the battery and left it for a day charging at 2 amps.
The battery would only charge to 6.5 volts. I put an ordinary charger on it and the charge rate meter started bouncing up and down and you could hear the charger hum fluctuating.

I kept an eye on it and the battery would only charge to just under 7 volts and start dropping rapidly when the charger was disconnected.
I disconnected both battery terminals and reconnected the charger. Same thing.

I called Autohitlerzone and they looked up the purchase on the computer and said bring it in and we'll give you a new one, no charge.
When I got there, the kid behind the counter said he would only give me a whole $41.00 towards the purchase of a new one.
Evidently, that is Optima's prorate on a very expensive battery that was 2 years and not even 2 months old. Not that it matters but I got probably about 6 or 7 starts out of this battery before it went tits up.
Needless to say, I was not a camper of the happy variety.

I started looking for a way to contact Optima and they don't make it easy in the least.
It's the labor day weekend presently so I will have to wait for Tuesday to contact them but wondering if this BS is what I can expect from them or if they might be a little more reasonable given the circumstances and my past brand loyalty.

Anyone dealt with Optima on something like this and know what to expect?

 

[Juan Veldez]

A while back (7/21/2021) I bought a yellow top Optima for my Cuda.
I have an alarm that draws .02 milliamps and after sitting for a while, the lead acid batteries I had bought in the past were deeply discharged.
This is primarily why I bought the yellow top because it was my understanding that the yellow top is a deep cell type that is not damaged as much as most lead acid batteries by being discharged and recharged.

After sitting for three months the battery was discharged to 1.94 volts which was unusual. I put a Battery Minder on the battery and left it for a day charging at 2 amps.
The battery would only charge to 6.5 volts. I put an ordinary charger on it and the charge rate meter started bouncing up and down and you could hear the charger hum fluctuating.

I kept an eye on it and the battery would only charge to just under 7 volts and start dropping rapidly when the charger was disconnected.
I disconnected both battery terminals and reconnected the charger. Same thing.

I called Autohitlerzone and they looked up the purchase on the computer and said bring it in and we'll give you a new one, no charge.
When I got there, the kid behind the counter said he would only give me a whole $41.00 towards the purchase of a new one.
Evidently, that is Optima's prorate on a very expensive battery that was 2 years and not even 2 months old. Not that it matters but I got probably about 6 or 7 starts out of this battery before it went tits up.
Needless to say, I was not a camper of the happy variety.

I started looking for a way to contact Optima and they don't make it easy in the least.
It's the labor day weekend presently so I will have to wait for Tuesday to contact them but wondering if this BS is what I can expect from them or if they might be a little more reasonable given the circumstances and my past brand loyalty.

Anyone dealt with Optima on something like this and know what to expect?

I have not dealt with the Optima folks yet, but I have a very similar problem with my yellow top battery dated 6/21. I got about 6 starts off it, kept a battery tender on it frequently, and tried other higher amp chargers to get it back to something that will turn the motor over. No luck yet.

 

[Adam]

I have had 3 of the red top ones go bad from sitting, probably my fault for not disconnecting them completely; however, somewhere in the dusty recesses of my brain I seem to recall that these batteries need a “smart” charger but if they are discharged beyond a certain point a smart charger won’t work.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I have had Optima batteries last 14 years but always in daily drivers , every time I have let them sit they die & can't be saved

 

[greatscot3]

Yeah, they have a procedure for getting a "smart" charger to work by piggy backing another 12 volt

source.
The Battery Minder I used also has a setting specifically for AGM batteries so it was treated to the best kind of charger that should have conditioned the battery right from the start.

I put the new battery on the Battery Minder for the first four or five days I owned it before I ever put it in the car.
According to Battery Minder, this de-sulfates and conditions the battery to compensate for however long it may have sat on the shelf before being sold.

All this aside, with careful management and regular charging, I've gotten ten or more years out of other Optima batteries and more than five or six years out of lead acid batteries of all different types.

This is just plain piss poor performance from an expensive battery that was never mistreated or deeply discharged since new. It should have been able to sit for three months easy with only a .02 milliamp discharge.

I looked on the top of the battery and it says free replacement for three years right on it so the folks at Autohitlerzone have been smoking crack.
I'll post what happens after I call Optima if I can actually find a human to speak to.

I pretty much always have a bad reaction when getting hosed like this. That $41.00 is insulting and Optima will never absorb another thin dime of mine again if that is all they are willing to do.

 

[1972 AAR Cuda]

I have used three of the redtop Optima batteries in my Barracuda and even bought their Fancy AGM battery tender - I have not had any luck at all and I eventually ditched them for another brand... I do not recommend Optima batteries...

 

[greatscot3]

Yeah, when AutoIdiotZone won't (or can't) even figure out and honor a warranty that's printed right on the battery, it might be time to try another brand and another retailer.
If they break down and decide to give me another battery, I'm still not going to trust it.
Other people have been telling me they have dealt with similar BS from them.
Did you find another deep cell you like?

 

[greatscot3]

I called AutoMoronZone and spoke to a manager and, as it turns out, he didn't know how to read a calendar (or do simple addition) either and I argued with him for a while until he had a moment of clarity and realized I hadn't had the battery for three years after all.
He finally agreed to replace the bad battery but he said the replacement battery would not have the three year free replacement warranty which is kind of chicken s$*t IMHOP.
This is their standard way to get out of having to replace an inferior product if it fails again. Evidently they all do that.

Does anyone else know of a good deep cell battery they are happy with?

 

[Xcudame]

If it's not a car driven daily, just get a cheapo Walmart battery and unplug the ground when not in use. I've had Walmart batteries last for 4 or 5 years this way. Not too bad for the desert. Just make sure when you drive your car, drive it far enough to give it a really good charge.

 

[1972 AAR Cuda]

Yes - its been good so far, its an X2 Power. Its a deep cycle AGM, I found at Batteries Plus (of all places). My battery is mounted in the trunk with a special battery tray built to mount an Optima battery, which was part of my problem. Start over (new tray - this one wasnt cheap) or find a battery that fit the location. This one fits and seems to be holding up well. I do keep it on a tender/maintainer - the one purchased for the Optima batteries...

 

[greatscot3]

If it's not a car driven daily, just get a cheapo Walmart battery and unplug the ground when not in use. I've had Walmart batteries last for 4 or 5 years this way. Not too bad for the desert. Just make sure when you drive your car, drive it far enough to give it a really good charge.

Unfortunately the car has an alarm that I don't want to disconnect that draws .02 milliamps.
I kind of need a deep cell.

 

[greatscot3]

Yes - its been good so far, its an X2 Power. Its a deep cycle AGM, I found at Batteries Plus (of all places). My battery is mounted in the trunk with a special battery tray built to mount an Optima battery, which was part of my problem. Start over (new tray - this one wasnt cheap) or find a battery that fit the location. This one fits and seems to be holding up well. I do keep it on a tender/maintainer - the one purchased for the Optima batteries...

View attachment 111786
View attachment 111785

Thanks, I'll check that out for sure.

 

[Adam]

Unfortunately the car has an alarm that I don't want to disconnect that draws .02 milliamps.
I kind of need a deep cell.

Maybe a small second battery, just for the alarm.

 

[Daves69]

.....he said the replacement battery would not have the three year free replacement warranty.....

I see that with many warranties. Only warranted for the initial period. For a pro-rated return and new purchase, I'd surely expect a new warranty.

I'm using the Optima Blue dual purpose battery for my trolling motor. The first one lasted 12 years. When I replaced it, I looked at both, Yellow and Blue. Neither model had stellar reviews. I ended up just doing a Blue DP again however, I'm skeptical on its lifespan especially since the Two Year Replacement is approaching.

I only use a maintainer for the truck in winter as it may sit for a week or two at a time.
I use a Dual-Pro PS-2 (pre-lithium model) charger for most battery upkeep. Then too it causes me to be more vigilant with charge states but I'm pretty satisfied with it. Pretty costly as prices have almost doubled recently.

 

[greatscot3]

I see that with many warranties. Only warranted for the initial period. For a pro-rated return and new purchase, I'd surely expect a new warranty.

I'm using the Optima Blue dual purpose battery for my trolling motor. The first one lasted 12 years. When I replaced it, I looked at both, Yellow and Blue. Neither model had stellar reviews. I ended up just doing a Blue DP again however, I'm skeptical on its lifespan especially since the Two Year Replacement is approaching.

I only use a maintainer for the truck in winter as it may sit for a week or two at a time.
I use a Dual-Pro PS-2 (pre-lithium model) charger for most battery upkeep. Then too it causes me to be more vigilant with charge states but I'm pretty satisfied with it. Pretty costly as prices have almost doubled recently.
View attachment 111789

I have two Battery Minders and three or four Battery Tenders and I don't use the Battery Tenders much.
I usually rotate the two Battery Minders through all the equipment that have batteries.
After I get this new Optima, the next time I need a new deep cell, I'll probably find another brand with a better reputation.
I bought a red top Optima for my Challenger several years ago off of Amazon. When I got it, it had a manufacturing date of 2011. I called them on it and they just gave it to me.
I put the thing on a Battery Minder for several months and have been using it for a while now with no problems.
These kinds of things don't exactly inspire a lot of confidence in the company. Next time I'll try someone else.