Be careful how you charge your battery

[notstock71]

I decided to get the Nova out for the 1st time the other day. I decided to trickle charge the battery since it had been sitting so long. I have a red top Optima. I set my charger to 2 amp trickle and let it go overnight. the charger is supposed to shut off when done. I came out in the morning and decided not to take it to work because severe storms were forcasted. I went in the garage to unplug the charger and I hear this hissing sound. Turns out Optima batteries have specific charging instructions IE: <1 amp trickle.

The hissing was the water boiling inside the battery and venting. I ruined a $130 battery because I didn't read the instructions. It's just charging a battery how hard is that??

I decided to try and have it warrantied and it turns out I bought it 3 years ago today, last day for full replacement. I left the lights and radio on all morning to drain it down. I took it in and they tested it. It failed. I got a new one no charge. This isn't the most ethical thing I know but I have been having problems with it since last fall.

Since I saved the money from the battery I will now be buying the right charger for the Optimas. I have a few to choose from ranging from $50 to $130.

Read the instructions even if you have done it 100 times before. I got lucky nothing got damaged besides the battery.

Lewis

[NovaStar]

Thats a great tip, lots of us have optimas, I would have never read the instructions either.

Thanks

[burningsquirrels]

Optima batteries have specific charging instructions IE: <1 amp trickle.

Wouldn' that be >1 amp trickle, for less than 1 amp?

[Steve J.]

Wouldn' that be >1 amp trickle, for less than 1 amp?

< is less than

≤ is less than or equal to

[Bigd70ss]

You're just lucky you didn't wait 1 more day!!!!!

[Real McCoy]

I find it hard to beleive any battery can't take a 2 amp trickle charge without damage. What happens when you drive it and the alternator is working even the slightest amount? Glad you got it replaced and thanks for posting this. I can't use a battery like that for my applications and now I won't spend the money to learn that fact.......LOL. I'll stay with my old wet cell Cheapo batteries I guess. RM

[Seattle_Mike]

Ctek makes a line of intelligent battery chargers that have been getting a lot of great press in the past few months. They claim to have built in intelligence to eliminate these types of isses. They are very small in size as well. http://www.ctek.com/us/home.asp

[JBimmolate]

I've got one of those Vector battery chargers w/the microprocessor that automaticly adjusts the charge to the maximum charge w/o damaging the battery. I think it reads the resistance or something and it stops when done or if there is a problem or if the battery is bad it will tell you that as well. It can also fully drain a battery and then charge it again burning off any crystals that have formed inside the battery (24 hour process) It also tests alternators/charging systems. It was like $60-75 if my memory serves.

Miles:D

[novech]

Does Optima make a gel type battery? Because as far as I know all gel batteries have to be charged differently. An AGM battery should be the same.