Dead Battery

[mkiii222]

Has anyone else had an Optima red top 'blow up' on them?

The battery was ~4 years old (1.5 in TN and 2.5 in FL). Ran around all over CFL Saturday afternoon without a problem (with A/C on so the bay was a little hotter). Get home and have to restart the car less than a minute after turning it off.
As soon as it starts to crank there is a semi-loud boom under the hood and it loses all electrical power. Checked all fuses/relays... and nothing wrong. It even has 12 volts across the posts. Roll starts fine but sound like it's missing.
So I run the battery up to Autozone (it's close, it's open, they carry Optima - I'm not looking for a different brand so don't waste your breathe) and they hook it up the tester. It appears fine untill they run the load test a 2nd time and then it shows it's got a dead cell. I even had to ask him to run it the 2nd time because he was just going to call it good.

 

[Frankenstien]

Can't say I've even heard of an Optima 'blowing up'. My red-top recently started corroding on the negative post quite badly and leaking (Could be water though as it's been raining quite a bit lately) from what seems to be the negative post as well. Car still starts and runs perfect though.

 

[mkiii222]

Strangest thing I ever saw/heard. It sounded like someone threw a baseball at the underside of the hood.

Other than an occasional 52 KS code, nothing else is wrong with the car. Been on the new battery a couple days now and it's fine.

 

[Poodles]

Sounds like other issues...

If a battery explodes, you'd know it...

 

[jimi87-t]

By chance have you ever charged the battery with a normal automotive battery charger?
The optima batteries need a special type charger that can charge "AGM, gel cell". This is different from "regular" and "deep cycle" found on most chargers.
They also do NOT like to be trickle charged. (Mine charges at 10 amps)
I had one "hiss" from being charged with a standard charger.

BTW, I run yellow tops in my bmw and my supra, I am not totally happy with their performance. I've owned about 5-7 optimas red and yellow tops, and everyone would lose its charge after about 3-4 weeks of sitting.
The only reason I run them is because they are sealed, and in both my cars the battery is located in the cabin area, (bmw one is mounted in the trunk, but I have a fold down rear seat). Also the bmw has a massive audio system, and the yellows seem to handle it fairly well.

 

[Alec]

What's so good about Optima batteries? I've never heard of them before.

 

[dumbo]

What's so good about Optima batteries? I've never heard of them before.

Many actually don't like them, because they think they're garbage. I don't personally have a opinion yet. Having only owned two, first one we'll say didn't reach its benchmark, my fault.

By chance have you ever charged the battery with a normal automotive battery charger?
The optima batteries need a special type charger that can charge "AGM, gel cell". This is different from "regular" and "deep cycle" found on most chargers.
They also do NOT like to be trickle charged. (Mine charges at 10 amps)
I had one "hiss" from being charged with a standard charger.

BTW, I run yellow tops in my bmw and my supra, I am not totally happy with their performance. I've owned about 5-7 optimas red and yellow tops, and everyone would lose its charge after about 3-4 weeks of sitting.
The only reason I run them is because they are sealed, and in both my cars the battery is located in the cabin area, (bmw one is mounted in the trunk, but I have a fold down rear seat). Also the bmw has a massive audio system, and the yellows seem to handle it fairly well.

What?? Where does it say this? And is it for the all of them, red/yellow/blue?

Because I thought that only the yellow/blue were deep cylce?

5-7 batteries in how many years/car.

I think 3-4 weeks is pretty ample for a sitting battery with the negative cable disconected.

There is other sealed batteries isn't there?

WOW, lot of questions..haha.

 

[Alec]

Isn't a battery just a battery?

 

[dumbo]

Isn't a battery just a battery?

No.

 

[Poodles]

Optimas WILL vent if overcharged, so they SHOULD be in a sealed vented box just in case. The gasses batteries vent are explosive at very low concentrations!

I run one because they're very difficult to make leak (you'd have to smash it), and the case is stronger than a normal battery making it more difficult to happen. They can be installed upside down, sideways, ect...

Batteries sitting for long periods of time will discharge in most cases (especially still in a car).

Also, I've never had any issues charging my optima with my battery charger...

 

[jimi87-t]

What?? Where does it say this? And is it for the all of them, red/yellow/blue?
Because I thought that only the yellow/blue were deep cylce?

It's not that it's deep cycle, it's that it's a gel cell that needs the different type of charging. Different chemistries can't be charged all the same. Like lithiums and NiMHs need to be charged differently (you will make a bomb out of a lithium on a NiMH charger)
I found this out after my first one hissed, and was only a few months old. I did a lot of research on them and read some in depth info from optima on this, it was a while ago so I don't have the link.

5-7 batteries in how many years/car.

2 cars in about 5 years.

I think 3-4 weeks is pretty ample for a sitting battery with the negative cable disconected.

I've never had this problem from any other batteries I've run, lead acid or deep cycle. My truck sits for just as long with a lead acid and always fires up, and I see no major drop in voltage, the optimas are dead (around 8v) after a few weeks.

I ran a "West CO- SVR" sealed deep cycle for about 6 years and never had a problem, in a car with a massive audio set-up as well . (I've heard they are no longer around, and some also say they weren't that good, but it worked for me)

There is other sealed batteries isn't there?

None that are readily/locally available. When I was running the SVR, my good friend was car audio guy that carried SVR and optima, and recommended the SVR over the optima. Now after running both I see why.

WOW, lot of questions..haha.

Haha, NP with all the questions, this is just from my experience, some will have other results.

EDIT: optima states their batteries should hold starting voltage, if unplugged, for 8-12 months. I unplug the battery when storing.

 

[dumbo]

I just don't see whats different in the charger, I mean your alternator is the same, you don't have to change that. Suppose it's a little different.

 

[jetjock]

Fwiw jimi is correct. Nice to see someone making the effort to inform himself. As for the batteries my educated opinion has been stated many times before: other than being leak free spiral wound AGM is definitely not a case of getting what you paid for...

 

[mkiii222]

Sounds like other issues...

If a battery explodes, you'd know it...

I know what a standard 'exploding' battery looks like/does. Definitely not it.
And I do electronics work and other than the wiring being a bit old for my taste it's fine.

The only reason I think it went is just being old (just over 4 years) and the engine bay being so hot from driving ~45 minutes with the A/C on. The battery apparently couldn't take the heat and blew a cell, I was just wondering if anyone had heard of an Optima blowing a cell so violently. There was no damage to the casing of the battery but it was enough of a pop that a neighbor who happened to be walking by came up to see if I needed any help.

By chance have you ever charged the battery with a normal automotive battery charger?
The optima batteries need a special type charger that can charge "AGM, gel cell". This is different from "regular" and "deep cycle" found on most chargers.
They also do NOT like to be trickle charged. (Mine charges at 10 amps)
I had one "hiss" from being charged with a standard charger.

BTW, I run yellow tops in my bmw and my supra, I am not totally happy with their performance. I've owned about 5-7 optimas red and yellow tops, and everyone would lose its charge after about 3-4 weeks of sitting.
The only reason I run them is because they are sealed, and in both my cars the battery is located in the cabin area, (bmw one is mounted in the trunk, but I have a fold down rear seat). Also the bmw has a massive audio system, and the yellows seem to handle it fairly well.

Never had to charge or jump this one. I'm curious as to what else is left on in your system if they die that quickly. My red top got left for 2 months and cranked back up without issue.