Optima battery puzzle

Barry in St.Paul

Barry in St.Paul

Senior Member
I have a 6V Optima in my 30 coupe, purchased in December, so "brand new". This week, I added the little switch-plate to my Disconnect Switch with the "OFF/ON" verbage. Simple task, right? Remove the switch-lever, put on the plate, replace the lever... until the switch body drops down out of the frame crossmember and gives a dead-short! (Note to self: ALWAYS disconnect the battery before doing ANYTHING with the disconnect switch!!)
Anyway, here is my question.
After quickly correcting the situation, (and pulling the ground strap, which was quick since floorboards were already out), I reconnected everything after fiinishing the switch installation. I was surprised to find that I had no starter, no horn, no lights....!!?? Since nothing had been 'on', couldn't believe I had fried any circuits, plus I have a fuse in the circuit. What was puzzling was that I had 6V at the horn, etc.... but NOTHING WORKED. I proceeded to disassemble starter switch, etc.. cleaning ground-strap connection, everything I could think of, but no luck. Then on a recheck later in the day, I got almost zero voltage on the Optima, which then clued me in that it wasn't my circuits, it was my battery! Even though it "read" 5 or 6V, it was truly "DEAD"!
I've tried the Optima-recommended charging sequence of connecting another 6V battery in parallel with jumper cables, did this for a couple of hours with no results. (I seem to have gained some voltage after many hours of 6V/15A charging, but still not enough to light up a bulb!)
Skipping a lot of the story, it seems that you can have a 6V reading at the Optima terminals, but NO CURRENT!! My test was a 6V tail-light bulb, which with the Optima reading 6V won't even light up (it WILL Light up as soon as I put the charger on). I'll measure 3 to 6V on the Optima (depending on when measured) and still never get enough juice to light the little bulb.
So, wondering if any of you electrical gurus can explain how a big battery like this can have 6V at the terminals, yet not enough juice to light a tail-light bulb?? And secondly, if anyone has had success resurrecting a 'dead' Optima. I recall posts on this on the old Fordbarn, but nothing here on the new site.
Thanks!
 
Well like any battery, it's not a storage battery, it doesn't story anything, but rather a chemical reaction within the battery that instantly takes place when ever a switch is thrown and allows electrons to flow out of the old wet cell or Optima battery.
The chemical reaction in the battery for what ever reason not allowed to occur. Your making some voltage [5~6] but not amperage [current].

A cell can only deliver 2.2 volts [and this Optima has six cells] on a good day. Usually 2.2 volts per cell is a pipe dream. And I don't know how amperage is determined in this chemical reaction.


I don't know why but she might be toast internally. Electrons always take the easiest path and always travel on the outside surface of the conductors [wires], never through the conductors unless that wire is made so thin it can't pass the electrons and glows to make a light filament, or toast your bread or heat up something.

skip.
 
I couldn't establish if you had the CHARGER hooked up when you had the two batteries in parallel which is what must be done.

Here is their instructions in a 12 volt dialog.
If an OPTIMA is deeply discharged (below 10.5 volts) most basic chargers will not supply a charge. Also keep in mind an OPTIMA will not recharge properly if treated as a regular flooded or gel battery. To charge the battery, you can wire a second fully charged automotive battery (12+V) to the discharged AGM in parallel (+ to + and – to –). Then hook up the charger to either battery, setting the charger at 10 amps. Leave for two hours, monitoring frequently. During this process if the discharged battery gets very hot or if it is venting (hissing sound from vents) then stop this process immediately. When the discharged battery reaches 10.5 volts or more, remove the standard battery and continue charging the AGM until fully charged.
For normal charging a relatively low current, such as one or two amps can work well, but when the battery has been deeply discharged, some sulfation of the battery plates may have occurred. If you charge at 10 amps, the higher current will help to break up this sulfation.
If you have an automatic charger, let it run until the charger indicates charging is complete. If you have a manual charger, you can get a rough estimate of the charging time in hours of a completely discharged battery (11.2V) by multiplying the capacity (amp hours or Ah) of the battery by 1.2. If your battery is not completely discharged the time would be less.
In most cases these steps will recover the AGM battery. It’s okay for the AGM battery to get slightly warm during the charging process. If it’s hot to the touch it means there’s a short and the process should be discontinued.
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I doubt that the battery is dead in the mode of discharge, it is dead probably because the short damaged the connection between cells.

As steve said ---take it back, play dumb.
 
Barry in St.Paul said:
I have a 6V Optima in my 30 coupe, purchased in December, so "brand new". This week, I added the little switch-plate to my Disconnect Switch with the "OFF/ON" verbage. Simple task, right? Remove the switch-lever, put on the plate, replace the lever... until the switch body drops down out of the frame crossmember and gives a dead-short! (Note to self: ALWAYS disconnect the battery before doing ANYTHING with the disconnect switch!!)

Yet another example of why a disconnect switch should be in the ground circuit, not on the "hot" side of the battery. Before replacing the damaged battery I strongly suggest correcting the switch wiring situation. You need a short cable from one switch terminal to the frame ground hole, second cable to the battery ground terminal. You cannot get a short to ground if the disconnect switch is IN the ground circuit. The only open, exposed, un-fused "hot" connection should be at the starter terminal.

Ironically, many of the Cole-Hersse disconnects sold by vendors are packaged with instructions showing them wired into the "hot" lead from the battery. I personally witnessed a severe accidental short when a popout cable, during an attempt to fish it through the firewall, was dropped onto the terminals of a firewall mounted disconnect that was in the OFF position, but wired to the "hot" side of the battery. The popout cable instantly turned red hot!
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First post but long time lurker. I too have the same problem as Barry. Bought my red top a little over a year ago and same thing. Reads 6.3-6.5 volts and nothing. Won't crank the starter, etc. Used the parallel charging method and not much improvement.

Very disappointed as these batteries aren't inexpensive. Anyone else have similar experiences?
 
MikeK said:
Barry in St.Paul said:
Yet another example of why a disconnect switch should be in the ground circuit, not on the "hot" side of the battery. You need a short cable from one switch terminal to the frame ground hole, second cable to the battery ground terminal. You cannot get a short to ground if the disconnect switch is IN the ground circuit. The only open, exposed, un-fused "hot" connection should be at the starter terminal.
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That is probably one of the BEST and safest Posts i have seen written.. You should start a feed on this alone and tell people HOW to correctly set up the cut out!!! Good Point Mike and THANK YOU!! I will call when i need you at the house to help me with this..!!!:D
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Barry in St.Paul said:
big battery like this can have 6V at the terminals, yet not enough juice to light a tail-light bulb??
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Had the same thing happen with a regular lead acid battery. Car would not start. Nothing worked even with over 6 volts at the battery.

During troubleshooting the battery finally went to near zero and when it was replaced all was right with the world.
 
The car can run on a few amps but needs a whole bunch of amps to push through the starting switch and drive the electric starting motor. Clean battery terminals are everything as are better then good grounds.

skip.
 
Kurt in NJ said:
I doubt that the battery is dead in the mode of discharge, it is dead probably because the short damaged the connection between cells.

As steve said ---take it back, play dumb.
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I agree,

No Battery likes a dead short. It sounds like you may have fried something internal in the battery.

As has been previously posted, I will also strongly suggest the Master "Shut Off" Switch be installed in the GROUND Circuit, NOT on the HOT Side of the battery. This will afford maximum protection from short corcuits.

Chris
 
Update: I called Optima, and they called the local dealer in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area, and had a new battery sitting there for me to pick up this afternoon. No problems. I told them what happened, showed them my receipt from Amazon.com, and swapped with them. I'm pleased.
re: disconnect switch, I'm going to look at relocating it to ground side this weekend.
 
I have Optimas in a number of vehicles, including ATV's. However, since production moved to Mexico, I've replaced two Optimas with Deka brand closed cell batteries from Henessey.
 
To the gentleman who gave us the charging info for the Optimas, I must say I had a VERY dead one (stuck genrator cutout) and charged it using heis directions and it worked perfectly. Thanks....
 
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