Charging a 6V Optima battery

Wal Mart has a good charger and battery maintainer for 15 dollars. Is now a Wal Mart branded item but used to be Schaurer (sp?)
 
A week ago, I left the door open on my '51 for several days, and the pillar lights ran my Optima down. I put a regular charger on it overnight, and the next morning it was fine. I have had Optima's (2) in the car for over 20 years and always treated them like regular lead/acid batteries (which they are).
 
tubman said:
I have had Optima's (2) in the car for over 20 years and always treated them like regular lead/acid batteries (which they are).
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They are AGM not lead/acid. AGMs like a little higher charge voltage than lead acid batteries but a standard charger is fine. Many of these chargers have an AGM selection on them for this reason.
 
tubman said:
A week ago, I left the door open on my '51 for several days, and the pillar lights ran my Optima down. I put a regular charger on it overnight, and the next morning it was fine. I have had Optima's (2) in the car for over 20 years and always treated them like regular lead/acid batteries (which they are).
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Wal Mart battery tender is the one that boiled my Ford script battery dry, I put more acid in, it never charged up, the charger didn't shut off, so keep an eye on them
 
I have also had a battery tender go bad. It happened on a boat battery several years ago and did the same thing. I believe it was a "Schauer". I contacted the manufacturer and they sent me a new one and told me just to throw the old one away. Ever since then, I have been wary of battery tenders, as you have know way to tell if they're bad or not. What I do these days when I want to leave batteries on tenders all winter is to plug them into a cheap timer, available at K-Mart, Wal Mart, etc. I set the timers to go on 15 minutes a day. That way, the batteries get charged without the chance of boiling one because of a bad maintainer.
 
tubman said:
The Chemistry IS lead/acid. Optima's just do it a different way than regular batteries. Check this out : https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/absorbent_glass_mat_agm
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That's what AGMs are. Not so different than other AGMs. They are major different than the regular flooded lead/acid battery and NOT even the same even though they both contain lead and sulfuric acid and AGMs optimum charging properties are different as stated earlier. Most AGMs will last much longer than flooded batteries too due to their rugged construction. They are not constructed nearly the same as "regular" lead/acid batteries.
 
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philipswanson said:
They are AGM not lead/acid. AGMs like a little higher charge voltage than lead acid batteries but a standard charger is fine. Many of these chargers have an AGM selection on them for this reason.
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Why don't you just admit you were wrong and let it go?
 
Fellas, it's just not worth getting into an argument over. Our batteries are AGM (absorbed glass mat) lead-acid batteries. They can be treated and charged just like a regular flooded lead-acid battery in most situations. Where we see most folks run into issues is when they either confuse them with gel batteries or use "gel" or "Gel/AGM" charger settings, which may not fully-charge non-gel batteries and could damage them over time. It is frustrating to see so many chargers with gel or the confusing "gel/AGM" settings, when it seems like the vast majority of chargers are being used in automotive applications and I have yet to see a gel battery in any car.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
 
To the last two posters. While I am all for "peace and harmony" on the board, I don't believe it is more important than posting correct information. When "phillipswanson" posted "They are AGM not lead/acid." he posted incorrect information. I felt that it should be pointed out as incorrect so as not to mislead the O/P. In the future, if I see incorrect information being posted, I will continue to call it out. If that bothers some of you, so be it.
 
I have revived dead optima batteries with old stupid charger after modern charger with special settings failed---- the old chargers don't think about it, or what kind of battery, they just charge

I have also charged a totally dead optima by driving--- the A just has a cutout, only max amps are regulated---volts will adjust to the needs -had to hand crank to get it started, half hour drive and the battery was up enough to start the car
Many of the methods are work around for tricking modern "smart" battery chargers into doing what they should know how to do
 
tubman said:
To the last two posters. While I am all for "peace and harmony" on the board, I don't believe it is more important than posting correct information. When "phillipswanson" posted "They are AGM not lead/acid." he posted incorrect information. I felt that it should be pointed out as incorrect so as not to mislead the O/P. In the future, if I see incorrect information being posted, I will continue to call it out. If that bothers some of you, so be it.
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The problem was you called the Optimas "Regular lead acid" batteries. They are not even though we all treat them the same. Construction is very different.


If that bothers you, so be it.
 
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Tubman you are right ... the Optima is a lead acide battery. However Optima modifies the chemistry to allow for the reduced liquid mobility in the mat construction. And that chemistry modification requires a higher cell voltage. The normal 2.1v/cell of a conventional lead acid does NOT 100% charge in an Optima. Read the fine print on the Optima technical site.

But yes you were right. Sorta - maybe 80%
 
The battery tender is Schumacher and I have several on my cars. They work perfect for years on all mine including the Optima i bought a year ago

Mike
 
But yes you were right. Sorta - maybe 80%[/QUOTE]

No, he was dead wrong. Optima batteries are AGM and not flooded lead acid
batteries. Two wrongs don't make a right. 100%
 
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