Optima Battery Maintenance

Stretch Cab

Stretch Cab

Well-known member
For those who have the Optima Red Top in 6 volt: I know that this is a sealed battery but are there any maintenance requirements? If possible, the battery will go between a 36 Fordor and Model A Rdst. Neither of the cars will be used often at this time.
 
This is a good question. The only thing I’ve ever done is plug it in to a battery maintainer every so often. I’m currently using a NOCO Genius 10 on the 6v AGM setting.
 
I have never used a maintainer, I do have a higher than usual charge rate (14 amps), halogen headlight bulbs, 50% night driving local , first Optima lasted 16 years, so far 7 on the one in the car now, if i drive a lot i put the headlights on
 
Stretch Cab said:
For those who have the Optima Red Top in 6 volt: I know that this is a sealed battery but are there any maintenance requirements? If possible, the battery will go between a 36 Fordor and Model A Rdst. Neither of the cars will be used often at this time.
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Great question. Researched this one as best I could for my own treasured 6V Optima. Optima makes their own line of chargers which they say have programming optimized to AGM batteries. However, they don't make one for a 6V battery. In other places they say any good trickle charger should work but not more than 1 amps (for a 12V battery.)


Battery Tender has a 6V trickle charger with programming they claim works with 6V batteries.


Other people say you don't even need to run a trickle on an Optima. They may be right.


Nevertheless, I bought the 6V battery tender. It seems to go to full charge after less than an hour after going for a short 5 mile ride. I just then unplug it. Seems to hold a charge just fine for a week or two. Haven't tried longer.



My thought is anything good works, even nothing is ok. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to exceed the 1 amp trickle for an extended period.
 
I never leave any of my optima batteries on a float charger for extended periods. Only place them on an automatic charger for about 8 hours once a month. Optima batteries just dont loose charge like most regular type batteries do. BUT, the other trick here is to have a battery cutout switch in the main battery cable or ground cable to prevent any leaking down in the cars wiring systems (or electronics). The cutout switch if fitted hidden acts as an anti theft device as well. It also gives peace of mind because your car is parked with no electrics connected to the battery and therefore no shorts, faults or fires whilst you are not near your car. I never leave a battery charger connected to a battery especially if its in a car unless I am close by to monitor the charger. I have had up to 18 years out of one of my optima batteries, but usually get 10 years out of them if I look after them as indicated above. Of course generator/voltage regulator charging system must be set correctly. Regards, Kevin.
 
When I go to Florida for the winter, I leave my cars in my shop and all of them (Optima's included) are hooked to battery maintainers. I have the maintainers all hooked up to a mechanical timer in the wall receptacle that is set to power them 15 minutes a day. This is enough to keep them up without the risk of overcharging them. (I once had a maintainer go bad and it ruined a boat battery.)

I also turn off the battery cut-off switches on those vehicles that have them and disconnect a battery cable on those that don't. This procedure has served me well for the last 30 years. The timers, available just about everywhere, are cheap insurance against overcharging.
 
Here is one problem to look out for. I had one of my Optima 6 volt battery's on a NOCO maintainer. We had a power outage and when the power came back on the NOCO switched itself to 12 volts and burned up the Optima battery.
 
I hate the maintainers that automatically switch to 12 volt when the power goes off. I only have dedicated 6 or 12 volt ones or ones with a selection switch .
 
You have to be careful with some of those cheap maintainers I had one decide to put out 6 volt AC instead of DC.
 
I have used the 6V Optima batteries with great success. I've also used their 12V red tops.
My 1966 mustang has a Optima Red Top dated 02/06, and it still works great. This is with 11.5 to 1 compression and the timing locked out at 36 degrees.

What I've read AND DONE is to not leave a tender on it continuously. When in storage, hook up the maintainer ever 2-3 months overnight, then remove it and take the cable off the battery so it doesn't drain.

It's the longest I've ever had a battery last!

Good Luck
 
I have both 6v and 12v Charger/maintainers made by Save a Battery. These things are not "el cheapos" and I find them brilliant. I keep mine plugged in when the car is sitting. Now I'm not "doing a John Lennon" and comparing myself to anyone, but I have managed to raise batteries from the dead with these things.

https://www.batterysaver.com/

GB
 
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