Optima seems to be going in the crapper. What options do you recomend?

 

I am cheap. I go to the auto parts stores or the battery stores like Interstate, they always have a "used" battery section. Batteries are expensive. These "used" batteries they sell are not used, but brand new batteries that have set on the shelf too long, they rotate them off the shelf and sell them at a discount. The price has been going up, but lately I have been able to get them for around $75 each. I have never had one fail me yet. The only problem, you have to be a little creative sometimes. What they have on the shelf changes all the time, they may not have the exact size you need. I can usually find a battery that is close enough in outside dimensions, but the terminals may be backwards. So I just turn the battery around, as long as the terminals are not recessed in a step down area. I try to avoid batteries with the step down. Most places will give you a 30 day warranty on these batteries. I have pretty good success at the local Autozone's.

If you are particular about what batteries you buy, this answer may not appeal to you. But you asked what batteries I use. I just acquired a used 2002 f150. It needed a battery. I got The truck cheap, and did not know how bad it was mechanically, since it had 260,000 miles on it. I went to the store and found a "used" battery the same size, but the terminals were backwards. I was able to flip the battery around, but then the + cable lacked about a inch reaching the terminal. I took a wire clamp that held the wire loose, and that gave me enough cable to get it hooked up.

 

walmart for me. one is now 6 years old starting my generator ,

 

Interesting. I don't mind spending money on my truck. It does sit a bit, driven twice a week or less. My yellow top seems to drop voltage after running for a while and will drop to 12.5v or so with a lot of load. Not real good for a 140a alternator. Need a nice big battery to allay my fears.

 

What loads do you have? And it sounds like the battery is taking the brunt of this load instead of the alternator.

 

It's a Power Master 140 amp alternator which I have already replaced with same. After charging with car or 110v deep cycle it will drop immediately to 12.2v which is lower that Optima claims is normal (14.0v). What is strange is that car voltage drops after a while as I drive, down to12.5v with headlights and AC on. Nice stereo but shouldn't be that much of a drain.

 

Is that a one wire alternator? Or do you have sense wire options with it? And you have a nice large wire going directly from the alternator output to the battery itself? You would think the large alternator would hold the voltage up higher, or slip the belt or overheat if the battery was sucking that much power out of it.

 

It's a one wire but it excites right off the bat, don't have to blip the throttle. Large wire to battery. Since it drops to 12.20v after charging i guess I'll try to get it warrantied.

 

Do you have any options with that alternator for more wires? The factory ones had a separate excite wire like you mentioned, but they also had another wire for remote sensing. It can sample the system voltage wherever you terminate that wire. Sampling the system voltage right at the alternator output has it's disadvantages sometimes.

If the alternator is putting out the proper 14.5v while it's running, I do not understand why you are getting 12 something at the battery with the engine running.

 

I'm not using the sense wire but I need to think about that.It should be sensing battery voltage since that is the only wire connected (heavy fine strand)

 

The factory usually put the sense wire some distance from the battery in the harness. This will affect the charging voltage depending on where you put it.

 

They've been in the crapper for years. I've been using Odyssey for the last 20 years or so. Originally Diehard Platinum which were rebranded Odyssey, but exact same battery made on the same line.
Now just the Odyssey label.
This is in my 2008 Escape. I have a larger pair for my F-250.



Cheers,
Tom

 

well I changed it out with a redtop and it seems to be holding good voltage now. The 140a Power Master one wire doesn't have the option for voltage sensing according to Power Master. Adding it won't change anything.

 

I don't care for either the Optimas, nor the other Big Battery name... Interstate. I kept having the terminals shear on the Interstates in some of my older trucks.

These days... I just go to O'Reillys and get their AGM battery. They handle the warranty easily, and there is lots of them around, and where I normally travel to.

I often wondered about the DieHard batteries... I don't know that I've ever seen an Odyssey batttery, however. Back Home, Years Ago, dad always used to buy DieHard batteries, which meant so did I when I got my first cars.

 

Only the Platinum line were made by Odyssey.
Your local auto parts that carries them is NAPA.

Cheers,
Tom