Optima Yellow Quick Question

Phoenixcolt · Post by **Phoenixcolt** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:31 pm

I have an Optima Yellow with a brown sticker on it that says 03/06, I think that was the production date. I used it in my Colt when I had it and this was when the Colt was stripped and only started once a week or so.

I also had a drain on that battery, it would die in the winter all the time and I didn't realize what the problem was until I was selling the car but by that time I had put a stock battery back in.

Since the Optima has been out of a car going on 18 to 24 months if I had to guess, it has kept a 12V charge.

You guys think it's too risky to throw it in my Subaru to get some use out of it rather than just leaving it on the floor in my room? Or do you think it would quickly die for some reason since it hasn't been used in a while?

If it is holding the 12V charge, it seems to me that that could be a good sign and can run my car for a while yet. Am I wrong?

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:06 pm

It should be fine as long as it never was aloud to freeze........ Charge it up and see what it will do .........

Any one know what the cell voltage of this is ........ I think its around 2.2v ........ If so than 12v is as low as you should take this. A full charge would be 13.2v

If it is bad then it wont hold a charge ........ Just make sure you recycle it and not just toss it

it should hold a full charge at 25C (77 degrees F) for at least 3-6 months IIRC

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:10 pm

just looked the yellow top 34/78 up and the open circuit voltage (full charge) is 13.1V

So charge it up to around 13.1-13.3 (NO MORE IT WILL BOIL AND VENT IT SELF) pull it off make sure there are no cables hooked to it and let it sit for a few days ........... it should not drop at all past 13V if you get down in to the 12 range at all. its time to buy a new one

Pick up a cheep charge controller if you don't want to watch sit there and watch it all night

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NFTPT8

Phoenixcolt · Post by **Phoenixcolt** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:18 pm

GX3 wrote:Any one know what the cell voltage of this is ........ I think its around 2.2v ........ If so than 12v is as low as you should take this. A full charge would be 13.2v

What do you mean 12V is as low as I should take this? If I charge it up and it doesn't hold a 13.2, does that mean it's no good?

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:23 pm

That is correct ............ the 12V rating is a nominal voltage look up the battery here for the tech info........... if you discharge past 12V you will do damage to the battery

http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_p ... /specs.php

Post by **mr tibbs** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:27 pm

Were you using the Yellow top as the main starting batt for the vehicle?

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:43 pm

GX3 wrote: if you discharge past 12V you will do damage to the battery

Damage is the wrong word ......... It will shorten the life span of the battery

Phoenixcolt · Post by **Phoenixcolt** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:53 pm

mr tibbs wrote:Were you using the Yellow top as the main starting batt for the vehicle?

Yes

Post by **mr tibbs** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:55 pm

Phoenixcolt wrote:
mr tibbs wrote:Were you using the Yellow top as the main starting batt for the vehicle?
Yes

IMO this is/was your problem. The red top is meant for starting a vehicle, the yellow top is not. From what I understand if you do use the yellow top as a starting battery it significantly reduces the life span of the battery.

Phoenixcolt · Post by **Phoenixcolt** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:56 pm

It is sitting at 11.96 right now.

It has been at or above that for at least 6 months.

But if it is supposed to be resting at 13.2, I guess I will have to bring it into Advance Auto or something for recycling...though I am not sure that I have tried charging it since I pulled it out of the old car unless that doesn't matter because it is currently resting below 13.2.

The reason it kept dying on me a while back was because I had a wire pulling power constantly while the car sat in the cold. The wire had no relay so it was pulling raw power right off the top.

Post by **mr tibbs** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:00 pm

Well, hopefully I have been misinformed and you will not have any problems. I have toyed with the idea of using a yellow top in the past, but through my research I decided to just stick with the red top. I have had two red tops in my vehicles in the past with no problems.

I hope for your sake that your battery is fine. I know they are not cheap!

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:02 pm

Tibbs is correct ..... you never want to use a deep cycle battery for the starting of the vehicle. DCBs (deep cycle battery) dont have enough cold cranking amps. A DCB will work but it takes away a lot of the life span but that no reason to toss this one out just yet .

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:09 pm

with it being out of the car for so long don't let the 11.96v scare you. you need to charge it up first. With it sitting so long it will continue to drop...... When I said you don't want to discharge past 12V I meant under load. Letting it sit so long and it dropping still isn't good but nowhere as bad.

You wont know anything until you try charging it first....... It will only take 12-18Hr for a good charge........ Make your mind up then

Post by **Jacampb2** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:46 am

Do some more research. The case color on Optimas is more important than the top color. If memory serves, light gray case and yellow top is a dual purpose deep cycle/starting battery. Dark gray case on any of their batteries is a Starting battery only, regardless of top color.

Later,
Jason

Phoenixcolt · Post by **Phoenixcolt** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:40 am

Thanks for the heads up, it turns out the yellows are dual purpose. I was questioning myself wondering why I ever would have used it as a starting battery in the old car if it wasn't meant for that.

I checked the website though and they recommend a D35 for my car, not a D34 which is what I have so i am not sure i can use it anyway. The cold cranking amps were lower on the recommended battery than the one i have. I sent them a quick email to find out what they thought.

Ill let you guys know later.

Post by **stipud** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:47 am

Optima deep cycles shouldn't start vehicles? Nonsense... my optima bluetop deepcycle has more cranking amps than my stock battery did, and it has lasted substantially longer.

Think about where deep cycles are commonly used; electric golf carts, forklifts, etc. In most cases they are put under brief periods of high amperage stress. Certainly for a car battery brand like Optima to make a deep cycle that isn't useful as a starting battery would also be counterproductive.

With my previous Optima starting battery, leaving the car unhooked for a month at a time was enough to significantly reduce the batteries amperage. After only two years of periodic disuse, it died. Since then I switched to the deep cycle equivalent, and haven't noticed any degradation when I go on vacation. It always starts up great, even in -40*C.

gridracer · Post by **gridracer** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:49 am

GX3 wrote:just looked the yellow top 34/78 up and the open circuit voltage (full charge) is 13.1V

So charge it up to around 13.1-13.3 (NO MORE IT WILL BOIL AND VENT IT SELF) pull it off make sure there are no cables hooked to it and let it sit for a few days ........... it should not drop at all past 13V if you get down in to the 12 range at all. its time to buy a new one

Pick up a cheep charge controller if you don't want to watch sit there and watch it all night

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NFTPT8

Optima batteries will not boil and vent they have no liquid in them they are an absorbed glass mat battery. They can't vent because they are a sealed battery hence why they can be mounted in any position.
also I was told by an optima tech that I was to use a yellow top for my starting battery in my truck due to the current I am drawing. He also told me when you let an optima sit and it gets below 11.7 volts it will start to crystalize the glass mat and that damages the battery and starts the downhill slide of its lifespan.
As far as not using a deep cycle battery as a starting battery show me a boat that doesn't use one for that.

Pedi · Post by **Pedi** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:31 pm

I do totally agree with Tom here. That info is the same thoughts as I have in my head, and the same personal experience over 16 years of Optima usage... I go for Yellow top for starterbattery, but have gone to Kinetic regarding Car-audio...

Optima is my favorite for the daily driver, both cold and warm weather (like we have in Norway).

GX3 · Post by **GX3** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:20 pm

gridracer wrote:
GX3 wrote:just looked the yellow top 34/78 up and the open circuit voltage (full charge) is 13.1V

So charge it up to around 13.1-13.3 (NO MORE IT WILL BOIL AND VENT IT SELF) pull it off make sure there are no cables hooked to it and let it sit for a few days ........... it should not drop at all past 13V if you get down in to the 12 range at all. its time to buy a new one

Pick up a cheep charge controller if you don't want to watch sit there and watch it all night

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NFTPT8
Optima batteries will not boil and vent they have no liquid in them they are an absorbed glass mat battery. They can't vent because they are a sealed battery hence why they can be mounted in any position.
also I was told by an optima tech that I was to use a yellow top for my starting battery in my truck due to the current I am drawing. He also told me when you let an optima sit and it gets below 11.7 volts it will start to crystalize the glass mat and that damages the battery and starts the downhill slide of its lifespan.
As far as not using a deep cycle battery as a starting battery show me a boat that doesn't use one for that.

If you over charge them they WILL vent. There is still fluid in the battery. They are just sealed

From a tech sheet of an Optima Yellow top

"Always use a voltage regulated battery charger with limits set to the above ratings. Overcharging
can cause the safety valves to open and battery gases to escape, causing premature end of life.
These gases are flammable! You cannot replace water in sealed batteries that have been
overcharged. Any battery that becomes very hot while charging should be disconnected
immediately."

Part of the MSDS

Chemical/Trade Name (identity used on label)
Sealed Lead Acid Battery/ OPTIMA BATTERY TM
Chemical Family/Classification
Electric Storage Battery
HMIS Rating for Sealed,

Lead Acid Battery 0 0 0;
For sulfuric acid 3 0 2
Synonyms/Common Name
Sealed Lead Acid Battery

DOT, IATA and IMO Description
Non-Spillable Battery , Exempt from UN2800 Classification
Company Name
OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
Address
5757 N. Green Bay Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53209 Division or Department
Wholly- owned subsidiary of Johnson Controls
Inc.
CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER
Questions Concerning MSDS
Industrial Hygiene & Safety-Power Solutions
Day:
(800) 333-2222, Ext.3138
Transportation Emergencies
CHEMTREC
24 Hours: (800) 424-9300
International: (703) 527-3887 (Collect)

NOTE: The OPTIMA sealed lead acid battery is considered an article as defined by 29 CFR 1910.1200 © OSHA Hazard
Communication Standard. The information on this MSDS is supplied at customer’s request for information only.

II. Hazardous Ingredients
Material
Specific Chemical Identity
Lead & lead compounds
% by Wt. CAS Number Eight Hour Exposure Limits

Common Name

Separator/Paster Paper Fibrous Glass

1-4 65997-17-3
NOTE: The contents of this product are toxic chemicals that are subject to the reporting requirements
of section 302 and 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986
(40CFR 355 and 372).

Irongoats · Post by **Irongoats** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:37 pm

I'm with stipud here I have the yellow top for my truck and it works like a champ. Never heard of them not being used for everyday use while starting a vehicle.

Phoenixcolt · Post by **Phoenixcolt** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:24 am

I charged the optima up to 100% according to the battery charger i was using. I took the charger off, left it over night and checked it this morn, already down to 12.4. I am thinking its recycle time for this battery.

If i need a little more juice once i get the small system going, i can look at a new one but its not a necessity at this point.

Thanks for all the help and discussion.