[DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.

Tue May 29 11:48:11 EDT 2012

I know it's been mentioned before, but the story is that the Optima batteries can drop below a voltage which only occures in a typical lead acid battery that has experienced a failure.  Many battery chargers recognize the low voltage as a failure and will not charge the battery.  You can trick the battery charger by hooking a second battery in parallel, or buy a charger that will charge when it sees a low voltage.  Some people return good batteries when they won't charge, but I also have heard stories that the quality had dropped.

Ken

From: Julian Kift <julian_kift at hotmail.com>
To: lashdeep at yahoo.com; sdlgibson at sbcglobal.net; michael at michaelshortt.com 
Cc: asajay at asajay.com; De Tomaso List <detomaso at realbig.com>; parapantera at aol.com 
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 8:34 AM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.

Optima moved their manuafcturing offshore and rumor has it quality suffered as a result. I don't have any hard evidence but my anecdotal evidence is that I returned one red top to Summit Racing after 6 months as it failed and the counter guy said that was the third he received back on that day, that I took as quite a high failure rate. He also said Optima had changed there warranty to a 3 yr pro-rated i.e. the replacement battery although new would only be warranted from my original purchase date, not as previously which was another 3 yrs. I chose a full refund and used the money to purchase an Odyssey.

Julian

Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 08:25:08 -0700
From: lashdeep at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.
To: sdlgibson at sbcglobal.net; julian_kift at hotmail.com; michael at michaelshortt.com
CC: asajay at asajay.com; detomaso at realbig.com; parapantera at aol.com

I have an Optima Red Top that I bought in 2001 used in various recreational cars. Sometimes these cars have sat for six months at a time but this battery always performed well without any charging or maintenance.

I've heard that the new Optimas aren't made as well as the older ones. 

Any data out there to support that rumor?

LS

central 
wines-spirits  est 1934

625 e street nw

washington, dc 20004

centralwines.com

facebook.com/CentralLiquors 

202-737-2800

From: SG <sdlgibson at sbcglobal.net>
To: Julian Kift <julian_kift at hotmail.com>; michael at michaelshortt.com 
Cc: asajay at asajay.com; De Tomaso List <detomaso at realbig.com>; parapantera at aol.com 
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 1:44 PM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.

I have a redtop optima in the Pantera that is at least eight yrs old and going strong.  It also sat about 9 months once without being used or charged.  when I checked it it was still at 12.5v and ready to use.  I think that in one form or another the dry cell is the way to go.

Shaun Gibson

--- On Sun, 5/27/12, michael at michaelshortt.com <michaelsavga at gmail.com> wrote:

From: michael at michaelshortt.com <michaelsavga at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.
To: "Julian Kift" <julian_kift at hotmail.com>
Cc: asajay at asajay.com, "De Tomaso List" <detomaso at realbig.com>, parapantera at aol.com
Date: Sunday, May 27, 2012, 11:49 AM

Great point Julian, I'm on my 3rd Optima ( one was in the car when I got
it, approx 4 years old, it lasted another year with me, then my first
replacement Optima that lasted 4 years which also died if not driven every
few weeks (drain somewhere) and the current one which is in year 2.5) The
last one has constantly been hooked up to a Battery Tender Jr. ($59.95) and
shows no signs of weakness thus far.
I have now put one on both M/C and the 450SL as well.

I recommend them highly for anything that isn't driven on a regular basis.

Michael

BTW, is. Battery Tender dies, they'll rebuilt for $17.95.
On May 27, 2012 11:55 AM, "Julian Kift" <julian_kift at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> I needed a new battery for the Ultima and the replacement factory
> recommended Varley Red Top was $430, so I switched to the equivalent
> Odyssey ER40 (Extreme Racing), which was $130 less. It's a tiny little
> thing, but kicks the Chebbie over every time with no issues and cold
> cranking is usually a longer demand for me as I don't have a cold start
> circuit.
>
> The Varley was a great battery too and lasted 8 years and probably would
> have gone longer had I known you cannot high boost start/charge the Dry
> Cells, so a lesson  One other advantage of the Dry cells is you can get
> creative with mounting as they don't need to be upright. I once saw a
> picture of one mounted under the front trunk upside down in a Pantera, the
> equivalent of the drop battery box, without the cutting and welding.
>
> On the other hand I have been going through Optima batteries in 6 - 24
> months in the Pantera (I did have a parasitic drain sometimes, which I
> think I have cured with a new hazard switch), so the next battery I buy for
> the Pantera will be an Odyssey. For each car/battery I now have a CTEK
> intelligent trickle charger too. The gell cell or AGM batteries just don't
> recover well from full discharge.
>
> Julian
>
> > From: ParaPantera at aol.com
> > Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 07:57:04 -0400
> > To: asajay at asajay.com; detomaso at realbig.com
> > Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.
> >
> > In 2003 I purchased a "little" Odyssey PC925 since I had mounted  the
> > clutch master vacuum pump on the passenger side of the pedal house, size
> was  an
> > issue.  In 2006 I changed vacuum pump locations, and the battery in my
> > Acura I bought new in July 2001 was at the end of it's five year life
>  span.  I
> > put the PC925 in the Acura and bought a PC1200 for the  Pantera.  The
> PC925
> > is still performs flawlessley after nine  years.  As for the PC1200 it
> has
> > endured six years of Lucas electrical  abuse including maybe three times
> a
> > year when a dome light anomaly drains it  completely.
> >
> >  I cannot speak for Odyssey's built today, but the two I have  purchased
> > have been cost effective from a durability and life span point of  view.
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 5/26/2012 3:22:38 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> > asajay at asajay.com writes:
> >
> > Best  battery to buy for a Pantera today?
> > Wet cell tech versus Dry cell  tech?
> >
> > Is the Odyssey any good anymore?
> > How about the Orbital?
> > Has  anyone tried the Dyna-Batt?
> >
> > I am battery poor at the moment.  I  have two rigs with old worn out and
> > absolutely -dead- batteries and they  can't be driven a such.  I also
> > have one currently going out, so I  need to think new batteries soon.
> >
> > I'm less a fan of wet cell these days  if I can get something better.
> >
> > Asa Jay
> >
> > Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt,  USAFR, Retired
> > &  Shelley Marie
> > Spokane,  WA
> > ******************************
> > http://www.racingagainstautism.com
> > http://www.teampanteraracing.com
> > http://facebook.com/racingagainstautism
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Detomaso  Forum Managed by POCA
> >
> > Archive Search Engine Now Available at  http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/
> >
> > DeTomaso mailing  list
> > DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
> > http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA
> >
> > Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/
> >
> > DeTomaso mailing list
> > DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
> > http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA
>
> Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/
>
> DeTomaso mailing list
> DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
> http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
>
_______________________________________________

Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA

Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/

DeTomaso mailing list
DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
_______________________________________________

Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA

Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/

DeTomaso mailing list
DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso

_______________________________________________

Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA

Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/

DeTomaso mailing list
DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso