[DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.

JEFFREY COBB zumzum at cox.net
Tue May 29 19:23:52 EDT 2012 

Hey everyone, just my two cents,
After seeing maybe 200,000. car repairs in my shop in 31 years there is no doubt that the primary killer of a battery is a discharge/charge cycle that is high in amplitude.  In other words a battery that is discharged then has the alternator work hard to recharge it, the battery cycles too much in voltage and temp. Not good, much like a widely fluctuating bank account that cannot be trusted. Car batteries enjoy a straight line function of volts and temp which differs from the deep cycle of a boat battery. 
Perfect example is the battery of a interstate salesman car versus a short run city person. Short run being less than 12 miles roundtrip.

I park my Espada for a month or two at a time and flip the batt switch for disconnect. Starts perfect each time.
Batteries need constant love and attention.

Jeff Cobb
Cell 225-907-4514

Jeff Cobb Auto Works
1316 South Acadian Thruway
Baton Rouge
Louisiana, 70806
www.liveoakconcours.org
Concours, April 12-14, 2013
Work  225-343-7525
Fax     225-343-7550
zumzum at cox.net
jeffcobb1 at me.com				


On May 29, 2012, at 5:53 PM, Julian Kift wrote:

> 
> I'm not sure I see any difference in the optiosn you quoted? The Optima is an AGM and like the Odyssey or DynaBatt has a significantly reduced life if you let it fully discharge. The trick is not to let any of them fully discharge, even a 50% discharge is damaging to overall life, something like 300 cycles at that point.
> 
> The Odyssey and DynaBatt (extremely so) are more compact than the Optima and offer greater options for creative mounting. FWIW the DynaBatt is a rebranded (and hyper cost) Genesis, both Genesis and Odyssey (Hawker) brands are all part of the Enersys Group.
> 
> Julian
> 
> Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 15:27:39 -0700
> From: lashdeep at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.
> To: red3644 at hotmail.com; 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
> 
> 
> 
> So, we know that the Optima is (or was) a good battery and its non-spillable feature allowed for more mounting options.
> 
> 
> The Odyssey and DynaBatt models are smaller and lighter but maybe not great for periods of storage.
> 
> 
> Is there a lightweight and durable battery that has the best of both worlds?
> 
> 
> LS
> 
> central 
> wines-spirits   est 1934
> 
> 
> 
> 625 e street nw
> 
> washington, dc 20004
> 
> 
> centralwines.com
> 
> 
> 
> facebook.com/CentralLiquors 
> 
> 
> 
> 202-737-2800
> 
> From: michael frazier <red3644 at hotmail.com>
> To: lashdeep at yahoo.com; sdlgibson at sbcglobal.net; julian_kift at hotmail.com; michael at michaelshortt.com 
> Cc: asajay at asajay.com; pantera list <detomaso at realbig.com>; parapantera at aol.com 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 5:48 PM
> Subject: RE: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very common discussion on the Corvette Forums.  It seems that the new Optimas are indeed lower quality than
> the old ones.  I use the NAPA glass mat batteries.  A few more cranking amps for a few less $$$ than an Optima, and more readily available...FWIW.
> 
> Michael Frazier
> Gruppo Rompiculi Corsa 
> 
> 
> Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 08:25:08 -0700
>> From: lashdeep at yahoo.com
>> 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
>> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Battery questions, again.
>> 
>> 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
>> 
>> 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
> 
> 
> 		 	   		  
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 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

More information about the DeTomaso mailing list