How the heck do you charge an otima red top battery

[FrankWest]

How do you charge a new optima red top battery, that ran down?

[tubman]

I have a variable DC power supply, not a charger that will not work under certain voltages. It has always worked for me. If you don't have that, putting a fully charged 6 volt battery in parallel will work. If you don't have that, you better hope "51 MERC-CT" is right.

[alan]

I have had very good luck recharging a dead optima battery with a slow charge low amperage charge. I use a battery maintainer that I buy from tractor supply around $20 on sale

[deuce_roadster]

Gel cell batteries must be charged very slowly. Instead of flat plates like a normal battery they have a mat that is wound like a roll of toilet paper with little space between and much more surface area. The added surface area gives them the added cranking amps. Too fast a charge will warp and destroy these. I think if you go to the Optima website there is info on charging.

[Angledrive]

If the voltage in the Optima reads less than 10 volts, take a known good battery with at least 11.5 volt reading and hook jumper cables to the Optima from the good battery. Charge the good battery at a slow rate until the Optima reads above 10 volts and then hook charger directly to the Optima and slow charge until you get 12.5 or above.

[Kurt in NJ]

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with my model A I just handcrank started it with a tricklecharger connected, after 20 min driving it would start the car

The chargers that I use don't care what battery they are connected to ---i don't know how old it is ,i got it in the 60s out of the trash, 6V only

it seems that modern chargers have so many safety features that they won't charge a dead battery, that is one of the reasons that a good battery needs to be hooked up in parallel to start the charger charging, it needs to see a reasonable voltage to know it is ok to charge, that the polarity iscorrect

[*BigDaddy*]

Angledrive has the correct procedure. You can actually charge thru the known good battery also all the way till the complete charge.

A ctek type digital charger is best, slow slow slow.

[rt34]

you need a special charger per Optima. a regular charger for wet cell batteries will damage you battery. I ruined mine and had to get a new battery. go to optima website.

[CC33]

Originally Posted by FrankWest

How do you charge a new optima red top battery, that ran down?

With one of these.

http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-.../022-0196.html

DON'T use a regular charger. It must be a trickle charger such as this.

[wspiker]

I use the Beltran Battery Tender. It can be purchased from Battery's Plus. I think the BEST OPTION................

[Lawrie]

How come you can't use a regular charger,when the gen or alternator will put in 14.5 volts and heaps of amps.
lawrie

[deuce_roadster]

Because when the battery is fully charged, it takes very little to bring it back to full charge from just the starter motor's drain. It doesn't charge for an extended period of time. If you took a gel battery that was too discharged to start the car and used jumpers and got it going--the alternator if 12 volt or generator if 6v would cook the battery by over charging it too fast.

[Terry,OH]

I believe the preferred procedure is on Optima's web site.

[Tony, NY]

I've had my Optima around 14 yrs and the only thing used to put a charge to it has been a deep cycle battery charger for a marine battery (boat I used to have).

[FrankWest]

I am trying to charge it with a 6 amp charger. It seems if you wait too long to charge a dead Optima battery it cannot be charged again and Is trash.

[JSeery]

Have you attempted contacting Optima (whoever makes/distributes them)?

[tubman]

Originally Posted by FrankWest

I am trying to charge it with a 6 amp charger. It seems if you wait too long to charge a dead Optima battery it cannot be charged again and Is trash.

I think you may be getting rid of good batteries. As others have said, modern chargers are so "smart" that they fool themselves sometimes, and won't charge if they "think" there is not enough residual charge in the battery. The idea is that the second fully charged battery in parallel to the battery to be charged "fools" the "smart" charger into thinking there is a chargable battery hooked to it. A fixed DC power supply that can be set to the proper voltage will also get them started.

[adileo]

So I'm clear. You take the trickle charger and hook to a 6 volt reg battery then take jumper cables and Connect to the 6 volt optima to charge it?

[tubman]

Yep. I made special "jumper cables" from red and black 10 gauge wire and four large spring clips. Regular jumpers will work, but are a bit cumbersome. I've found these jumpers are handy to have around if you have to charge two batteries and only have one charger.

After a while, you can take the other battery out of the equation and finish up the Optima with the regular charger.

[adileo]

American ingenuity thanks Tubman!