1just4don Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 (edited) My 91 Dodge Cummins has an Optima gel type battery in it and whole truck is becoming a electrical nightmare. Jumped in it today and no go,not even a peep,completely dead. I hooked up battery charger at 2 amps and used other car to go places. Came back home 3-4 hours later and battery charger is still charging 6 amps or more,pegged out needle. usually this means on a regular battery the cells are shorted out. is that what happens to the gel cell ones too? This is my first gel cell. I LIKE it because I dont get top moisture on battery to corrode stuff. still wont turn the motor but does buzz and make a sound. I am used to batteries going bad in middle of winter, not when temps are still 60 or so. well it was colder for couple weeks but it has recovered for a couple days. Maybe I should have disconnected the battery in case there was another short someplace,well there is always morning. what you experts think?any other quirks of these painted over Coors cans?? Edited October 20, 2009 by 1just4don Quote
Frank Ollian Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 I've owned six Optimas, two failed, these could be charged to 12.5 volts and would lose charge down to about 11 volts. They were replaced at no charge. Optima has a procedure on their website for charging. I've also heard they moved production to Mexico and produced many bad batteries. Frank Quote
Norm's Coupe Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 Personally, I've never owned an Optima battery. I stick with the old acid batteries due to the price difference. But.......my brother in law had a 6 volt in his 36 Ford and my son had a 12 volt in his 80 Firebird. Both took a dump in about the same amount of time the old liquid acid batteries would. So.....really, the only difference is the fact that the Optima is a little cleaner because it has the gel in it. Otherwise, a battery is a battery. My son did buy another Optima, but my brother in law went back to the old batteries. Quote
dezeldoc Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 Go back to an acid type battery the charging system on the dodge/cummins will kill them, not only that, they closed all the plants in the usa and all are made in mexico now! EDIT; Sorry i did not see the mexico thing in franks post! Quote
Dennis Hemingway Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 The Optima battery in our 56 Chevy did the same thing. We came home from a car show parked the car and the next day I went out to the garage to change the oil and the battery was deader than a doornail and it would not hold a charge. Dennis:eek: Quote
1just4don Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Posted October 21, 2009 Went out this morning and battery charger was charging normal. Jumped in and truck fired right up without doing a thing different. Drove it all over today and battery is still working as it should. still the old optima in there altho I am teasing it abit, cause i HAVE A SPARE BATTERY IN THE BOX,i CAN CHANGE OUT AT A MINUTES NOTICE,,,JUST HOPE IT ISNT IN THE INTERSECTION,,,oops,,,darn cap lock button,,,wish I could disable that thing!! anyway just gonna see how far I can ride out that thing,,or get myself in other trouble trying. Guessing maybe there is just a draw in the pickup cause it sets for a week or so and no go time. Now just to find it!!! UNLESS it is the dump trailer hooked to it,,,do they draw batteries down from that battery charger they have in there??(there is a little lite that says battery charging. BUT if I dont charge up that battery now and then it is dead too!!) Quote
dezeldoc Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 If the dump trailer has a battery for the brakes and a charge line to the trailer it very well could draw it down. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.