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Tagged: Battery, battery charging, battery failure, sulfation
I presently have two (2) Optima 6 volt batteries that have to be replaced. I”ve attempted to purchase 2 replacement Optimas but my attempts have been met with a “their on back order” response. What would be a good substitute replacement until the Optimas become available? Ron Kurland, email [email protected]
Ron,
Did you try recovering the Optima batteries with a sophisticated charger like a NOCO GENIUS?
I just used my NOCO GENIUS 3500 to recover a DEAD Optima RedTop that had been sitting for 1-year.
I think that they are n amazing product.
Here isa link: https://no.co/genius10
Good luck,
Peter
If you replace the Optima with the NAPA conventional 6V battery that fills the battery box it will cost you may be 1/2 as much, you will have nearly the same cold cranking amps with about 2x more total watt-hour energy (how long it will keep cranking or last leaving the lights on).
They are nominally a 4 year battery I think, but mine have consistently lasted 6 years being neglected and needing nearly a full charge at times.
I agree the NOCO charger is great!
My current ones are 6+ years old now, they still will start the engines but I will be replacing them soon as I think they have lost a lot of capacity and would be dicey to take on tour.
Lead-acid batteries will last longer than the 6 years if water is kept to the proper level and at full charge (hence use small trickle chargers when stored). The sure sign that a battery is on the way out is swelling of the case on sides or ends. Bulging of the case is a sure sign that at least one cell chemistry is/has sulfated over and is failing. One cause may be from inadequate charging (check voltage regulator or third brush settings). I have had 12 volt batteries in daily drivers that lasted 7+ years; while admittedly an extreme example, there is no reason to change batteries as long as voltage and specific gravity are within reasonable ranges.
Per Wikipedia: “As batteries cycle through numerous discharges and charges, some lead sulfate does not recombine into electrolyte and slowly converts into a stable crystalline form that no longer dissolves on recharging. Thus, not all the lead is returned to the battery plates, and the amount of usable active material necessary for electricity generation declines over time.
<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>Sulfation occurs in lead–acid batteries when they are subjected to insufficient charging during normal operation.</span> It impedes recharging; sulfate deposits ultimately expand, cracking the plates and destroying the battery. Eventually, so much of the battery plate area is unable to supply current that the battery capacity is greatly reduced. In addition, the sulfate portion (of the lead sulfate) is not returned to the electrolyte as sulfuric acid. It is believed that large crystals physically block the electrolyte from entering the pores of the plates. Herb