Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Hello All

I have a Pair of EXIDE batteries, that are discharging sitting on the bench.

I had completely charged them at Thanksgiving, When I winterized the car. (still in the car) went out a few days before Christmas and they were so low the delay box would not even light up.

These are the same as the red top optima batteries. They are less then 2 years old.

I have had them checked and it says they are good. Completely charged them with a
Moroso Charger/Tender on the work bench.
They were at 13.4 volts, in about 10 days they are down to 9.7 & 11.4 Volts.

Any body got any ideas as to what is going on?

Cal
S/ST HR 1177

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Google this: natural battery discharge
Start reading any or all of the links.
We have had many discussions on an Air Craft forum I frequent about this same issue. It is very common in aircraft because most general aviation planes sit for long periods of time without use. Sounds like some of our race cars, too.
I keep a battery tender on my plane & race car. I also do frequent checks on the battery condition. I had one battery tender go nuts and over charged a perfectly good race car battery. the guy at Wal Mart said he had never seen a battery with the plates burned/melted away. I also put the battterys on a bench, not in the car. I keep them away from anything that can burn. Plug the tender into a power strip. Fred Henson had one short out and burned his car and shop up.

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

they are just that, stories

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Actually Chad, a battery sitting on concrete that goes through considerable temperature changes will discharge because water condensation on the battery allows current to flow across the battery. Any water that is not perfectly free of all purities will conduct electricity, and water that condenses on a battery isn't pure. It does not always happen, but in climates where the temperature changes 20-30 degrees in a day or so, it can happen.

Beware of battery tenders and trickle chargers. I strongly suggest they not be left on batteries that will be unattended for any real length of time. While it is very rare, there have been instances of various factors causing even very low current chargers shorting out and causing fires. You'll be much safer if you just connect a charger set on 2 to 10 amps and charge your batteries for a few hours once or twice a month or so while you're around, and that will be enough of a regular charge to maintain battery life at acceptable levels. Charge your batteries while you'll be around where ever the batteries are, maybe throw the charger on when you get home for the weekend and can look in every so often, and take it off before you call it quits Sunday evening. It could prevent a tragic and catastrophic loss.

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Batteries were made with a carbon case a long time ago, the carbon would act as a conductor with the cement and produce a slow discharge. When the cases were produced with a plastic case some time 50+ years ago this issue went away

What ever its worth, I live in the Northeast. We have cold winters that last for 3 to 5 months. When a battery is subjected to cold for long periods of time without starting or maintenance, the can discharge over time. The good batteries can handle this better then the cheap ones. I have run Delco's, Odyssey, and now Optima in my 2 cars. One practice I started was to pull the battery out of the car and store it in the basement, and then use a tender on it here and there during storage. I think keeping it out of the extreme cold of the winter and simple charging maintenance goes a long way to a battery lasting. My Delco lasted until I changed to an Odyssey, ( for weight ) that was 3 years racing and 5 years in my friends street car. The Odyssey lasted 6 years, and went with my GTO when I sold it, and was used after for a year or so.
I now have a Red Top in my Firebird going on 3 years. Not saying my method is the end all be all, but I've had good results.

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

True. Have proven it. Makes no difference.

I will say however, at least in my experience, I've had little to no luck with the Exide brand beginning with the Juice Box batteries back in the 70's. Have never been able get decent life out of any of them.

Could just be me but I don't think so.

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Sure batteries will discharge while sitting but like most everything else, you get what you pay for. IMO optima batteries are junk, tried a red top back around 2006 in my Chevelle and it didn't make a month before failing to turn over my engine when I was called to the lanes and it was charged with the correct AGM charger. Went back to the same AC Delco that I've been using since the early 90's with out issue or failure and I've never used a battery tender nor remove the battery(s) from my car in the off season. Same batteries in my Firebird since buying it and I will have no problem starting the engine in late February when I take it out of the trailer to ready it for the season. BTW, same batteries in my tow vehicle too.;)

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

1320... I have 2 Optima red top batteries...one has been in use since 2005, sits out in the garage every winter( im lazy apparently..hehe) , and still continues to fire up a 455 with 11:1...i charge them at the track, as well as at home, before i load car into the trailer. The other battery was purchased Christmas '05...It sat a couple years, then i got it...Its in my Bird and turns over a 12:1 455, with no problems. You must have gotten a bad one. I dont even have a mega amp alternator on either car. Just the standard Delco deal...i think they are 65 amps. I wouldnt hesitate to buy another one, and most likely will, this year, so i will have a back up. I run one battery in each car. Its a PITA to have to pull one out of a tow vehicle, if needed...hehe

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

possibly, but I know other racers that have had the same issues as well I've read the same on numerous forums from other racers in the years, since surmising that QC has gone down since they were bought out.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...Number=2886948

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Like anything else,I suppose it is possible to get a bad Optima Red battery,but I have had great luck with them over the years.

Even though they seem to last and last,I usually will buy a new one about every 3-4 years.

Optima even pays contingency.(they have for the last few years anyways)

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Not that i'd ever use them in any of our race cars, but on occssion i 've succumed to a case of cheapness and used wal-mart crap in our tow trucks motor home, and trailers, by far the worst performing batteries right along with sears die hard then you have to fight with some know nothing clown in their service dept after one recent failure too many i swapped everything out for optima red tops no more failures, my daily driver f-150 flareside shop truck was the last straw just got out of physical therapy freezing cold out and the truck won't crank

we use braille light weights in all of the race cars with spectacular results we sell a lot of them too.

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

X2 on Walmart batteries, Alex. I will never use another one, pretty much hate using anything from there, that's a whole 'nuther discussion. Pretty much a lock that they will let you down at the most inopportune moment.

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Just my luck, my yellow top that was in the racecar would not want to keep up even with charging every week or so. Put it in my suburban and it works like great. We had to go to advance one sat. last july as my friends were closed and bought a gold 78-2 for her TrailBlazerSS. worked fine until wed. am of this week. When it was like 1 degrees worked great. Tues. night it was cold and very foggy and damp, batt went down to 9 volts and no start. Dampness maybe made a circuit somehow to discharge it to ground, I don't know. Took a loong time to charge it to get it in the garage. Got a replacement. It seems that my chargers work better when pluged into an outlet than a power strip or extension cord. Resistance in cords, again I don't know. I was always told if you put a battery down on concrete it will discharge, so I put them on a board. John Kissel

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Thanks Guys
I have Optima Red tops in my 83 Camaro and 68 Corvette and they work fine, been in there at least 3 years and still going strong.

I couldn't get the red tops when I needed to change the batteries in the 81 Corvette ,
and got the Exide. Was told same battery just a different label

O well Guess I'll be spending more money

Cal
S/ST HR 1177

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

I replaced a WalMart battery this fall in old blue, a 1995 Chevy truck that was over ten-twelve years old...
Truck sat for months between starts some years.

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Costco "black top" batteries in everything we own for the past 20 years, never had a failure.
Peeled the decals off the sides of the batteries and put them on the side of my SST Vega years ago. Won a points race and sent a picture to the PR Dept of Costco, got a nice thank you letter in return and a $50 cash card..............

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

This is an eye opener:
I just Checked the net to see the USA battery MFG's
Well, ran across a world wide list....
It would take you several lifetimes to check out this list to see what is the best.
Guess it is better to use what the herd says is best.
http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

Re: Please Read "Batteries discharged while sitting" ?
 

Back in the day when we had to fill dry batteries with acid service stations had small wooden benches setup close to the water hose so you could rinse the acid that was inevitably spilled. If they sat on the concrete spilled or leaking acid would collect underneath and eat the floor. ---Trevor