[phoenix]

OK.. My system will not keep charged. I have tested the alternator at two places... it is showing it is good (only 1 month old on top of that). The starter is new as well. The wiring looks good.. no corrosion. I have an Optima battery, so it seems like it should be good. Any suggestions?

 

[Peter M]

I'm not entirely familiar with the Optima battery, but most 'non-serviceable' batteries still have a place to put DISTILLED water in. I would check that. Also, how old is the battery? After all everyone knows that a battery and it's warranty date is the most accurate timepiece on the planet!
Have you done anything with your stereo, or an alarm system that might be draining the system when the car is off?

Peter

 

[Richard Dalkranian]

You don't say how it dies, does it go dead overnight? Or when it has been sitting for A few days. In any event check for current draw with everything turned off, if the meter shows more than 50 or 60 milliamps check for A trunk light thats not turning off or some thig else like leaky alternater diodes. RD.

 

[BeirutsFinest]

Depending On Batt

Check the Batt, it may read ok when you test it with the car on, but even when it reads ok, it could be completely drained. I had a problem once, and i tested the Alt and Batt twice, both times they both read good voltage....Turned out that my batt was completely drained even though the computer said it was fine. When i changed the Batt, everything was fine.

I had so many people deny that it was the batt and everyone told me i would be wasting money if i bought one, even my father said so......well guess what? they were all wrong, i went with my gutt and remember you know your car better than anyone.

Beirutsfinest

 

[Blown306]

Yes...your battery voltage is meaningless (other than to check basic operation), current does all the work. Have your battery load tested. If it's been discharged for awhile it could be sulfated. If it has been deep discharged, it could be sulfated and/or suffer from the plates shedding and shorting it out internally.

If you are running a deep cycle battery, it's more than likely sulfated. Automotive applications are not suitable for deep cycle batteries...wrong charging curve and discharge characteristics.

Sometimes a sulfated battery can be recovered, sometimes not. Depends on how bad it was for how long...

There is no way to add water to an Optima battery, they are totally sealed, similar to a gel-cell battery. You can also check for current drain on the battery, both when the car is running and when it is off.

 

[dode]

Are you just having problems with it holding a charge? I have almost the exact same setup, with an optima red top (my second one, had it replaced because I thought the first one was bad), and it won't hold a charge more than a couple of days. I have checked the alternator, starter, etc. I can't figure it out either.

John