Which OPTIMA battery to use?

[mountainbiker]

A funny joke for you


What do you get when you have a POS one of these?





A (brand-new) driveway paper weight !!!

[mountainbiker]

Well, I just went up to the base Auto Skills Center and put in my new battery. I ordered the Optima Red Top Series 25 (or S 3,7 as it is called here). For me here, it cost just over $200 with shipping.

The Series 25 sat very nicely in the base of the H3's 9-inch long battery box. I went to the grinder and grinded a channel in the retaining wedge (that sits a top of the battery retaining strap). The channel was about the depth and width of the nut that holds it down. This allowed me to tighten the strap down nice and securely. I tried to reuse the battery box lid, but the Series 25 sits just a hair lower, and the holes in the cover were not a perfect match for the posts. I am not sure at this writing if I will leave uncovered like most of you, or enlarge the holes. I tried to push out by hand the plastic fastener holding the battery box's breather tube, but it didn't want to move. I'll save that for another day.

It will probably be another week before I can drive it as my H3 is all torn a part doing the light modification. It really blows having to tear your brand new car a part.

BTW: Anyone have a good mailing address for the HUMMER Customer Assistance Center? I want to submit a warranty claim for a battery that was sh*t at 74 miles. I emailed HUMMER.com two days ago, but I haven't received a response yet.

[mountainbiker]

My brand new battery is dead. Either my friend accidently left the door ajar overnight (which I am hoping but doubt), or I have a problem worse than a two dead batteries (OEM and Optima). I think I better go reread the forum battery discussions.

[fourfourto]

Originally Posted by mountainbiker

My brand new battery is dead. Either my friend accidently left the door ajar overnight (which I am hoping but doubt), or I have a problem worse than a two dead batteries (OEM and Optima). I think I better go reread the forum battery discussions.

If the door is left open the light will go out in apx 15 to 20 minutes.
try a current drain test.Dealer should do this under warranty
Good luck

[mountainbiker]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

If the door is left open the light will go out in apx 15 to 20 minutes

I thought that might be the case, and maybe even if the door was ajar that it wasn't my problem.

Originally Posted by fourfourto

try a current drain test. Dealer should do this under warranty

I will have to figure it out without dealer due to my location.

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Good luck

Thank you

[mountainbiker]

My battery keeps running down. Does that mean I need a new battery?

It might, but then again it might not. The only way to know for sure is to (1) test the condition of the battery to see if it is capable of holding a charge, (2) check the output of the charging system to see if it is functioning properly, and (3) if the battery and charging system are okay, check for a possible current drain on the battery when the key is off. In other words, if the battery is okay and the charging system is doing its job, then something is draining voltage from the battery and running it down when the key is off.

One way to check the battery is to recharge it, then let it sit for a day with both battery cables disconnected. If the battery holds the charge and doesn't run down, it's probably okay, and the problem is in your charging system or wiring.

To see if the charging system is working properly, start the car and turn on the headlights. If the headlights are dim, it indicates the lights are running off the battery and that little or no juice is being produced by the alternator. If the lights get brighter as you rev the engine, it means the alternator is producing some current, but may not be producing enough at idle to keep the battery properly charged. If the lights have normal brightness and don't change intensity as the engine is revved, your charging system is functioning normally.

You can also check the charging system by connecting the leads of a voltmeter to the battery. When the engine starts, the charging voltage should jump to about 14.5 or higher. If the reading doesn't change or rises less than a volt, you have a charging problem that will require further diagnosis.

If the battery and charging system seem to be working normally, the only thing that's left is the electrical system. If the battery runs down overnight or when the vehicle sits for several days, it means something is remaining on and drawing current when the ignition is turned off. It may be a trunk light or cigarette lighter that remains on all the time, a fuel pump relay or other relay with frozen contacts that's drawing current, a rear window defroster that doesn't shut off, or a short in the radio or other electrical accessory.

All vehicles draw a little current from the battery when the key is off to run the clock, keep the memory alive in a digital radio (so it doesn't forget the station settings) and the engine computer. Alarm systems need current to keep their circuits armed as do cellular phones.

Current drain on the battery can be checked with an ammeter. Make sure the ignition is off, then disconnect one of the battery cables. Connect one ammeter lead to the battery and the other to the cable. The normal current drain on most vehicles should be about 25 milliamps or less. If the key-off drain exceeds 100 milliamps, there's an electrical problem that requires further diagnosis.

Finding the hidden current drain can be time consuming. The easiest way to isolate the problem is to pull one fuse at a time from the fuse panel until the ammeter reading drops. This will tell you which circuit is draining the battery. Then you have to check the wiring and each of the components in that circuit to pinpoint the problem.

Source: http://autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repa...ques028_3.html

[JeffW]

I just installed a 34/78 Optima Yellow Top. Although the specs say it is 10" long, it is only 9.5" at the base. And the rounded nature of the cylinders gives even a little more leeway. Each side of the bottom of the battery box has 3 tabs. I only had to trim the rear two on each side to half their width to get the battery in. To secure the battery in the back I replaced the stock trapezoidal piece with the one that comes with the Optima battery.

To make the strap snug, I added a piece of wood to the top of the battery. Two pieces of lattic (the strips used to make/repair lattice fences) were the perfect width and thickness... narrow enough to fit in between the terminal mounds, and not too thick to prevent the top from closing. I glued them together, rounded the ends, and attached to the top of the battery with double-sided tape.

Then to preserve the heat shielding capability, I cut the terminal openings in the battery box lid inward to about an 1/8" into the label. Easy job with a Dremel tool. Fits good, looks good, works good.