Which OPTIMA battery to use?

[mountainbiker]

The Optima fit guide online doesn't list the HUMMERs. If you have any experience with them in your H3, maybe you can answer these questions:

• Do you know which model/part number you used? (Was it the 34 series red top?)
• How did it fit (e.g., taller, wider, etc.)?
• How did you secure it (e.g., gravity, strap or other)?
• Any pictures of it sitting pretty in your engine compartment?

[BEST 4x4xFAR]

We don't own an H3 at this time, but either the red top or yellow top group 34 Optima should work out fine. You may also want to consider an Odyssey battery as well. Same concept as the Optima (AGM), but many will argue an even better battery...

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/product_list.htm

The PC1500 is most comparable to the Optima:

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/docume...0-001_0506.pdf

[Big Z]

Red top...if it fits.

[Desert Dan]

I put in a Red Top.

It came with a different clamp/clip that fits at the bottom of the battery. The nylon strap is too loose with the optima and the plastic cover needs to be trimmed to make room for the sight change in the terminal locations.

[H3HUMMER]

The yellow one is the best

[H3HUMMER]

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...utomotive.html

[mountainbiker]

Please accept our apologies for the delayed response.

We do not have information for the H3 as of yet, although if it takes the same battery as the H2, the correct battery would be the 34/78 red top or D34/78 in the yellow top.

Please feel free to contact customer service at the number below if you have any other questions. Thank you for your interest and support of Optima Batteries.

Optima Batteries
Customer Service
1.800.292.4359

.

[mountainbiker]

Disregard the previous post.

Those batteries are 10" long. I tried another 10" battery this evening that the base service station had; however, it wouldn't fit (at least not without some cutting). I am trying to find a nearby Optima dealer with some of the other models available that are just over 9" long.

I am getting the sh*ts of my battery leaving me standing there with my jumper cables.

[mountainbiker]

Originally Posted by DesertDan

I put in a Red Top.

It came with a different clamp/clip that fits at the bottom of the battery. The nylon strap is too loose with the optima and the plastic cover needs to be trimmed to make room for the sight change in the terminal locations.

DesertDan would you happen to know the Red Top part number? Can you describe or show a picture of the clamp/clip you used? Can you describe or show a picture of the mod you made to the plastic cover?


Trying to find a battery for my H3 overseas is turning out to be a pain. I can get one at the HUMMER dealer, but it is $368 and a 6-hour roundtrip to collect it. They cannot ship it to me as they don't have a courier to transport acid filled batteries. (I bet this same battery is $100 back in the States.)

I can get a gel battery like the Optima ($40-80 cheaper) shipped, but who really wants to take the Dremel drill to their new car to make it fit?

• Who has bought a replacement ACDelco P/N 86-7YR? Cost?
• Who has had their ACDeleco battery replaced with another free by their dealer?
• Who has replaced their battery with another brand like the Optima? What was the part number?

[mountainbiker]

I pulled out my POS dead ACDelco (P/N 86-7YR) battery. It is making a nice paper weight in my garage. I also have a paper weight in the driveway called a H3.

I will trade you some battery specs below for pictures of your gel cell battery installed in your battery tray, and a description or pictures of your battery tray mods:

ACDelco (P/N 86-7YR)

690CCA and 50Ah

L: 9" *
* The battery box has plastic tabs on each end. If you remove the 3 tabs on one end, then you'd get about another 1/2". If you removed a wire fastener and 3 tabs on the other end, you'd get another 1/2". A 10" L battery would be tight.

W: 6-3/4 - 7" **
** The base of the battery is 7" but then it tapers in slightly to 6-3/4". I think if it was a straight 7", you might have an issue with the metal bracket that holds the nylon strap.

H: 8-1/4" ***
*** This includes 1" for the posts.

The battery box lid has some extra big holes for the terminals. On the width side, they are centered between 5" + 1-3/4". On the length side, they are like 0.8" + 7.3" + 0.8". It will be hard to understand, so it is probably easier for you to measure this one yourself.

Optima 25, 35, and 75/25

720CCA and 44Ah

L: 9.313”
W: 6.813”
H: 7.625”

Optima 34 and 34/78

800CCA and 50Ah

L: 10”
W: 6.875”
H: 7.813”

[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.

[fourfourto]

I was thinking yellow top also .
Do you have the part # of the battery you used ?
Also some pics of install,I want to reuse the top of factory box as I mounted a light to it.

[JeffW]

It should be this one:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/product_info/automotive/deep_cycle/spec_sheets.RowPar.0001.ContentPar.0001.ColumnPar. 0005.File.tmp/D34_78_082104.pdf

D34/78, part #: 8014-045

I got it at Costco and I think it is the only Yellow Top they carry.

I will be back under the hood this weekend and double check. I will also try to snap some pics.

From your picture, though, it looks like it might be pretty close. I had to trim to the other side of that plastic stop for the positive terminal, which looks like it would intrude on your light mount.

[fourfourto]

Thanks I wrote info down,so when I eventually get one I have the #.
I think I have almost a inch between the stop and the light.
I could always move light over some if needed.

I havent had any battery problems since 03/06 ,im not running dvd as long without it running also moved 12v fridge relay to a ignition wire.

I would like not to worry about the battery and in the neer future I would like to hook up a winch so the yellow top would work great.