Hey all, I've got an 04 m62 eco 5spd, which has been running good for the past year or so without many problems. I came home from work last night, car running good, went in to eat some dinner, then head to the gym (2 hours total) came back out and the car barely turned over, and went completely dead. I've got an optima yellowtop which is about 1 year old, and replaced the alternator to a cobalt ss last fall. Wouldn't even get a click sound. Windows were slow, then stopped, dash lights super dim. When I put the battery charger on it, everything went back to being bright, and when starting the car it would click very strong and fast, but wouldn't fire. The windows were also fast going up and down. As soon as I took the charger off, right back to dead. No click sound.
All my grounds appear to be good, no messed up wires, nothing. The car hadn't changed from the 2 hours it took me to eat dinner then leave again. I'm very confused on where to even begin with this. Any help would be great!! Thanks!
rule out the battery first.
test it with a load tester or conductance tester if available. If not, boost from another car. If it still only clicks, the battery is probably shorted.
I agree with Prime your battery is most likely toast and has a internal short
Thanks for the replies! I just can't believe a newer battery could do that in 2 hours of sitting, after working perfectly fine. Sounds crazy to me!
It's not real common, but it's not unheard of either, for a newer battery to just die like that.
I had a brand new Sear's Die-Hard crap out on me after 6 months.
Manufacturing today just isn't what it used to be.
Since when is 1 year old a new battery? Replace it under warranty.
- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs
binzer wrote:It's not real common, but it's not unheard of either, for a newer battery to just die like that.
I had a brand new Sear's Die-Hard crap out on me after 6 months.
Manufacturing today just isn't what it used to be.
Sorry double post, but watch "The Lightbulb Conspiracy". It explains everything about why things don't last anymore.
- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs
Problem is that you're using an Optima Yellow Top to start your car with. The yellow top is a deep cycle battery and is not made to be used for starting engines with. (which is what a starting battery is for).
Ditch the yellow top and get a regular battery.
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum. - Jon Mick
Thanks for the replies guys. 1 year old for an optima seems "new" just because I had a red top last me about 6 years. I cant really go with a standard battery because the way the supercharger and intake are positioned forces me to sit the optima sort of at an angle pushed back. Im afraid a standard battery would leak at an angle.
Are red tops any better for starting? Especially in the cold midwest winters? I never really had a problem with the red top
Red tops are worse than yellow just for a car. A yellow would be good for a secondary battery for an audio system but overkill for running the motor. Get warranty on your yellow if ya an, then sell or trade it for a regular battery, sealed case and decent cranking amps, remember your only turning over a 4 cyl...
so much misinformation in this thread it hurts.
yellow tops are NOT deep cycle batteries, they are DUAL PURPOSE batteries, dual purpose means starting AND deep cycle. damn good ones at that. i've had a yellow top under my hood for 2.5 years now with no issue.
red tops are strictly starting batteries. they are not meant to be cycled any more than a standard car battery, they're simply able to produce their maximum current for a longer time than standard flooded cell batteries.
blue tops come in two flavors: starting and deep cycle.
johnson controls, the people who make Autocraft, Duralast, Everstart, Die Hard, and even Interstate batteries also make Optima.
Optima FAQ wrote:If an OPTIMA is deeply discharged (below 10.5 volts) most basic chargers will not supply a charge. Also keep in mind an OPTIMA will not recharge properly if treated as a regular flooded or gel battery. To charge the battery, you can wire a second fully charged automotive battery (12+V) to the discharged AGM in parallel (+ to + and – to –). Then hook up the charger to either battery, setting the charger at 10 amps. Leave for two hours, monitoring frequently. During this process if the discharged battery gets very hot or if it is venting (hissing sound from vents) then stop this process immediately. When the discharged battery reaches 10.5 volts or more, remove the standard battery and continue charging the AGM until fully charged.
this is so worth trying with any optima that gives any issue whatsoever. i have recovered about 85% of every optima that was thought to be bad with this process.
JBO Stickers! Get yours today!
Quote:
yellow tops are NOT deep cycle batteries, they are DUAL PURPOSE batteries, dual purpose means starting AND deep cycle. damn good ones at that. i've had a yellow top under my hood for 2.5 years now with no issue.
That's really on how the plates are designed. It either is, or it isn't a deep cycle. It's not both.
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum. - Jon Mick
Thanks for the confusion! hahaha, I'll probably stick with a red top. I'm not running subs or anything really. Just a boost gauge, cd player, and wideband.
SHOoff wrote:Quote:
yellow tops are NOT deep cycle batteries, they are DUAL PURPOSE batteries, dual purpose means starting AND deep cycle. damn good ones at that. i've had a yellow top under my hood for 2.5 years now with no issue.
That's really on how the plates are designed. It either is, or it isn't a deep cycle. It's not both.
you use thick plates of a smaller quantity for deep cycle, and thin plates of a greater quantity for starting in flooded cell batteries. with optimas though, there are no "plates" in the ordinary sense. they're long thin sheets wrapped around an absorbed glass mat (hence the name agm). if you look on the label of a yellow top, they say dual purpose right on them.
JBO Stickers! Get yours today!
Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:SHOoff wrote:Quote:
yellow tops are NOT deep cycle batteries, they are DUAL PURPOSE batteries, dual purpose means starting AND deep cycle. damn good ones at that. i've had a yellow top under my hood for 2.5 years now with no issue.
That's really on how the plates are designed. It either is, or it isn't a deep cycle. It's not both.
you use thick plates of a smaller quantity for deep cycle, and thin plates of a greater quantity for starting in flooded cell batteries. with optimas though, there are no "plates" in the ordinary sense. they're long thin sheets wrapped around an absorbed glass mat (hence the name agm). if you look on the label of a yellow top, they say dual purpose right on them.
Strange how the people that sell batteries (for way to much money, I may add) are the ones that tell you that. It's deep cycle man. I don't give a damn what they put on their sticker.
i find it amusing that SHOoff has nothing better to do but follow me around & be an unhelpful dick in even cross-forum. - Jon Mick
I've read some good reviews on DieHard Gold batteries. Good CCA's for the -0 winters in Nebraska, handle heat good, and are supposed to be a pretty good overall battery. Decent price too. Plus I have a sears gift card.
sscavalier wrote:I've read some good reviews on DieHard Gold batteries. Good CCA's for the -0 winters in Nebraska, handle heat good, and are supposed to be a pretty good overall battery. Decent price too. Plus I have a sears gift card.
they're the same exact batteries as the duralast/everstart gold. as in, rolling off the same assembly line.
JBO Stickers! Get yours today!
I've read some good reviews on these.... are they junk?
i ran a duralast gold im my last cavalier. that ran strong and long with a slightly better than stock stereo system. i would have no problem buying another when this battery needs replacing.
Thanks! I think i'm going to try it out. 36 month replacement is also a pretty good warranty. Just hard to cough up another 150-200 for another Optima.
