"razorbeamteam" (razorbeamteam)
07/26/2018 at 18:37 • Filed to: None
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"razorbeamteam" (razorbeamteam)
07/26/2018 at 18:37 • Filed to: None | 0
| 24 |
Hello Oppo, I have a battery related pondering for you this afternoon.
I have an optima yellowtop in the rover (well, not IN the rover currently) that I purchased in February 2016. Since then, the car has been driven sparingly and the last year it has been sitting in a garage. I did not have a charger or maintainer on the battery at all and it went completely flat.
Since I have gotten the car out of the garage and running again, the battery has not wanted to wake up from it’s hibernation. It wouldn’t hold a charge overnight, and would only crank the engine 3-4 times before giving up (after a full charge).
I took it to O-O-O-O’Reilly and they tested it and told me it was good. I tired to explain the symptoms to them but after explaining all the tests I had done and the fact that the car had sat all winter, the guy says “hmm, did you leave your headlights on maybe?” Not sure if it was actual incompetence or they didn’t want to take the battery on a warranty claim (36 months from Optima).
Seeing as this was a very expensive battery, I’ve been trying to revive it myself. I’ve got a Powerpulse desulfation device hooked up to it and am putting it on a trickle charge overnight and letting it sit during the day on the desulfinator. It’s currently holding 12.00 volts for at least 12 hours, but I haven’t yet seen any improvement in capacity in about 5 days of doing this. Any Oppos have any experience with AGM batteries? Is there something I’m missing?
A pic of a SVR Range Rover I saw at whole foods as well as a sandwich I made on Saturday from stuff I bought at the whole foods for your time.
UPDATE: On the advice of some oppos, I went to a different O’Reilly after having the battery on a charger overnight. The tester at the OOOO’Reilly still had to put a charge on the battery for an hour before testing it and it came back as a bad battery. They honored my warranty, but needed to order the battery from another store. I came back the next day, and after a small mix up was sent to the first OOOO (the one that told me my battery was good originally) where I was given a brand new yellowtop with a June 2018 manufacturer’s date.
I’m so glad this battery saga is over and I can start enjoying the rover again. I have a few more odds and ends to button up in the interior then I can actually start using it. Thanks for following along at home, and thank you to the oppos who suggested that I demand satisfaction.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
BaconSandwich is tasty.
> razorbeamteam
07/26/2018 at 19:11 |
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My username approves of your sandwich.
As for the battery, I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about Optima batteries. I remember looking at reviews a while back, and they seemed really hit or miss - people either loved them or hated them.
Is there still any chance to make a warranty claim on the battery? I’d do that, if possible.
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razorbeamteam
> BaconSandwich is tasty.
07/26/2018 at 19:56 |
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I think I might take it to a different OOOO’Reilly and have them test it. Yeah, I bought it because it was supposed to be resistant to long periods of non-use and could withstand being deeply discharged. I have not found that to be the case sadly. I think if I can’t get a warranty claim I’ll just buy a regular lead acid battery and setup the yellow top as a second battery. It may get restored after a few months of intermittent charging from the alternator with the pulse tech on it
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> razorbeamteam
07/26/2018 at 20:16 |
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I see you purcha sed it in feb 2016, but what is the date on the battery?
being a more premium option they don’t move too many of these. I purchased one from advance, got home and the 914 wouldn’t start. I then throw on the optima charger, and the thing is dead. wait an hour still dead. Then I see the sticker and see it was already 4 years old.
If it isn’t holding any charge I would try and see if you can get a warra nty claim, as even a lead acid will be $ 100+.
Tripper
> razorbeamteam
07/26/2018 at 20:24 |
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Where did you buy the battery? I ask because my mom bought a red top from Amazon for her c5. It lasted about six months, then we found out that a lot of the optima batteries being sold on Amazon were very old.
TheTurbochargedSquirrel
> BaconSandwich is tasty.
07/26/2018 at 20:38 |
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From my understanding with Optimas you either get the best battery you ever purchased or a total dud with no middle ground.
facw
> razorbeamteam
07/26/2018 at 20:59 |
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I’d guess if it tested fine once, it will test fine again. I’d just keep pushing on them because if it’s not working, it’s not working, regardless of what the tester says . I suppose there could be some other drain in your car, but that seems far less likely than the battery being bad given the history.
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BaconSandwich is tasty.
> facw
07/26/2018 at 21:12 |
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It makes me wonder if you could swap in a good battery, drive to O’Reily’s, swap in the bad battery, and show them it doesn’t work. Pain in the butt, but might be worth the price of a refund.
functionoverfashion
> razorbeamteam
07/26/2018 at 22:29 |
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What kind of tester did they use at OOOOReilly? Those are not necessarily the best indicator of real draw from a starter in an vehicle, especially one that isn’t new. B atteries can pass a test and still fail to start your car.
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razorbeamteam
> facw
07/27/2018 at 01:03 |
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True, and when I park the car, I disconnect the battery. Not that I think there’s a drain from the car, but I don’t trust 25 year old British electronics
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razorbeamteam
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
07/27/2018 at 01:05 |
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Good point, the sticker says 2/16 but who’s to say that’s right. I’m inclined to just go back to the O’Reillys and demand satisfaction
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razorbeamteam
> Tripper
07/27/2018 at 01:06 |
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I got mine from OOOO’Reillys but I ordered it online. The sticker says 2/16 but who knows how accurate that is.
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razorbeamteam
> functionoverfashion
07/27/2018 at 01:12 |
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Just the OOO-tester I imagine. It was a little shady because when I brought the battery in, it had to be charged for two hours before the machine would give a score. I feel like if I brought it in fully charged they would put a load on it and realize it was garbage. I’m gonna try to bring it to a different OOO and see i f I get a better outcome. I get like 2-3 cranks out of it from a “fully charged” state before it won’t turn the starter anymore.
94RRC
> razorbeamteam
07/27/2018 at 02:43 |
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If you can’t get the battery to 12.5 volts, then it’s defective. Don’t let O’Reilly tell you otherwise. Go to another store and just say “M y car won’t start, it worked fine yesterday. I put a voltmeter on the battery and it’s less than 12.5V and doesn’t respond to the trickle charger. I want a replacement under warranty." Demand a manager. It's not on you to have to desulfurize a battery.
I buy the AutoZone AGM batteries for my cars (two Rovers, and a n Explorer). I decided to go with the AutoZone brand because it's easier to get a replacement when they inevitably fail.
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Tripper
> razorbeamteam
07/27/2018 at 07:59 |
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Gotcha the date on hers was like 4 years before she bought it, haha.
tpw_rules
> razorbeamteam
07/27/2018 at 08:17 |
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If I may, let me share my Optima horror story. I had a yellow-top for two years in my Miata. One day I started it up to go home from work and it was completely dead. The battery went open circuit and was thus
completely useless. Car couldn’t even be jumped. Would not buy O
ptima again especially after hearing other stories.
I wonder if yours went high resistance somehow?
Also shout out to Mercedes for building a plain lead acid which somehow lasted 13 years. It wasn’t even totally dead.
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functionoverfashion
> razorbeamteam
07/27/2018 at 09:27 |
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Oh, hell no - they can’t put it on a charger for 2 hours then immediately test it. I mean, if it’s stone dead, then it will still be dead. But a weak battery could just squeak by a test by an electronic tester in those conditions, for sure.
Yeah, that thing is cooked.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> razorbeamteam
07/29/2018 at 19:06 |
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I called the advance asked if they had another one, the guy told me to come back down as they were closing in 40 minutes. and even before i got back, they had already called another store and had someone drive one over. although I was pissed, what they did made more than up for it.
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functionoverfashion
> razorbeamteam
07/30/2018 at 11:09 |
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YES! I’m glad it worked out. I guess I haven’t been to a lot of chain stores like that (mostly just Napa) but I can’t believe they test it right after pulling it off the charger. I guess they have to put some charge on it, so you can’t just bring them a discharged battery that would otherwise be OK... but... I would want to charge it, then leave it overnight, THEN test it.
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razorbeamteam
> functionoverfashion
07/30/2018 at 11:13 |
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My plan was to have them wait 15 mins after the charger finished charging to let the voltage come back down before testing. I left the store to run some errands and came back 45 mins later and as soon as I walked in they told me it already tested and came back bad so it wasn’t necessary.
The woman who was helping me seemed to understand the science behind the issue much more than the staff at the first O’Reilly who assumed I had just left my headlights on.
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functionoverfashion
> razorbeamteam
07/30/2018 at 11:23 |
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Ah, good! There certainly are some bright people behind the counter at some auto parts stores. I’ve known a few, and they become well-known if they stick around at one store... but there are plenty of dopes, too.
Party-vi
> razorbeamteam
07/30/2018 at 11:31 |
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Man. I’ve got a yellowtop that’s not holding a charge anymore as well. It’s got an ‘06 date though >.>
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razorbeamteam
> Party-vi
07/30/2018 at 11:32 |
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With a steady hand and a paint pen, you too could demand satisfaction.
Wacko
> razorbeamteam
07/30/2018 at 12:25 |
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he’s been doing that for years without the paint pen.
BahamaTodd
> Party-vi
07/30/2018 at 13:36 |
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Wow, 12 years? I thought I did well with m y red top that lasted 9 years.