[Heybuck]

I have a Red Top Optima I bought new in July 1999. That's correct. 1999. It's in my '66GP and I always leave the car with the battery disconnected and the battery on a 1600Ma maintence charger.

I have to admit the longevity of it is now starting to worry me - I mean how long CAN they last??? I'm of the mind that the very first sign it's going to fail it will be out the door but that said, I doubt I'll ever again get such a good run from another battery of any make.

Ian

[ID67goat]

Originally Posted by Heybuck

I have a Red Top Optima I bought new in July 1999. That's correct. 1999. It's in my '66GP and I always leave the car with the battery disconnected and the battery on a 1600Ma maintence charger.

I have to admit the longevity of it is now starting to worry me - I mean how long CAN they last??? I'm of the mind that the very first sign it's going to fail it will be out the door but that said, I doubt I'll ever again get such a good run from another battery of any make.

Ian

Dec. of 1996 and mine still seems to be running strong. Has spent most of its life on a Battery Tender while not driven.

[tigergto]

From what I've read you can use a regular charger to charge an AGM battery. But since they are very sensitive to overcharging you have to be careful. That being said I don't have any experience with AGMs. I came across this while looking up information foe a friend.

[HWYSTR455]

Originally Posted by tigergto

From what I've read you can use a regular charger to charge an AGM battery. But since they are very sensitive to overcharging you have to be careful. That being said I don't have any experience with AGMs. I came across this while looking up information foe a friend.

There is actually some truth to that, but rather than get into a long debate, I truncated the post! It's just easier to say, get with the program and buy a newer tech type charger. Most have some ancient relic charger from the 80s, and you never know what the output is going to be like.

Here's some older info regarding:

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/g...a_agm_battery/

Straight from the horse's mouth:

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...-tip-articles/

•The magic threshold – 10.5 volts. The charging scenario for a deeply discharged AGM battery, one that's dipped below 10.5 volts, may be slightly different.

•AGM and gel technology differ. Remember that the technology of an AGM battery is not the same as a gel battery, which has its own charging requirements. If your charger offers different modes, select the correct one for your battery. If you use the gel setting to charge an AGM battery, it won't fully charge and, over time, it will actually damage your AGM battery.

There are also instruction on how to recover a deeply discharged battery, in parallel with another, though they recommend a 'correct' type charger to do so. They also comment that AGM and gel are different technologies, and it eludes to the fact that it should have a specific setting for each (AGM and gel).

I purchased an Odyssey battery for the 'bird, not cheap, but they are hands down one of the better AGM auto batteries on the market. And they last. They are less prone to damage from accidental shorts too. As I recall, they ship completely discharged, and in that state, the shelf life is almost indefinite. But you need a smart charger to initially charge them.

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