Optima Battery Went Flat

[sl33py]

Hi guys/gals.

I've got an R33 with an optima yellow top battery. Due to a bvggered turbo, the car has been sitting there for about 1.5 months. I thought it would be ok to leave a deep cycle battery that long between starts but obviously not.

I got my brother to try and give me a jump start but when I tried starting the car, all I heard was a really fast and loud "ticka-ticka-ticka" sound and it wouldn't start. I think that was the Mongoose alarm chuckin' a spaz.

A tow truck is coming next week to pick up the car and take it to the mechanic to be fixed, but I'll need the battery alive so I can start the car and drive it up onto his truck (the car can move short distances but the mechanic said to rev it as little as possible when moving it around, so I can't take it for a proper drive like you normally do after a jump start).

So, two questions:

1) Is there any chance my battery is completely dead? Hope not... it was fr1gg1n expensive!! Can optimas be run so flat that they are useless? or are they harder to kill?

2) How the heck do I get the battery alive enough to drive it onto the tow truck when it arrives, without having to ring the NRMA and wait around for them (and the tow truck possibly arrive before the NRMA).

[raz0r$harP.UK]

Optimas are usually pretty hardy. We've had one in car that's only been started probably once every six months and it's usually ine. That 'ticka-ticka' sound is the immobiliser kicking in because there's not enough juice from the jump start to get things going. When you start the donor car, wait a few min before you attempt to jump your car.

Easiest solution is to pop into the shops and pick up a cheap battery charger. You can get them for around $20 and it will charge it up so you can start the car.

[Trav33]

You shouldnt need to start it to get it on the tow truck - towies are used to picking up wrecks which cant drive. He'll use his winch.

[sl33py]

Fair enough. Was just worried that my coupla hundred dollar battery was a dodo. I've charged it up now though, and leaving it disconnected til they come to get the car. I got a few chugs from the starter motor when it was half charged (got nothing before), so I think it'll be fine.

Thanks

[NRV155]

You shouldnt need to start it to get it on the tow truck - towies are used to picking up wrecks which cant drive. He'll use his winch.

LOL at "used to picking up wrecks".

[sl33py]

lol If he's paying out mine, he's paying out his own same car

[Edge]

yes these batteries can die I had a red top one i just threw out after only 2 years - couldn't be bothered trying for warranty, they will just say I let it go flat for too long at some point.

you should be able to charge it a coupple of times from completely flat as the idea is that the gel helps to prevent sulphation by cracking when i9t goes flat and releasing more electrolyte.

Just check that it holds the charge.

mine lost the charge after 1 day and dropped to 5v instead of 12v so I threw it away - there goes $750

Now that I think about it maybe I should have tried discharging it first?

[sl33py]

750?! I think my yellow top was like between 3 or 400, and I think that was RRP

[lighty01]

the ticking noise is not your alarm or immobiliser trying to "kick in".

get someone to charge your battery then try again.

then ticking noise happens when ur battery is less that 11v.

from memory i think u need minimum 11v to kick over the engine.

u can charge ur battery by connecting the jumper leads to a car which is at idle and leave it connected for about 15minutes. then disconnect and try to start.

DO NOT HAVE BOTH CARS RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE LEADS CONNECTED.

or your going to run the risk of blowing ur cpu.

if you want to be safe, just dc ur battery. take it to a battery place and they will charge it for about $10.

Edited February 28, 2008 by lighty01

[some_cs_student]

DO NOT HAVE BOTH CARS RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE LEADS CONNECTED.

or your going to run the risk of blowing ur cpu.

if you want to be safe, just dc ur battery. take it to a battery place and they will charge it for about $10.

Really?

I know jump starting some cars is not safe but is this the case with Skylines?

[sl33py]

Um lighty01, don't like reading threads all the way through? I already charged it.

You're best recharging with one of those cable sets which say they are safe for ECU, as mine does. I DC'ed the battery anyway as I charged mine from an AC charger. Only took two evenings (disconnected during the day so the car could remain closed) of charging to come good.

Anyway, after charging the battery and leaving it DC for about a week, it turned over first time and is now on it's merry way off to my mechanic. Optima rocks! Thanks to those who helped.

[lui]

I have a yellow top battery that has gone flat after sitting there for months. How long did it take you to charge it and what sort of charger did you use?

I left it charging for around 6 hours and it still didn't start the car, it did feel like it picked up a bit more charge but not enough. Should I try and charge it for a long time or should I assume it's dead?

Um lighty01, don't like reading threads all the way through? I already charged it.

You're best recharging with one of those cable sets which say they are safe for ECU, as mine does. I DC'ed the battery anyway as I charged mine from an AC charger. Only took two evenings (disconnected during the day so the car could remain closed) of charging to come good.

Anyway, after charging the battery and leaving it DC for about a week, it turned over first time and is now on it's merry way off to my mechanic. Optima rocks! Thanks to those who helped.

[bumble_bee]

wat amp rating does the jumper leads need to be to jump start a skyline??

100amps wont be enough....

so wat recommend leads are require to get juice to the dead battery???

[Bumblebee]

200amp should be enough ]

if ur going to use 100amp leads, then make sure u leave them connected to both cars for about 5-10mins to allow ur battery to charge a lil

[bumble_bee]

ok oh...cheers...

coz im going on holiday for just ova week...

and the last time i wen on holiday for about that length..

she was sound a sleep..

so i had give a rac a buzz...lol..to jump me..

coz i couldnt find my old leads...cant rember wat Wattage they wer though...

but is ok now..got some 400W jumper leads

never jump-starter here b4, thats y i asked....

but should be thick enough to get juice to my baby..

thanks again

[Bumblebee]

Ampage... not wattage.

[bumble_bee]

Ampage... not wattage.

woops..oh yeah

[turbo_brian]

For a Yellow-top drycell you dont need to worry if you flatten it completely, they are designed to discharge completely without killing the battery.

Charge it up for 18 - 20 hours on a trickle-charger, and she will be fine.

If the car's going flat after such a short time, there is something taking more than normal charge.

As for the ticking, it's the solenoid int he starter trying to engage the throw-cog onto the flywheel before attempting to turn the engine over, it's simple a flat battery or not enough amps from the jumper leads, common with cheap $20 leads from el-cheapo stores.

Get a GOOD set of leads, or a proper Jump Start pack and use that for jumping cars.

I got a cheapo $40 jump start pack in the thought it would fire up my Soarer back a few months ago, but when I tried it recently, it merely ticked like a flat battery, completely useless for anything except a torch on the side of it.

B.

[taz2008]

can anyone recommend a place in sydney preferrably west for me to take my dead batter and charge it? and also if the headlights and cd players work does that mean battery isn't dead? or does it need more power to kick the engine over? cuz mine dont start but lights work :s

[sl33py]

Wow back from the dead... basically... what turbo brian said... and if the battery is THAT dead, you won't get it started from a jump start (btw, my mechanic has told me that jumpstars can kill turbo controllers and such, so I don't recommend it). If it's really dead, you need to disconnect it from the car and charge it using a trickle charger as said before, for most likely a few days. Usually they have a read-out of power levels. I waitied until it was at about 80-90%.