HHR
Platinum Member
I purchased a used 2008 Chevy Impala this last summer and it came with an Optima "Yellow Top" Starting/Deep Cycle battery installed in it. The battery was made in March of 2011 and has been trouble free until now.
Yesterday I went to move the car and it just made a faint click and wouldn't crank. I put my 10 amp charger on the battery for about one hour and made the critical mistake of putting the charger on "50 amp boost" during my next cranking attempt. Turning the key gave me no clicks, lights or cranking. I shut off the charger and the battery was making creaking noises and a small plume of smoke came out from the fuse box as I watched my fusible links melt.
I immediately removed the negative cable from the battery to prevent further damage.
I later found out that Optima batteries cannot be "boosted" at more than 10 amps. I guess I've learned my lesson the hard way. I was in a hurry to move the car and i should have disconnected the battery and charged it (at a low rate) overnight. Now I need to find out where to get the correct size fusible links. They look to be 10-12 gauge. But the outer part of the link says 3 50. mm.
Yesterday I went to move the car and it just made a faint click and wouldn't crank. I put my 10 amp charger on the battery for about one hour and made the critical mistake of putting the charger on "50 amp boost" during my next cranking attempt. Turning the key gave me no clicks, lights or cranking. I shut off the charger and the battery was making creaking noises and a small plume of smoke came out from the fuse box as I watched my fusible links melt.
I immediately removed the negative cable from the battery to prevent further damage.
I later found out that Optima batteries cannot be "boosted" at more than 10 amps. I guess I've learned my lesson the hard way. I was in a hurry to move the car and i should have disconnected the battery and charged it (at a low rate) overnight. Now I need to find out where to get the correct size fusible links. They look to be 10-12 gauge. But the outer part of the link says 3 50. mm.