I Just Destroyed My Optima Yellow Top...

hawkeye08 · Dec 14, 2012

O'Reilly's and Napa carry fusible links as well as dealers..

HHR · Dec 15, 2012

I am 99% sure the Optima is good. I charged it overnight using a 6 amp charger. The first four hours showed a 4 amp rate and the when I checked it this morning, the needle was at zero amps. Voltage is now stable at 12.82V.
Won't be putting it back in the car until I find the short.

Gale Hawkins · Dec 15, 2012

Thanks for the update and you found the outcome we expected. As long as that battery is charged a couple times a year even is sitting over in the corner on concrete should be good years later.

A battery with a shorted cell will max out at 10.5-11v.

I have found with a 6 amp manual charger if the rate will drop below 1 amp overnight the battery is healthy.

Soundguy · Dec 15, 2012

HHR said:
I am 99% sure the Optima is good. I charged it overnight using a 6 amp charger. The first four hours showed a 4 amp rate and the when I checked it this morning, the needle was at zero amps. Voltage is now stable at 12.82V.
Won't be putting it back in the car until I find the short.

check it in a few hours.. if it holds at 12.6 or so, and don't drop in a day.. I'd say it dodged a bullet..

HHR · Dec 17, 2012

Soundguy said:
check it in a few hours.. if it holds at 12.6 or so, and don't drop in a day.. I'd say it dodged a bullet..

I threw the battery in a snow bank and left it for a couple days. I had to chisel an inch of ice to get at the terminals today and it's holding at 12.62 V.

CJONE · Dec 17, 2012

HHR said:
I threw the battery in a snow bank and left it for a couple days. I had to chisel an inch of ice to get at the terminals today and it's holding at 12.62 V.

Sounds like you are good to go with the battery! CJ

Soundguy · Dec 18, 2012

i guess so!

HHR · Jun 11, 2013

Update: The problem turned out to be a wire running to the Special Equipment Option (SEO) fuse block under the dash was rubbing on a metal brace. My continuity tester was giving me false positives and leading me to think a bunch of other stuff was shorted. The car is back on the road and everything is working great (including the Optima).