Optima Battery Dead in under 3 months - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

lino · #1 12-15-2004, 07:06 PM

My Optima Red 34/78 Battery died. I didn't turn on the car for 8 days straight and when I went to start the car, the battery was completely dead. No lights in the dash at all. The car was parked in the driveway and it was really cold the entire week. It had also snowed. I'm wondering if something could have drained my battery or if there is a possibility that the real cold temperatures could do it. I didn't even have my alarm system on. Anyway, I went and got a brand new battery under warranty. I haven't installed it yet though.

Here are some pics of the of the original one when I bought it. I got the exact same one again:

Does anyone know where I can buy a battery blanket?

manny · #2 12-15-2004, 07:10 PM

Better luck with the next one.
You may want to check for voltage drain somewhere.
Btw. a friend of mine has a starter/alternator rebuild business and he is an " Interstate " battery distributor as well.
When I asked him about the " Optima " batteries ( since they are made by " Interstate "), he told me to stay away from them.

mike690003 · #3 12-15-2004, 07:19 PM

I thought optimas were excellent batteries. The dry cell is good for high voltage draining applications (TV's, Sound systems etc.). And for that high price I hope they are good.

What is so bad about an optima?

I was planning on installing one in my Monte Carlo, since I have a high power sound system.

Ron in SC · #4 12-15-2004, 07:50 PM

Quote:

he told me to stay away from them.

I wonder why he would say that? I thought they were good batteries. I have one in my Porsche and I lot of people use them in there 95-98 993s because the battery just attaches to the floor of the trunk in front next to the spare tire. No battery box or anything. We like them because the don't leak like a regular lead acid battery so you greatly reduce if not eliminate the possibility of damage from leaking.

On a positive note my Optima discharged below 12 volts about a year ago. I took it to the Interstate dealer I bought it from and he recharged it and tested it and said it was ok. He said the Optima can be severely discharged and not be ruined like regular lead acid batteries. I do try to keep it connected to a trickle charger now since I don't drive the car regularly. I also installed one of those Priorty Start units which will completely dissconnect the battery from the load when the battery voltage get to 12 volts, that why you don't discharge the battery any further so you can start you car.

Personally I use lead acid Interstate Batteries in all my cars except the Porsche. I'm not really that worried about leaking on the other vehicle and besides they sit on a tray whereas the Porsche has no tray, box or anything.

lino · #5 12-15-2004, 10:27 PM

I forgot to mention something earlier. When I installed the Optima battery in my car about 3 months ago, I drove the car daily for a peroiod of one month and then I had the transmission failure - the B2 Piston problem. Since that point in time I have been turning the car on once a week, because the car is not driveable. It has been 2 months of me doing that until this week when the battery died.

I asked a local Mercedes independent repair shop owner who happens to be Mercedes factory trained technician about my situation and he said that he read in some publication that Optima batteries are not compatible with Mercedes computers. I have absolutely no idea what that means. He was too busy at the time to chat so I never got an explanation.

Impala · #6 12-16-2004, 02:31 AM

Looks like the consecutive startups did it. Good to hear you've got a new battery replaced under warranty.

I've always wondered how much power a startup drains from the battery. In other words, on average how many startups (without much recharging in between) can a battery sustain?

yal · #7 12-16-2004, 09:31 AM

I would also check your voltage at idle at the battery.

Oh and don't believe sales men

I would tell you your Optima battery sucked if I wanted you to buy a new one from me or if my supply of Optima's was low

donbryce · #8 12-16-2004, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Does anyone know where I can buy a battery blanket?

Crappy Tire.

Quote:

I also installed one of those Priorty Start units which will completely disconnect the battery from the load when the battery voltage get to 12 volts, that why you don't discharge the battery any further so you can start you car.

I swear by these, got mine from the manufacturer, about $100.00CDN if I recall. My streetrod sits idle for weeks at a time and was always draining the battery (I think it's a bad alternator diode).
You might want to do a test and pin-point the source of the drain, which it sounds like you have, because cold or not, something is killing that battery and the new one will get the same treatment.

lino · #9 12-16-2004, 11:12 AM

Thanks everyone for your help. I will let you know what I find out.

lino · #10 12-16-2004, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donbryce

Crappy Tire.

I swear by these, got mine from the manufacturer, about $100.00CDN if I recall. My streetrod sits idle for weeks at a time and was always draining the battery (I think it's a bad alternator diode).
You might want to do a test and pin-point the source of the drain, which it sounds like you have, because cold or not, something is killing that battery and the new one will get the same treatment.

Thanks.

I was wondering if you ended up going to Eurowerks for the appointment you had a little while back or did you end up going to Marcell's Auto?

Breckman99 · #11 12-18-2004, 05:38 AM

I had a optima battery last longer than three cars - and one of them was a MB diesel!!! It only failed when it was in my dodge truck and fell off the mount into the belt pulley, rubbed a hole right through it. Still worked for a couple weeks then died..... I swear by these suckers now and have installed them in all the company plow trucks which used to burn through several batteries a season.

donbryce · #12 12-18-2004, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lino

Thanks.

I was wondering if you ended up going to Eurowerks for the appointment you had a little while back or did you end up going to Marcell's Auto?

Hi Lino. I think you're confusing me with Coldwar. I Am Really Hurt Now
BTW, did you pin-point the source of the smell after you changed the coolant? Was it the transmission?

lino · #13 12-18-2004, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donbryce

Hi Lino. I think you're confusing me with Coldwar. I Am Really Hurt Now

Sorry lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by donbryce

BTW, did you pin-point the source of the smell after you changed the coolant? Was it the transmission?

My trannsmission failed and so I haven't been driving the car for about 2 months. I totally forgot about that issue. Thanks for reminding me. I will look into it on Monday.

pmckechnie · #14 12-19-2004, 09:35 AM

Lino
I would like to suggest you NOT start the car weekly if you don't run it long enough to reach full temperature. Starting for a few min only will cause more problems than it will solve. Disconnect the battery and reconnect only when necessary.

Paul

lino · #15 12-19-2004, 01:22 PM

I used to run the car for 20-25 minutes each time, but it seems that this only drains the battery. I didn't realize that. I won't be doing that anymore.

Thanks