86 Class, 550 CCA Battery for a 2004

[Hib Halverson]

Optima does not offer a battery which is safe to use in a C4 due to the problem with the proximity of the positive battery post and a brace which runs from the hood latch mount to the front frame rail.

Odyssey does have a side-terminal-only, high-performance battery for the C4 application. It's a PN 75 PC1230

For more information on the Odyssey battery, see a product review elsewhere on the CAC at:Corvette Action Center | Tech | The Solution to my Corvette Battery Problems: The Odyssey Battery

With respect to C5s, the batteries used were:

1997-2000 Group 78
2001-2003 Group 75
2004 Group 86

Generally Group 75 and 86 are the same except the 75 is side-terminal and the 86 is top-terminal.

 

[killain]

Optima's useful workings

Hello, I noticed your conversation regarding batteries and wanted to offer some assistance. killain, no battery like to be deeply-discharged, but Optima batteries handle that type of inactivity and abuse better than traditional flooded batteries. Most of the "bad" batteries returned to us now are just deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly recharged.

Part of the problem is that many battery chargers will not recognize any battery that has been discharged below 10.5 volts and most flooded batteries discharged to that extent cannot be recovered. Optima batteries can be recovered from deep discharges, by using the technique described in this video- YouTube - Tech Tips 3: Recovering a Deeply Discharged Battery

I'm glad to hear so many of you are using battery tenders or maintainers. Those devices are excellent investments, which will help extend the life of your battery, regardless of brand. If you have any other battery-related questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

I have seen the vidio's, (But it's kinda late for this thread) But I use a float charger made by VDC electronics called 'Batteryminder' and is # 12118 and this perticular model is made specially for Optima and Odssey sprial wound batteries. I know a lot of the best batteries are of the 86 class and design and for the most part cost about from $75.00 to close to $200.00. But no matter what, I am not or I should say I don't want a wet cell battery in my Vette at any cost. I don't care how great a battery has been to an owner, I have found that the MOST often cause of early death for an Optima Red Top is caused by leaving it idle for a month or two uncharged by a float charger or there's been some half-assed installed Stereo or Amp with ten foot of Monster wire or some other elecricitic short or over use and the RedTop is history. but even dead, a Redtop can be recharged, in series with another battery to which is connected to the charger. but I'm not sure how many people will care to do this but whatever, go with the big wet-cell, I'm just not going to use one thank you !

 

[Hib Halverson]

I have seen the vidio's,

Uh...are they the same as "videos"?

(snip) is made specially for Optima and Odssey sprial wound batteries.

The Odyssey is not a "spiral wound" battery.

I know a lot of the best batteries are of the 86 class and design and for the most part cost about from $75.00 to close to $200.00.

The 86 refers simply to the battery's size and terminal configuration nothing else, ie: an "86" is not a specific design. I should add that Optima does not make a Group 86 in neither its "Red Top" nor "Yellow Top" lines

(snip) I have found that the MOST often cause of early death for an Optima Red Top is caused by leaving it idle for a month or two unchaged by a float charger

You mean to tell us that an Optima will not hold a charge for just a month...unless its got a charger connected?

(snip) but even dead, a Redtop can be recharged, is series with another batery but I'm not sure how many people will care to do this

Just want to make sure I understand that last sentence...are you suggesting that a battery can be charged simply by connecting it in series with another battery?

 

[o2bnkc]

...a Redtop can be recharged, is series with another batery but I'm not sure how many people will care to do this but whatever, go with the big wet-cell, I'm just not going to use one thank

Huh? Did you mean parallel with a charger?

 

[Hib Halverson]

...a Redtop can be recharged, is series with another batery but I'm not sure how many people will care to do this but whatever, go with the big wet-cell, I'm just not going to use one thank

Huh? Did you mean parallel with a charger?

Bingo!
"outwest" has it right. If you're going to attempt to use another battery to "charge" a dead one, connect them in parallel, but...it's still likely to not work very well. Anyone know why?

 

[killain]

charging in series

Yes !

...a Redtop can be recharged, is series with another batery but I'm not sure how many people will care to do this but whatever, go with the big wet-cell, I'm just not going to use one thank

Huh? Did you mean parallel with a charger?

 

[Hib Halverson]

If you have one dead battery and one-fully charged battery, neither of which is installed in a vehicle, if it was possible to connect them together and use one to charge the other, you'll end up with two "half-charged" batteries and it might end up that neither of them can start the engine.

 

[killain]

Uh...are they the same as "videos"?The Odyssey is not a "spiral wound" battery. The 86 refers simply to the battery's size and terminal configuration nothing else, ie: an "86" is not a specific design. I should add that Optima does not make a Group 86 in neither its "Red Top" nor "Yellow Top" linesYou mean to tell us that an Optima will not hold a charge for just a month...unless its got a charger connected? Just want to make sure I understand that last sentence...are you suggesting that a battery can be charged simply by connecting it in series with another battery?

My posting was faught with misspellings. A character flaw on my part. These misspellings occur almost every where including already printed materials. I had hope someone of your caliper could overlook my flaws while still understanding the posts meaning. Obviously I was mistaken. You no doubt are an expert, in everything automotive. I've read a lot of your work, very nice. Yet something of a hypocrite. You should charge CAC for you and your expertise to even just for being here. Thank you for all your help, I think I'll find a 12 step group for idiots who post here and not having a mechanical engineering degree and 50 years of expert research behind them. I'll try to stay away from here as much as possible. But I'll continue to pay my supporting dues, I may have lost any respect for you, but I still have a great deal of respect for Rob and all the other moderators. I hope my spelling flaws have provided you with some level amusement. I'm not the first to find your abusive nature in an otherwise positive website like this one. This week I'm your target.

 

[OptimaJim]

When recharging a deeply-discharged Optima with a battery charger in a parallel configuration with a fully-charged battery, we recommend disconnecting the fully-charged battery once the deeply-discharged Optima has been recharged to at least 10.5 volts. At that point, we recommend continuing to charge the deeply-discharged Optima, until it is fully-charged (approximately 12.6-12.8 volts for RedTops and 13.0-13.2 volts for YellowTops). This video explains the entire procedure.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries