Just how good are they? those gel cell's that you can "mount in any position" and "put out lots of voltage"

I just found one, brand new, at a local speed shop. the guy says he got it by accident, and sold it to me for $55. still has the new sticker thing on it. im tempted to use it, but i have a working battery already.

is this one much better?
its the orbital, but i heard optima makes them too.

 

the parts store i used to work at sells them, they're like $120 new. according to http://www.optimabatteries.com/ they're worth the money

 

Keep it as a spare. It should have a very good shelf life. Gel cells have been around in common use since the '70s. I've used hundreds of them as memory backup in NC and CNC machines. The one characteristic about them that scares me in an automotive application is that they are very intolerant of overcharging, and automotive regulators are't typically very tight on voltage control. A typical automotive charging system will slightly overcharge a battery. A wet cell type can survive this beter than a gel cell.

There is nothing wrong with a gel cell, as long as you understand some of the characteristics that go with it. They tend to sulfate a little less, and last longer, which is why they are excellent in a stationary application with good voltage regulation. They also produce less hydrogen, which is another big advantage indoors. They still need to be changed every 4-6 years for best reliability, and they have never been "cheap".

 

So how would I avoid overcharing it in my car?

 

A slight overcharge wouldn't be a serious issue, but those temporary excursions into the 15-volt range on start up may eventually take its toll on the electrolyte. From my understanding, the Optimas are actually 13.2VDC batteries, not the standard 12.6 V design of wet electrolyte batteries. They should withstand a constant charging system voltage of 14.6 or so, but much more than that for any duration can be damaging. If you have an alternator with a good regulator, the system voltage should be fairly stable. If your alternator occasionally puts out over 14.5V, you might want to switch the regulator, check all grounds and connections, and do whatever is necessary to prevent the overvoltage condition that can be common in aging vehicles.

And as always, don't rely on the dash gauge for your readings. They are not that accurate. Testing should be done with a calibrated digital voltmeter.

 

I have an autometer voltmeter hooked up now.

it shows about 13.5V when i first start the car... then as it warms up it drops to about 12V constant. heh.

the alternator is a piece of junk, but it still charges. im thinking it would be perfect since its so crappy it couldnt POSSIBLY overcharge my new battery.

yes i tried a bigger 4 guage wire to the alternator to help it... but that didnt help it. heh.

imma see what happens... after i change my AGAIN.

 

How do they hold up to sitting around, like on a car that is rarely driven? Same as any other battery, or better?

 

I have had 1 Optima batter for 8 years now, it's been in 3 different cars and still works to this day.

 

I have had great luck with them. I had to red tops in my deisel pickup for five years until I sold it. They did great with the glow plugs and then turning over something like that engine, plus the alternator and voltage regulator weren't something that Ford should have been proud of. I have one in my Camaro now. We use them in trucks and heavy equipment too.

 

when I got out of the army in 97 they where installing red top optima batteries in the M1 tanks :hail: