What makes a good car battery?

[Cret]

Don't apologise mate - that's useful info cheers.

Might explain why a long time ago it seemed like you'd open the bonnet of an 'average' car and everything would be lucas branded but you never see that any more.

Might be boring to some people but it's a car forum for info about cars - where else would you post stuff like this!

[Geordie]

I'm sure when I got the last optima posted over it wasn't too expensive, 15 at most I would have thought as doubt I would have paid more.. I should have been Scottish really... (no offense guys!!)

Hey, when you say dead, how dead?
No acid, wont take charge?

Don't hold the charge as I remember, got 2 or 3 in the garage somewhere which was taken out of various cars because they kept dying. Never really tried to revive them... suppose I should as I have another couple on the way out!

[Cret]

You should invest in an Optimate charger dude - they're the business for rescuing batteries that have an attitude problem.

Well, sometimes anyway.

[Geordie]

Well I did have a decent charger and diagnostic thingy, but its that 'clever' if it finds a fault it stops charging, so can get a bit annoying, especially as the battery seems to be taking the little bit of charge it did give!

Stupid question time, I've always been under the impression the Optimates are for bikes, as have looked at them before? Is this true, but you can still use on bigger batteries, or am I just looking at the wrong model?

[gazza_]

nope they can be used on anything,
my mate had to stick one in his range rover as once he had fitted the 6.5GMC there was no room for the twin batt, so had to get a red top as it was the biggest batt in the size he could fit in. as it was like 200 cranking amps more than any other batt of that size

[Geordie]

Ace - might have to have a look around for one then. I seem to remember a Rangie with a GMC in it, must have been at one of the 4x4 events a while ago. Was a pretty amazing sound!

[Cret]

Optimates are intended for bike batteries yes, but I've had good results on 2 car batteries that were in pretty bad shape, so worth giving a try.
They take a looong time to make their minds up though about the state of a battery.

[gazza_]

right missed that bit, Optimates Optima's, to many opti for my brain,
i thought you were on about optima batt.
yes i go sit in the cornor now