TheCamel |
02-04-2004 09:27 AM |
Optima Batteries acctually are a lot better than a standard battery because of the spiral wound technology they incorporate. The Spillproofing comes from the electrolyte of the battery being injected reather than a liquid. Depending on the model you buy they carry a cold cranking amp rating of 800-1050. We use them exclusively in the Air Force because of their adaptability to just about any vehicle, they do not freeze and I have not seen one blow up yet. Due to the vast climates Air Force vehicles are subjected to, such as the -40+ degrees in Minot North Dakota, to the blistering heat of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the middle east, these batteries hold up pretty well. Jims another advantage for you would be their resistance to the constant jarring from autocrossing. A normal lead acid battery would slosh around and the constant jarring of the battery would cause premature failure of the lead plates in the battery which is know as sulfating the plates. Over time as the chemical reaction occurs in a standard lead acid battery the lead plates break down and fall to the bottom of the battery causing the plates to short out over time, otherwise known as a bad cell. With your extreme jarring of the car the sloshing of the battery and the premature sulfation of the plates would be reduced by this style of battery. The weight of the battery is not much different than a standard Die Hard you get from Sears. They are maintenance free so you do not have to worry about a cap coming loose and sloshing acid all over your engien compartment or rear mount if you have one. I have on more than one occasion been able to bring an Optima battery back from the dead (less then 3 volts) by a slow trickle charge over 2-3 days, and used the battery for another 6 months before replacement was finally needed. Understand for fleet use these batteries really get a test. We use them in just about every vehicle in fleet that uses a standard automotive battery. I have to say I love them, the days of jumpstarting a vehicle @ -10 in the middle of a blowing snow and worrying that it may explode beaces it is frozen are over. If anything, the safety factor of these batteries makes them worth the price, especially when mounted in the cabin of the vehicle.
Hope this helps answer your question, and no I am not an Optima retailer or salesman :P
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