Optima Battery Terminal failure

[Hogey66 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hogey66]

You need to speak to these people.... http://consumerlaw-staging.tspace.go...antees_web.pdf and put forward your case. They will look at the situation and may make a ruling against either the installer or supplier as they see fit. Many companies will back down once they know you are getting the ACCC involved so I would start with an email stating that in line with ACCC guidelines I believe that the product was faulty and you are entitled to a replacement. If they ignore or deny then you can ask the ACCC to look into it.

[Mr ok Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Mr ok]

The sad fact is this is how the warranty denial works. Retailer says the manufacturer will not cover it and the manufacturer saying it is not their problem, you need to contact the retailer. Most of the time people end up frustrated and just give up, then there are those that take it all the way. I've been there.

Seeing you are in WA, a complaint needs to go to Consumer Protection with the Department of Commerce. They will decide they have a valid excuse. Considering you would be claiming against a manufacturers express warranty, not an implied warranty or fault with a service provided you may have a good case. Unfortunately, by law, that claim is against the retailer who sold it to you, not the manufacturer. The retailer will then have to claim it back from the manufacturer. The reason why the Optima said the terminals were over tightened is because they are passing the problem onto the retailer or yourself with a fault with the installer or improper use excuse.

Here is my 2 cents.
Over tightening of the terminal clamp cannot cause corrosion seen on the terminal!
Is a max torque specification given by the manufacturer? If a terminal snaps off when attaching cable clamp to it means the battery is not fit for purpose. Ensuring cables are terminated tight to a battery as standard practice and the use of a tool to tighten clamps is standard practice. Terminals should be designed to withstand the torque from tightening the bolts fitted to battery clamps!
The cable clamps are copper, which is not a hard metal in itself. The copper will likely stretch or break before a massive chunk of lead snaps off inside the battery. You are more likely to see a broken cable clamp from over tightening, not a broken battery.
Finally, if the problem was from over tightening it will most likely break when tightening the terminal. Not 2 years and 9 months down the track.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

I like the last 3 posts.
Yes don't let them get away with it, get a fair resolution.

It would have been hard to get the over tightened terminal off, i think taking it off when 3 years old is when it broke.
I was not there to see how hard it was, but lead seems to be fairly brittle from my limited experience.
I agree it should not have happened, but either should the over tightening which IMO has clouded the case.
Always hard to tell from here. Either way, they sell millions, mostly without issue, so they should have given the benefit, good will gesture or whatever.

Office of fair trading may look at it, act as mediator to sort out.
If no luck, small claims. They will sort it.

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

Heard too many bad reports about Optima's, that's why I went with SSB AGM battery

tokhi - with the recent discovery of low charging amperage on the SSB's referred to in another post, i'm wondering which model you have and how do you charge it?

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I'm giving lead crystal a go as an aux. if it is as good as the specs suggest it will be very good indeed.

[tokhi Member Find all posts View Profile Close tokhi]

tokhi - with the recent discovery of low charging amperage on the SSB's referred to in another post, i'm wondering which model you have and how do you charge it?

Hi Michael,

I have the HVT-70ZZLD, 780cc, 100AH as an Aux
Gets charged by a Redarc SBI12

My Cranker is an AC Delco S95D31LHD, 710cc 90AH

I also have a Voltage Boosting Diode from LeighW which raises my charging voltage to about 14.1v-14.3v.

Cheers

Tokhi

[FC_Holden Member Find all posts View Profile Close FC_Holden]

Had exactly same happen to one of my batteries,cleaned up corrosion and drilled centre of post and screwed post back on using roofing screw through centre got another 3 years out of battery before total failure at 7 years of age

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

Hi Michael,

I have the HVT-70ZZLD, 780cc, 100AH as an Aux
Gets charged by a Redarc SBI12

My Cranker is an AC Delco S95D31LHD, 710cc 90AH

I also have a Voltage Boosting Diode from LeighW which raises my charging voltage to about 14.1v-14.3v.

Cheers

Tokhi

Interesting and you might need to shoot LeighW a PM on this - the interweb suggests that battery has a 10amp regular charge spec and its suggested to be charged by a 5 or 10 amp charger according to this:
http://www.batteriesdirect.com.au/sh...hvt70zzld.html

You don't want to cook it by overcharging and I don't see how you can limit the alternator to 10amps?

Refer Post 244 here:
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...ghw#post561248

Cheers.

[E-Z Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close E-Z]

Just signed up after finding this thread and thought I’d share this.

[money_killer Member Find all posts View Profile Close money_killer]

wow