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Originally Posted by 02disco2
Terry,
Are you 100% sure about the Yellow Top Optima? I have used the Yellow tops on all of my vehicles for years, without a hitch. I use the Blue's for my boat.
Ryan
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As sure as anyone can be, listening to the battery tech at Midstate Battery, but that certainly doesn't make me an expert. Batteries are rated in CA (cranking amps) and CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) ( My ex mother in law was rated very highly as a COLD CRUEL CRANK) So, anyway, where was I, yeah, The Red top's ability is to provide a High initial surge of current though this high current drain is not sustainable. The Yellow Top does not deliver as high an initial current, but can withstand a much longer sustained drain. Yes, A yellow top will start a car. Under ordinary conditions, a well tuned modern, fuel injected car will fire up withing the first half dozen revolutions If the battery, fully charged is about 12.5 volts. If you were to put your voltmeter accross the battery terminals, and begin cranking, you will see a significant voltage drop while cranking. If you graphed the voltage drop from initially hitting the key, the Red Top graph will start out at 12.5 to 12.9, drop to 10.5 or so and flatten out for awhile before dropping off again. A Yellow top graph will have a much more gradual slope to discharge, but it's initial drop will be faster as it can't give a surge push the way a redtop does. I don't know how the chemistry of a spiral gell cell works as compared to a lead acid, but a lead acid battery can recover a substatial portion of it's capacity if the acis level does not drop too low towards water during a discharge (much the way a fresh battery will get a substantial surface charge when the acid is first added, even before charging. The red top and Yellow top differ in this recovery aspect, the red top can't be discharged as deeply as the yellow top.
Winching is where alot of people differ as to Red or Yellow. My thinking is that the Yellow will handle this sustained drain of the high wattage (Amp x volts) winch motor, better than the red top, but since most people don't have to run out 130 of cable and pull full load the whole amount, the red top appears to work fine here, though I doubt it could hold up to the yellow for a long load. Just curious, do you keep your Disco in a garage on those cold MN nights? I don't think you would feel the same about a Yellow top as a starting battery in Greenville Maine winters where the temps are in the neighborhood of -20 F in the mornings
