hello, i have a yellow top optima, i am having problems with the system draining. the car sits alot. but i recently bought a charger and charged it up all day. the next day the same thing not enough juice to even start the car. i have a AZ compressor and it is controlled by on off switch. i make sure the switch is off when the car is parked. the battery is fairly new, could it be my alternator? the car only has 60.000. please help with any suggestions, i cant even take the car for a spin, i have jumper cables in my trunk! thanx as alwyas i will be checking back!

 

Pull the fuses from all you aftermarket gear like your compressor and stereo system then see it the drain still occurs. How old is your yellow top?

 

i have had the yellow top for about 3 years? is the red top better? but like i said of these 3 years the car sat alot. do i need a new battery? i will pull the fuses, charge it up again and see what happens this time.

 

could it be i have a short somewhere? i dont really wnat to take my car to anyone. how can i test for that?

 

Where in Cali are you?

http://www.autozone.com/in_our_stores/free_testing.htm

 

could need a new battery, take it to get tested to like a pep boys or something to see if the battery holds a charge. You don't need to bring your car, just the battery to the service department. Testing usually takes like an hour. That will eliminate the battery if it holds a charge.

 

There is something in the GS that causes battery drain when they sit, I have had that problem with two different cars that both sit, yellow top was terrible and every time I had it checked it was fine, the red top is better but still a problem when not driven frequently, it's charging right now after not cranking yesterday after sitting for about a week, of course it checks out fine, next battery will be a Duralast from Autozone, I have one in my truck and left the dome light on for a week while traveling and it still started, I suspect others have had similar problems.

 

your compressor might be draining your battery faster than your alternator can recharge it. if your battery has dropped below 10v more than a few times, it wont hold as good a charge.

suggestion: get a higher amp alternator or add a second battery in your trunk to power the compressor

i had the same problem with my yellow top, my compressors drained it too much, and now its virtually dead after only 9 months of usage.

 

I had a red top in my hot rod which sits most of the time. I start it every weekend. Less than 1 year after i bought the red top it couldn't hold a charge. Asked my mechanic friend about it and he wasn't surprised at all. i put in a regular NAPA battery and 2 years later it still starts up every weekend. I will never buy another optima again.

 

I got the same problem. Is it the compressor that is doing that. I also have an optima red top and this never happened until I got the airrunners installed

 

i was told my battery was fried. i purchased another yellow top and everything seems great. my laast one lasted 4 years, lets see how long this one lasts. oh by the way the battery says made in usa embedded in the plastic and a tiny made in mexico sticker on it,.thanx for the help....