Optima Battery Terminal failure

[starcees Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close starcees]

Guys,
Don't post on here very often. But I have received great advise over the years from Prado point. Please take a look at the posted pictures and tell me what you think of the corrosion and subsequent failure of this Optima battery terminal. The battery was professionally installed into a prado as part of a dual battery system. I have been told by Optima that it is over tightening of the terminal and they won't honor any warranty.

[Razorback81 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Razorback81]

that's rubbish
can you take it back to the installer and see what he has to say with the info from Optima

if the terminal was knocked on and them tried to be twisted off before it was undone that could do it
but it looks like there's some signs of breakage before

not something i want to see when i am about to purchase 6 of them !!

[Brodad Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brodad]

I wonder how tight the terminal should be?

[starcees Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close starcees]

This failure was after 2yrs 9months. Battery has performed well though, I only found the lose terminal when uninstalling from prado to go into my next car. The battery clamps were wing nut style so very hard to put too much force on them. I am not an idiot and neither was the installer, this is plain faulty battery. Razorback81 I would reconsider I have never heard of this on other agm's going around, fullriver etc.

[Guest Close Guest]

Is that a screw on post?

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

This failure was after 2yrs 9months. Battery has performed well though, I only found the lose terminal when uninstalling from prado to go into my next car. The battery clamps were wing nut style so very hard to put too much force on them. I am not an idiot and neither was the installer, this is plain faulty battery. Razorback81 I would reconsider I have never heard of this on other agm's going around, fullriver etc.

Never seen that before... Most likely past it's warranty at 2.75 yrs anyhow. You'd probably be lucky if the supplier gave you a pro-rata refund with the use that it has had. Regardless it shouldn't happen and certainly overtightening would not cause this (IMO) . Trying to remove clamps from severe twisting and wrenching whilst still tight sure. or perhaps the battery not being secured correctly and undue stress at the terminal may be a possible reason to arrive at this result. Looks to me in pic 1 that the post has been somehow forced up from either corrosion occurring below where it's broken off or being pulled up constantly and fatigue on the post occurring from being stressed.

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

I wonder how deep the post goes. Thinking drilling the top to clean up the post with a large drill the same diameter as the post then drilling and tapping M8 in the centre...

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

Could you possibly provide another picture of the hole the post came out of paying particular attention to having the yellow 'teeth' in focus.

Thanks,

S.

[starcees Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close starcees]

Battery should have 3 yrs warranty. i'll post more pics when at my computer. In my opinion manufacture trying to get out of it especially because their catch cry is corrosion free terminals.

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

Looks like a bad case of corrosion to me. If it did break while tightening the terminal it broke because it was corroded. More than likely it is sulfation of the negative terminal.

[Coolcol Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close Coolcol]

No Way hose A or B This is rubbish the post failed, the battery is not living up to its expected usage. A Design failure in my opinion.
Colin

[starcees Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close starcees]

Yep it's a strange one, it was installed in a dual battery with a red arc dc-dc charger. The battery electrically is A1. Definitely no excess pressure on terminals, it's had a super easy life. Certainly wouldn't have wanted to have given the battery a rough life it would of fell apart long ago. Hopefully the distributor locally gives me some money back, I'll put it towards a different agm, tried Optima and it fell apart.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

It's look as though it has been severely over tightened.
However that corrosion may have contributed, did it fall off? Or break off when tying to remove the over tightened terminal. Because when you over tighten it that much, it looks bad!

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

I wonder how tight the terminal should be?

Just tight enough so they don't move. Nowhere near that tight.
The over tightening may have fractured it, the allowed the corrosion.

If I was optima, I would cover it as a good will gesture.
You see it's worth providing service. It's reputation points lost either way.

Many Businesses / companies have not learned, when there is a big problem hiding in the Forrest is not a good option, problems don't on away, they snowball.
Own up & provide service is the best way to handle it.

[Rainman Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rainman]

Battery should have 3 yrs warranty. i'll post more pics when at my computer. In my opinion manufacture trying to get out of it especially because their catch cry is corrosion free terminals.

The cause looks pretty obvious to me. ;-)