Red Optima is making a hissing noise! Need input on diagnosis.
07-12-2010, 12:58 AM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Spring, TX
Posts: 816
Red Optima is making a hissing noise! Need input on diagnosis.
My Red Top Optima sounds like something is sizzling inside it.
I went out of town for 2 weeks and came home to a stone dead car. (I replaced my Shaker 500 with an aftermarket unit)
I hooked it up to a charger on the low setting for 5 hours, and the car started. I drove it about 20 miles on the freeway to get it charged up.
It measured 11.7 volts after I shut it off. This is low in my book. ANd the battery was making a hissing noise. Weird.
I am trying to figure out if I have a defective battery or a dying alternator.
I also noticed my interior map light dims when I hit the brakes or use the turn signal.
I figured I'd throw this out there to you guys to see if you would be able to offer some insight before I make a move.
The battery is less than 2 years old. Car has 80k miles. I have a sound system with two amps.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I went out of town for 2 weeks and came home to a stone dead car. (I replaced my Shaker 500 with an aftermarket unit)
I hooked it up to a charger on the low setting for 5 hours, and the car started. I drove it about 20 miles on the freeway to get it charged up.
It measured 11.7 volts after I shut it off. This is low in my book. ANd the battery was making a hissing noise. Weird.
I am trying to figure out if I have a defective battery or a dying alternator.
I also noticed my interior map light dims when I hit the brakes or use the turn signal.
I figured I'd throw this out there to you guys to see if you would be able to offer some insight before I make a move.
The battery is less than 2 years old. Car has 80k miles. I have a sound system with two amps.
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
07-12-2010, 02:17 AM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
It sounds as though that battery is toast. The question is why did it become toast. You need to test the alternator. Don't test the voltage output of the alternator with your present battery in the circuit. You can get all kind of screwy readings with a bad battery.
I don't know how low your battery was when you took a drive to charge it. A battery needs two hours of driving at a minimum of 1500 rpm to fully charge it if it is pretty much dead when you start--and that's not advised because it puts too much of a strain on the alternator.
I don't know how low your battery was when you took a drive to charge it. A battery needs two hours of driving at a minimum of 1500 rpm to fully charge it if it is pretty much dead when you start--and that's not advised because it puts too much of a strain on the alternator.
07-12-2010, 06:42 AM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 250
Another thing is that if it's not a "deep cycle" battery, then it gets messed up when it gets fully drained. Regular car batteries are not made to be fully drained and then re-charged. I suspect you're going to need to get a new battery and that hissing is most likely escaping gas from trying to re-charge it. It's just venting.
07-12-2010, 08:17 AM
#4
6th Gear Member
It sounds like your charging system (alternator) is not working or not working correctly. Charge the battery overnight (the alternator, even if working properly, is NOT designed to fully charge a battery) and take the battery to Autozone and have it load tested. The you should also have the alternator checked out. It's one or the other or both. I'm leaning towards the alternator.
The hissing is most likely the battery off-gassing due to trying to recharge. Although I don't know if the Altima responds with off-gassing from charging like a wet-cell does.
The hissing is most likely the battery off-gassing due to trying to recharge. Although I don't know if the Altima responds with off-gassing from charging like a wet-cell does.
07-12-2010, 08:32 AM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Spring, TX
Posts: 816
Thanks for the input guys.
Something drained that battery while I was gone. Like really bad. It was at 7 volts when I tried to start it. I hooked up the charger and finally got it working.
This morning when I started it (Left it charging over night) the battery was holding at 12.5 but I brought my jumper cables just in case.
I thought my battery issues were gone when I pulled the Shaker out.
What do you guys think about the PA alternators...specifically the 200amp one? I am thinking that my charging system can't handle charging the battery and my sound system providing a "spirited" music performance. My sound system is not extreme, so I didn't think it would be out of reach of the stock charging system.
The simple fact that the map lights would dim when I hit the brakes made me think alternator right away.
You may wonder "why is he driving around with his map lights on?"
I did it on purpose because my old cars would flicker when the alternator was going out and I was doing it as a test. However with these newer cars, I am not sure how everything works.
Something drained that battery while I was gone. Like really bad. It was at 7 volts when I tried to start it. I hooked up the charger and finally got it working.
This morning when I started it (Left it charging over night) the battery was holding at 12.5 but I brought my jumper cables just in case.
I thought my battery issues were gone when I pulled the Shaker out.
What do you guys think about the PA alternators...specifically the 200amp one? I am thinking that my charging system can't handle charging the battery and my sound system providing a "spirited" music performance. My sound system is not extreme, so I didn't think it would be out of reach of the stock charging system.
The simple fact that the map lights would dim when I hit the brakes made me think alternator right away.
You may wonder "why is he driving around with his map lights on?"
I did it on purpose because my old cars would flicker when the alternator was going out and I was doing it as a test. However with these newer cars, I am not sure how everything works.
07-12-2010, 09:20 AM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: CT
Posts: 2,612
you talk about your sound system, is it all hooked up right? Like, do you have a amp? is the remote actualy run, and not like a switch to the 12v. Same with your radio, do you have a remote turn on for it, nothing bypassed?
Had to ask.
Things dimming when something else draws power is a sign that there is no reserve of power in the battery and that the voltage is comming directly from the alternator. Now why there is no power on the battery can be the fault of either. What is the voltage with the car running? The best way to test is going to be pull both from the the car and have them tested individualy. Its the only way you will know one is not effecting the other.
i'm still on the factory battery and alternator with a 2kw RMS amp, and get no dimming. I also have a 6 farad cap and dont play it really loud for really long, but the charging system handles all right in my book. Unless your alternator is bad, I would consider doing the big 3 before replacing the alternator.
Had to ask.
Things dimming when something else draws power is a sign that there is no reserve of power in the battery and that the voltage is comming directly from the alternator. Now why there is no power on the battery can be the fault of either. What is the voltage with the car running? The best way to test is going to be pull both from the the car and have them tested individualy. Its the only way you will know one is not effecting the other.
i'm still on the factory battery and alternator with a 2kw RMS amp, and get no dimming. I also have a 6 farad cap and dont play it really loud for really long, but the charging system handles all right in my book. Unless your alternator is bad, I would consider doing the big 3 before replacing the alternator.
Last edited by JDWalton; 07-12-2010 at 09:23 AM.
07-12-2010, 09:35 AM
#7
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Spring, TX
Posts: 816
you talk about your sound system, is it all hooked up right? Like, do you have a amp? is the remote actualy run, and not like a switch to the 12v. Same with your radio, do you have a remote turn on for it, nothing bypassed?
Had to ask.
Things dimming when something else draws power is a sign that there is no reserve of power in the battery and that the voltage is comming directly from the alternator. Now why there is no power on the battery can be the fault of either. What is the voltage with the car running? The best way to test is going to be pull both from the the car and have them tested individualy. Its the only way you will know one is not effecting the other.
i'm still on the factory battery and alternator with a 2kw RMS amp, and get no dimming. I also have a 6 farad cap and dont play it really loud for really long, but the charging system handles all right in my book. Unless your alternator is bad, I would consider doing the big 3 before replacing the alternator.
Had to ask.
Things dimming when something else draws power is a sign that there is no reserve of power in the battery and that the voltage is comming directly from the alternator. Now why there is no power on the battery can be the fault of either. What is the voltage with the car running? The best way to test is going to be pull both from the the car and have them tested individualy. Its the only way you will know one is not effecting the other.
i'm still on the factory battery and alternator with a 2kw RMS amp, and get no dimming. I also have a 6 farad cap and dont play it really loud for really long, but the charging system handles all right in my book. Unless your alternator is bad, I would consider doing the big 3 before replacing the alternator.
I have a power cable running to a distribution block that powers two amps. I also have a remote turn on wire that comes from the Alpine head unit, so when the head unit is turned off, it turns off the amps. They are wired correctly to my knowledge ;-). I know this might sound odd for me to say this after posting this thread, but I (like to think) am pretty good with electronics. I wired up my system and its been working fine for over a year. I am just not that good with charging systems.
The distribution block has a readout that shows the amp draw and voltage. After I finally got the car started and was driving around it hovered around 13.4-13.7 (isn't it supposed to be closer to 14.1-14.4?). When I shut off the car the reading said 11.7 volts on the battery. So I put it on trickle charge over night.
This morning I used a volt meter and the batt was holding at 12.5
I also pulled the sound system fuse so it is not connected at all right now.
Yeah I really should have done the big 3 a long time ago. I have some left over 4 gauge I could probably do it with.
Can places like autozone and advance actually check alternators?
07-12-2010, 09:44 AM
#8
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: CT
Posts: 2,612
yeah, autozone should be able to test the alt for you. On our cars there pretty easy to get off too. 13.4 seems a little low to me, unless you been playing it loud, mine usualy sits around 13.7 as well. I havent done the big 3 either yet so dont feel bad. Mostly just lazy, but you should take a look at how thin the grounding strap is from the block to the frame. it will blow your mind.
07-12-2010, 10:11 AM
#9
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 627
One thing to consider: Optimas do not like to be charged with high currents. That is what causes them to hiss and boil; once stuff starts coming out of the vents at the top, they're done.
My wife used to work at an AAP and she has successfully revived over a dozen optimas that "wouldn't hold a charge".
The secret is to put them on a trickle charger (500mA) for about two weeks. This reconditions the cells. Since employees are allowed to buy batteries that are turned in for a significant discount, we ended up with a red top and a blue top for our cars. For $70. They were dead as a doornail when returned, and while I wrecked the car the red top was in, the blue top is still functioning like a champ, four years later.
Optimas are finicky beasts. If it was almost dead and you put it on the car to charge, that will almost certainly harm/kill the battery, as the alternator will charge it at 120amps or whatever it's rated at, less what it's putting out to power the rest of the car. This also puts an enormous strain on your alternator.
And yes, AAP and AZ can both check charging systems to include the alternator - as long as the tech knows what the F they're doing.
My wife used to work at an AAP and she has successfully revived over a dozen optimas that "wouldn't hold a charge".
The secret is to put them on a trickle charger (500mA) for about two weeks. This reconditions the cells. Since employees are allowed to buy batteries that are turned in for a significant discount, we ended up with a red top and a blue top for our cars. For $70. They were dead as a doornail when returned, and while I wrecked the car the red top was in, the blue top is still functioning like a champ, four years later.
Optimas are finicky beasts. If it was almost dead and you put it on the car to charge, that will almost certainly harm/kill the battery, as the alternator will charge it at 120amps or whatever it's rated at, less what it's putting out to power the rest of the car. This also puts an enormous strain on your alternator.
And yes, AAP and AZ can both check charging systems to include the alternator - as long as the tech knows what the F they're doing.
07-12-2010, 03:09 PM
#10
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Redding, CA
Posts: 4,552
One thing to consider: Optimas do not like to be charged with high currents. That is what causes them to hiss and boil; once stuff starts coming out of the vents at the top, they're done.
My wife used to work at an AAP and she has successfully revived over a dozen optimas that "wouldn't hold a charge".
The secret is to put them on a trickle charger (500mA) for about two weeks. This reconditions the cells. Since employees are allowed to buy batteries that are turned in for a significant discount, we ended up with a red top and a blue top for our cars. For $70. They were dead as a doornail when returned, and while I wrecked the car the red top was in, the blue top is still functioning like a champ, four years later.
Optimas are finicky beasts. If it was almost dead and you put it on the car to charge, that will almost certainly harm/kill the battery, as the alternator will charge it at 120amps or whatever it's rated at, less what it's putting out to power the rest of the car. This also puts an enormous strain on your alternator.
And yes, AAP and AZ can both check charging systems to include the alternator - as long as the tech knows what the F they're doing.
My wife used to work at an AAP and she has successfully revived over a dozen optimas that "wouldn't hold a charge".
The secret is to put them on a trickle charger (500mA) for about two weeks. This reconditions the cells. Since employees are allowed to buy batteries that are turned in for a significant discount, we ended up with a red top and a blue top for our cars. For $70. They were dead as a doornail when returned, and while I wrecked the car the red top was in, the blue top is still functioning like a champ, four years later.
Optimas are finicky beasts. If it was almost dead and you put it on the car to charge, that will almost certainly harm/kill the battery, as the alternator will charge it at 120amps or whatever it's rated at, less what it's putting out to power the rest of the car. This also puts an enormous strain on your alternator.
And yes, AAP and AZ can both check charging systems to include the alternator - as long as the tech knows what the F they're doing.