I got this info directly from optima...
Thank you for contacting Optima Customer Service. Under normal vehicle starting applications, most regular automatic lead acid battery chargers will properly charge an OPTIMA. However, since OPTIMA batteries are frequently used in high-performance applications or non-standard vehicle starting applications, there are certain instances that must be given special considerations.
An OPTIMA battery is an AGM battery, not a "gel" battery or regular flooded acid battery. A deeply discharged OPTIMA battery (less than 10.5V) will not test or recharge properly if treated as a regular flooded battery or gel battery. A handheld electronic battery tester will most likely provide inaccurate test results.
An OPTIMA battery has the benefit of very low internal resistance, which allows high amperage output as well as efficient charge acceptance. This benefit also allows an OPTIMA battery to run longer than its specified ratings and run to a lower voltage than typical flooded batteries. All of this can lead to confusion when it comes to recharging a deeply discharged OPTIMA. Most basic battery chargers have a built-in function to prevent charging a battery with less than 10.5 volts. If your OPTIMA is discharged below that, the battery charger may not start up.
For regular charging, we recommend 2 amps with a max of 10 amps, 13.8-15.0V. For float charging we recommend 1 amp max, 13.2-13.8v.
Below are links to charging, storage and maintenance recommendations.
optimabatteries.com/en-us/support/charging/charging-tips
optimabatteries.com/en-us/supp…ge/optima-battery-storage
Thank you,
Mary Jo
Optima Customer Service
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