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Odyssey Extreme Battery - any negatives?

55K views 138 replies 25 participants last post by  Lloydrage 
#1 ·
I am looking at the Odyssey Extreme series battery on the Quadratec website. I was curious if there are any negatives with this battery except the price?
 
#5 ·
^^^:funnypost:

That Battery is one of the best..IMO
 
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#6 ·
I have it

LOL

On a serious note I replaced my OEM for the Odyssey because I put a Zeon 10S winch on my Jeep. I bought it from Rick/Quadratec and it was a smooth transaction. It is a direct replacement for 2012-2016 models. I have used my winch a few times but nothing extreme so I can't tell how well it works under heavy use. It is a little bit smaller than the OEM but fits perfectly fine (do not buy the spacer to rise it up). If you go for it, it is heavy so to install it lift the hood all the way against the windshield. That will give you enough room to pull the OEM out and put the Odyssey in place without breaking anything around (like a I did) :facepalm:

The only negative so far is that is expensive.

Cheers
 
#8 ·
I would do that. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year.
Enersys batteries like a hefty bulk charge that our alternators can't supply.

If you're ever in an extreme state where you're winching with the engine off, make double sure to use a battery charger on it when you get home too.
Every battery likes to be kept full.

All things equal, if I were shopping for a premium battery, it would be an Optima. Better suited to our vehicle.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the replies. I think I read about the charging and the Jeep system as well and that was what was sticking in my mind. So as I was considering it, an add popped up on my work computer from Sears about a 25% off sale. I just pulled the trigger on an Advanced Gold AGM for $126. Used some Sears points that paid my sales tax. I need to buy some Ace rails and a couple skids, so the $150 difference can go to other Jeep things. I also want a soft top, a winch, a...
 
#12 ·
I'm unsure about the Advanced Gold that you got but the Sears Die-Hard Platinums are an AGM battery and are made by Odyssey. The difference is that the Die-Hard platinum cost less and have a better warranty. Many JK owners have gone with the Die-Hard Platinum including myself where they are one of the top recommended batteries for the JK. I got the Marine Die-Hard platinum battery since it comes with the extra connectors which makes connecting/disconnecting your winch a breeze. I have read some have had bad experiences with the Die-Hard Golds...those aren't made by Odyssey, I believe they're either made by Johnson Controls who now make the Optimas or East Penn Manf.See this link for more details on actual manufactures of the different Sears Diehard batteries.
http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

You might want to consider doing an exchange if possible if a Die-hard platinum is available.

I also believe the battery size may have changed for 2012+ JK's, so I'm unsure if a Die-Hard Platinum is available.
 
#10 ·
I've had them in the past and they didn't last as long as a conventional battery, however, they had enough juice to get me going when they were drained, where I know a conventional battery prob wouldn't have even clicked the starter.
 
#13 ·
This is the battery that fits my 2016 JKUS, bought off Amazon:

Odyssey Batteries 34R-PC1500T-A Automotive/Light Truck and Van Battery

I too bought it due to my Warn Platinum Zeon 10-S

As far as topping it off, I have mine setup with a National Luna intelligent solenoid which only charges the accessory battery after the starter is "topped off" 5 minutes after Jeep starting, and according to my battery meters the accessory battery is getting charged just fine (hence starter must be getting topped off as well from alternator).
 
#15 ·
Platinum isn't available anymore. Should I cancel my Gold AGM order and spend the extra $150 for the Odyssey??

Stock battery is working still. Jeep is a 2015. I'm running two amps off the stock battery and hope to get a winch within the next 6 mo.
 
#16 ·
I wouldn't...
Just don't run your amps or winch without something to replenish your system:
1) the Jeep running
2) shore power
3) solar
 
#21 ·
OP here.. Went to go pick up my AGM Diehard at Sears. I received email confirmation to go pick it up in Automotive. Of course, the guy at the counter had no idea what to do with my email confirmation that it was there. He said he hadn't ever seen one before. Then he searched and said the battery wasn't there and had nothing to tell me. I paid for it 2 days ago and I have no battery. I went online and cancelled the order.

Back to looking at Odyssey. I want one, but the charging maintenance and the cost of the Odyssey charger is definitely a negative.
 
#22 ·
Back to looking at Odyssey. I want one, but the charging maintenance and the cost of the Odyssey charger is definitely a negative.
I don't get this at all, my Odyssey charges fully from alternator no problems.
 
#24 ·
Pardon the cut-off picture, my meter is mounted under steering wheel so it is not always easy to get a perfectly lined up picture.

Odyssey is on the left, as you can see clearly charged.



FWIW anything over 13.1 volts and National Luna Intelligent solenoid starts charging the auxiliary battery. If charge drops below 12.7 volts the solenoid will open the circuit isolating the batteries from each other.
 
#28 ·
So not trying to push any buttons, seems some here are not getting right data. I bought two odyssey batt's to install in a Genesis dual kit. Went to the source since everyone on the internet knows more than me. Called enersys( sp?) and spoke with an engineer. Very polite. You need 20A or more and I think it was 14.4v to properly maintain an odyssey 1500. They no longer sell a charger at the time but gave me recommendations. One was a CTEK25000. 25A 8 step charger/ maintainer. The jk alternator is not enough to properly maintain this batt and might be why you hear people saying they got short life. Have to put them on charge a couple times a year and swap the primary and accessory batt once a year. No biggie but that's what I got from speaking to an enersys engineer

fox out
 
#32 ·
I started a thread on Expedition Portal, will let you know what I find out. Just seems silly to have to invest in a $240 charger to maintain a $250 battery.
 
#30 ·
I was told to charge it using the pos terminal of one batt and the neg terminal of the other. Thinking the isolator will become a problem, I did not bring that up in our conversation, so I charge the primary battery until the charger goes into trickle. Done it twice this way and it takes overnight or 12 hours according to my usage. I spoke with Genesis and was told to use a NOCO Genius or something like that as it has four jumpers.
 
#36 ·
Here's the intel I got from ExpeditionPortal.com:

Been a couple of reports around here of Odysseys used for cranking and after a couple years not holding their specified full charge voltage anymore.

Apparently, the factory recommended procedure to fix it is to drain the battery and then recharge with a charger that can do the right sort of charge.

The right sort of charge for an Odyssey being a current of C*.4 or 40 amps for a 100 amp*hour battery AND push it at that rate until it reaches IIRC 14.8v and then hold it at 14.8v for a certain amount of time.

Of course, Odyssey sells a charger that can do the right sort of charge. And of course, probably no vehicle charging system will come close to doing what that battery wants/needs to stay healthy.

Since lead-acid batteries don't develop a memory like NiCads, the only reason I can think of for this to be the way it is, is that the electrolyte is stratifying due to the battery not getting properly pumped up during charging. Stratification is a common problem with flooded batteries, and you fix it by doing an "EQ" cycle. Since you can't EQ a sealed battery, I'm guessing the drain and heavy duty recharge is how they get the electrolyte stirred back up.

But I freely admit that that is just a guess. I haven't asked Odyssey about it since I don't have any if their batteries.

As to the long term effect...

Every minute that a lead-acid battery is at less than 100% charged, sulfation happens at an increased rate. The more deeply the battery is discharged, the faster it happens. A few years of never quite getting to 100% will certainly shorten the battery's life. How much shorter? Dunno...haven't seen any data yet on how that affects TPPL (thin plate, pure lead) batteries like the Odyssey.
I have had a bunch of Odysseys over the last ten or so years, and the Grp 34s have been generally trouble free, with no additional charging required. All the charging/maintenance issues I have had have been with the Odyssey Grp 31s.

FWIW here is my current levels for my batteries (Odyssey is on the left):
I'm just guessing that the pic was taken with the engine running, because Odysseys are fully charged at 12.85 resting OCV. I have never seen an Odyssey at 13.7 OCV, but I know from experience that the Nat Luna battery monitors are not very accurate (have two of them in my truck). It's good to have a Ctek 25000 for those times you need it, especially if the Jeep is not a daily driver, but if it is a DD you should be fine with the stock alternator.
 
#37 ·
So based on my last post, assuming both posters are correct in their assumptions...

  • Odysseys are fully charged resting at 12.85 OCV (?).
  • Every minute that a lead-acid battery is at less than 100% charged, sulfation happens at an increased rate.
  • IF after a COUPLE OF YEARS the Odyssey does not hold its full charge voltage (12.85 resting) THEN this may be resolved by a full battery drain followed by a full charge using a Ctek 25000
  • Grp 31 Odysseys are more trouble prone than Grp 34 so all of this dicussion/fear could be moot since the Grp 34 is what we are purchasing for starting batteries for our Jeeps.
 
#42 ·
  • Grp 31 Odysseys are more trouble prone than Grp 34 so all of this dicussion/fear could be moot since the Grp 34 is what we are purchasing for starting batteries for our Jeeps.
Exactly, our JK's take a Grp 34 battery and the so called battery expert instead of doing an apples/apples comparison continues to do apples to oranges comparison and is trying to draw a straight line incorrect conclusion. That's the reason I suggested to him to get the actual specs of the batteries which they haven't provided. The important spec for charging purposes is the recommended alternator charging VOLTAGE range. There is a minimum "Voltage" and a maximum "Voltage" under that spec listing. It's not some current rating of the charger which he keeps bringing up, the 1st time stating a 3Amps charger is too low to fully charge an Oddysee and now another Apples to Oranges comparison saying a "10 Amp max" charger should be used, showing this expert can't even keep their story straight and are posting information that actually directly contradicts their previous posts in doing so.

Apparently, he's had a class and worked for JCI. I'll try to do by best in trying to keep up in the discussion with my peanut gallery Electrical Engineering Degree and working in the development of electrical parts in the automotive industry for the past 20 years which includes some knowledge of understanding automotive batteries and vehicle electrical systems since in the design of those parts understanding the electrical system it gets connected to is pretty important along with the testing that is involved that those parts are not the contributing factor for a dead battery situation.
 
#40 ·
Regarding Optima batteries being more vibration resistant, I did a little research since I was not familiar with this claim.

From what I read, Optima batteries use the older spiral wound AGM technology in their batteries compared to the thin plate technology employed by Odyssey. Spiral equals less usable space, less reserve, less shock and vibration ability.

BONUS: Good article on how to charge an AGM battery, it mentions the cheap trickle chargers I believe you alluded to (or maybe that was a different post).
 
#45 ·
There's no reason to be accusatory, Hilldweller has made some very informative posts in this thread and others, I don't think he intended to be condescending and his post was directed at me, I took no offense to it.
 
#48 ·
I'll ask again :)

Any thoughts or feedback on the 48-720 in a JK? From reading this thread, a 34R-1500 is ok in a JK without having to worry about external recharging but when you get on the Odyssey site, the 48-720 is what pops up for a 15 JK. Same quality, just a little less "extreme"?

$75 difference in price
 
#49 ·
Looks like a good battery ----- Just keep it fed and it will give good service.
Heat and lack of feeding is what kills any car battery. Batteries hate heat.
 
#53 ·
This is what Sears used to sell along with their DHP (Enersys/Odyssey) battery: Sears.com
Great charger at a great price.
 
#69 ·
So looks like doing some periodic maintenance (either every 6 months or once a year) may have its merits. Another post from the expedition portal forum:

Batteries today certainly dont seem to last as long as they once did.

Lots of reasons I suppose, but I get every battery in our fleet on the nice charger for a de-sulfate and top off at least once a year, sometimes twice.

Normally I get it done as the cars come into the shop to have their winter tires fitted, then again when they go back to summer tires.

I used to go through batteries every 2-3 years. Since stating this routine about 10 years ago, I've yet to replace another battery.
 
#70 ·
Finally snapped a pic of battery levels before starting Jeep, w/ Jeep parked a few hours since last run:

 
#71 ·
I'd hit them with a charger; that's low.
 
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