Hi. I used to have my Yellow Top Optima Deep Cycle battery in the trunk in addition to the stock battery up front. This was accomplished with an isolator. Although the isolator's max AMP rating was at least 10 or 20 amps higher than my stock GM alt output, the isolator bit the dust one hot AZ summer day (AC on max, 2 amps at max. My question is this: are Deep Cycle batterys recomended for daily driving / starting / bumping, even if car has only one battery? I had intended to replace the stock batt up front with the Optima YellowTop, untill my friend advised against it, saying (a deep cycle batt.) wouldn't last long as a car's exclusive battery. Is this myth true? help! thanx
I have the same question, I was recommended to get an Optima Yellow Top battery as my primer battery rather than hook-up two batteries. Off of the Optima I will be running about 600 watts in subs and amps, and then I plan on adding a lcd flatscreen and gaming system. Will this battery be okay for all of that or would you advise me to hook up two? Would hooking up two batteries put a lot of strain on my stock alternator?
Deep cycle batteries were designed for a different purpose than starter batteries. You CAN use them to replace your starter batteries, however, it will shorten it's life cycle. Why would you use $170+ deepcycle to start your car when the starter models are $80 or lower in cost?
Well, for one thing, it's nice not to have to isolate your starter battery. To isolate a starter battery effectively, you literally have to have a piece to seperate the currents, and keep them on completely different circuits.. these arent very cheap.
If you dont do this, and just use a normal isolator, like a solenoid for example (basically a relay) with a switch, whenever your car is running, and you want to have juice flowing to your back battery, if you ever start dropping it below 12 volts, you're going to damage the starter battery.
Soon, the starter battery will not hold it's charge, and your car is not going to start..but for the short while it does, you'll be destroying your alternator, as well as putting a constant drain on your 2nd deep cycle battery as well. Once it really starts getting worse, your alternator and your other battery will both be killing themselves just trying to keep the starter battery at 12v.