What's going on?? New battery, higher MPG

[BjBnet]

I put in a new yellow top Optima a couple weeks ago and have gone through 3 gas tanks so far and I can't believe my eyes, I've gained at 2MPG more on average. I hit 500kms before my light even comes on, it used to be at about 430kms the light would come on.
I haven't done anything else, just the battery...
I fill up once or twice a week so I really know my vehicles when it comes to how much gas I use, it's how I know there may be a problem.
Better spark maybe??? I doubt it's a coincidence...not by THAT much.
I had the original battery in it before switching....thoughts?

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Heck if I know. Alternator not working as hard (engine working harder) to charge up the old battery?

 

[BjBnet]

In my other thread about my new yellow top one guy said his KJ ran better....

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Maybe we should all get them?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Heck if I know. Alternator not working as hard (engine working harder) to charge up the old battery?

My thought too...

 

[Dave]

Maybe when you took out the old battery and replaced it the computer re-set itself? Now you are back to factory programing specs. I am really guessing here.

Either that or you have been driving down hill a lot lately. Just wait until you come up the other side...

Dave

 

[ridenby]

Heck if I know. Alternator not working as hard (engine working harder) to charge up the old battery?

This is my guess,swear mine runs better after the yellow top.

 

[BjBnet]

don't know, makes sense but doesn't....ya know? lol
kinda wish I had the old battery to try it out.
Maybe just moving some wires around I fixed something that was broken?
But my mpg is averaged at 19-21 in the city and 23-24 highway, it was never that high.
Must be the winds rolling with me all the time lately

 

[desertkj]

I had the same thing when I just replaced my battery for another Walmart one. The KJ routinely does things that defy any sort of rational logic I've discovered haha

 

[SurfGuitar141]

I was looking at those Optima yellow top batteries at the local Advanced Auto Parts store, and the salesman told me they were getting a lot of them returned, and people were having issues with them.......????

Might of been a bad batch made their way to the Mid-Atlantic, I don't really know, but the people at this store claim they aren't worth the extra money they cost, and told me to think about another brand when I replace the battery I have now.......

 

[ridenby]

I was looking at those Optima yellow top batteries at the local Advanced Auto Parts store, and the salesman told me they were getting a lot of them returned, and people were having issues with them.......????

Might of been a bad batch made their way to the Mid-Atlantic, I don't really know, but the people at this store claim they aren't worth the extra money they cost, and told me to think about another brand when I replace the battery I have now.......

Well,buy an Odiseyy,can't spell,plus your in NJ,who knows what they will tell you there.

 

[tjkj2002]

I was looking at those Optima yellow top batteries at the local Advanced Auto Parts store, and the salesman told me they were getting a lot of them returned, and people were having issues with them.......????

Might of been a bad batch made their way to the Mid-Atlantic, I don't really know, but the people at this store claim they aren't worth the extra money they cost, and told me to think about another brand when I replace the battery I have now.......

Optima's quality has drastically went down over the last few years after Johnson Controls took over.1-3 years of use out of one is about the norm now when it used to be 6-10 years.

Odyssey PC1500 or the Sears Diehard Platinum P4(both the same battery) is a much better battery,more power and longer warranty.Most of the Optima engineers work at Odyssey now.Now some battery tray mod's will be needed as they are a true group 34/78 battery.

 

[LibertyFever]

Heck if I know. Alternator not working as hard (engine working harder) to charge up the old battery?

Hmmmm, maybe the new battery weighs less than the last one

I have to agree with the previous posts that the new battery requires less effort to charge & provides a hotter spark. I doubt that it's because it's a $200 Optima battery.

 

[Boiler]

Your battery shouldn't affect the alternator output, unless the battery has a different efficiency. I don't know enough about batteries to know if they have efficiency or not, what I do know is that when a vehicle uses power, the alternator replaces the power. A new battery shouldn't cause less power consumption. The only thing I can imagine in this line of reasoning is that the new battery converts less charge to heat, thus requiring less work to charge.

 

[tjkj2002]

Your battery shouldn't affect the alternator output, unless the battery has a different efficiency. I don't know enough about batteries to know if they have efficiency or not, what I do know is that when a vehicle uses power, the alternator replaces the power. A new battery shouldn't cause less power consumption. The only thing I can imagine in this line of reasoning is that the new battery converts less charge to heat, thus requiring less work to charge.

Actually in a KJ the battery has a direct effect on the alternators output and why the system gets wacky when the battery starts going bad in which it really shouldn't in a tradition charging system where the battery is only for starting.In a KJ the battery is a key component in the electrical system,a bad battery will make the alternator not work correctly though nothing is actually wrong with the alternator and why the only way to properly test the KJ's charging system is via the DRBIII('02-'05) and StarScan('06+).

 

[BjBnet]

Actually in a KJ the battery has a direct effect on the alternators output and why the system gets wacky when the battery starts going bad in which it really shouldn't in a tradition charging system where the battery is only for starting.In a KJ the battery is a key component in the electrical system,a bad battery will make the alternator not work correctly though nothing is actually wrong with the alternator and why the only way to properly test the KJ's charging system is via the DRBIII('02-'05) and StarScan('06+).

so as a result my KJ is working better? Went through another tank of gas and got the same result, it's amazing and I love my KJ even more now....although there always seems to be something that needs replacing....this weekend it's the a/c compressor.
For 298 000 kms, the only thing I changed on my caravan was the rack and pinion, rad and heater core...other than brakes and little things that normally need to be replaced. I guess it's true what they say about Jeeps.
Just Empty Every Pocket

 

[OptimaJim]

Hello, I noticed your conversation regarding our batteries and wanted to offer some assistance. The quality of our batteries has always been excellent and has continued to improve since Johnson Controls purchased the brand in 2000. We still make Optimas in our own facility and the batteries we are building today are the best we have ever made. They are the only batteries we make and we never re-label or re-spec our batteries for any retailers. We have people on staff (including engineers) who worked for Gates as far back as the early-80s. Many of the “bad” batteries returned to us now are just deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly recharged.

Many battery chargers will not recognize or charge any battery that has been discharged below 10.5 volts. This is a technology issue for many chargers and not unique to Optima. In fact, some manufacturers will void the warranty on batteries discharged below 10 volts. Deeply-discharged Optimas can be recovered with those chargers, by using the parallel charging technique described in this video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIoaL3DWWEg

BjBnet, I wish I could tell you our batteries will improve your fuel economy. I’ve heard similar claims from others, but it probably has more to do with temperate weather and driving habits. If you have any other questions about our batteries, I’ll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

[BjBnet]

Don't know about that. My driving habits are the same in the past 10 years but better since I installed and EVIC in my KJ 2 years ago and have mastered saving fuel. I watch my mileage like a hawk because it's a good indication of a problem if it changes.
Something is going on...I appreciate your comment though!
Also, is a car alternation good enough to charge my battery? it sits at 12.3 volts before I start, I know it should be more so I'm guessing the answer is no. No you just cost me more money because I have to buy a GOOD charger that does AGM LOL
Thanks for your input!!!!!

 

[BjBnet]

Thinking more about it today...I don't think anyone can change their driving habits so much that they'll get an extra 100 kms out of a tank....unless they drive like maniacs or something hahaha

 

[mikey1273]

Heck if I know. Alternator not working as hard (engine working harder) to charge up the old battery?

X2 seems logical to me