Tennmogger
Explorer
The Optima's I've used tended to develope higher cell resistance when older and abused. They then needed higher voltage to charge properly, higher than a normal car system provides. IMHO charging at 14v is not charging your battery.
You must monitor not only the voltage but the current during charge, and then calculate the ampere-hours into the battery. If the battery does not begin to warm up at the tail-end of charging then you probably are not getting it charged well enough to equalize all the cells. As already stated by others, it'd not easy to reclaim a run down battery.
A couple of devices I use that are really handy are a 'Triton2' charger and a 'Watt's Up' voltage/current/AH/etc monitor. You can search for more info on each of those. You can then know exactly how much power your idling car really put into the battery, and how much has been drawn out. I think you will be surprised at how poorly the battery is being charged, and how much parasitic drain you have.
The Triton2 runs off 12 vdc (your car system) and will charge the battery at set voltage up to about 30 vdc. Charging voltage is no longer dependent on the car's voltage regulator. This very smart charger can also be programmed to charge any chemistry battery, NiMH, NiCd, LiPO, lead acid, etc.
Never leave two batteries connected in parallel. The lower resistance one of the two will kill the other one....and that usually means your newest/best battery will die from the other battery's shortcomings. You might be better off with only one good battery!
Comment on solar power: any solar panel you can put in a car window will be worthless for more than trickle charging (maintaining a well charged battery). First, it's not big enough physically, second, it will be reduced in power by the window and any dirt or glaze on it, and third, it will always be at the wrong angle to the sun.
Once you get the internal resistance of the Optima back into proper range, those few minutes of running the vehicle will do more good.
You must monitor not only the voltage but the current during charge, and then calculate the ampere-hours into the battery. If the battery does not begin to warm up at the tail-end of charging then you probably are not getting it charged well enough to equalize all the cells. As already stated by others, it'd not easy to reclaim a run down battery.
A couple of devices I use that are really handy are a 'Triton2' charger and a 'Watt's Up' voltage/current/AH/etc monitor. You can search for more info on each of those. You can then know exactly how much power your idling car really put into the battery, and how much has been drawn out. I think you will be surprised at how poorly the battery is being charged, and how much parasitic drain you have.
The Triton2 runs off 12 vdc (your car system) and will charge the battery at set voltage up to about 30 vdc. Charging voltage is no longer dependent on the car's voltage regulator. This very smart charger can also be programmed to charge any chemistry battery, NiMH, NiCd, LiPO, lead acid, etc.
Never leave two batteries connected in parallel. The lower resistance one of the two will kill the other one....and that usually means your newest/best battery will die from the other battery's shortcomings. You might be better off with only one good battery!
Comment on solar power: any solar panel you can put in a car window will be worthless for more than trickle charging (maintaining a well charged battery). First, it's not big enough physically, second, it will be reduced in power by the window and any dirt or glaze on it, and third, it will always be at the wrong angle to the sun.
Once you get the internal resistance of the Optima back into proper range, those few minutes of running the vehicle will do more good.