Brakes, Transmissions, Driveline Clunks & the Future of Batteries
Description:
From spongy brakes on a 4Runner to a Malibu that won’t stay put in park, Ron takes listener calls on tricky driveline and transmission issues. Then Optima Batteries’ Daryl Brockman joins the show to break down the latest in AGM and lithium technology, Hypercore cold-start performance, and why battery tech is evolving faster than the cars they power.
Chapter Markers:
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00:00 – Spongy brakes on a 2004 Toyota 4Runner
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06:20 – Malibu transmission rolls in “Park”
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11:15 – Tacoma driveline clunk at stops
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17:40 – Optima’s Daryl Brockman on AGM & lithium batteries
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27:45 – PowerLink system & built-in jumpstart tech
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32:45 – Battery safety certifications & takeaways
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Follow the wrench – Instagram @ronananian for shop life & behind-the-scenes
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Watch & learn – Auto repair tips & videos on our YouTube Channel
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Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900
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Join the conversation LIVE – Saturdays 2–4 PM Eastern
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You're listening to Ron and Nanian The Car Doctor, nationally
recognized auto expert trusted by Mechanics, Weekend wrenchers and vehicle
owners Alife. Ron brings over forty years of hands on
experience and deep industry insight to help you understand your vehicle.
Join the Conversation live every Saturday from two to four
pm Eastern by calling eight five five five six zero
nine nine zero zero. That's eight five five five six
(00:25):
zero ninety nine hundred, your direct line to honest answers
and practical advice. Looking for more, visit car doctorshow dot
com for past episodes, repair tips, and Ron's latest insights,
and be sure to subscribe to the Car Doctor YouTube
channel for exclusive videos, real repair footage and more. Now
start your injuries. The Car Doctor is into garage and
(00:47):
ready to take your call.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh that Tom Ray, what a kidder? So lot to do.
A lot going on this hour down around the bottom.
Daryl Brockman is going to be joining us from up
in the batteries to talk about the latest and battery technology.
But right now the phones are backed up. Let's go
over to Bobby. I'm glad you put the b in
front of your name, Bobby. It looked like Abby from
Long Island, New York, and I went Abby Bobby from
Long Island, New York. Oh for Toyota four Runner. What's
(01:12):
going on? How can I help?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
H Ron? Long long, long time listen. It's really I
really appreciate that what you do for all of us.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Thank you. Happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I just replaced my uh nineteen eighty four crested up
with a new to me two thousand and four four
Runner with sixty thousand miles. It's like a brand new car. Yeah,
I know I over paid for it, but you know what, Ron,
it rides like a new car.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, let's bump. Absolutely, I can check.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I can check. The transmission has a full sized spare tire.
But the previous owner had problem with the brakes as
far as a spongy pedal.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Okay, spongey now you're talking about while you're driving? Yes, okay?
And is it that it's not a good firm pedal,
almost like it needs to be bled.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yep. And I gave it a good thorough bleeding. First
I tried. I bled. The backs came out like iced tea,
I suppose, And I thought the pedal came up a
little bit. But then when I did the fronts, no
change and it's still it seemed like it got a
little bit better. But I wouldn't bet on it.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Okay, you're aware there's a specific bleed procedure for this vehicle.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Oh I am not. Yeah, I'm waiting for the owner's
manual from Toyota.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah you want to, and you want to also be aware.
And here's a classic example of driving an older vehicle, Bobby,
I would I would have a subscription to one of
the online electronic services all that of DIY something like that,
you know, just to see can you get more current information,
Because if you're waiting for the service manual from Toyota
for an four that probably stopped production twenty years ago.
(02:57):
More than a few bulletins have come out since that
book was initially published, unless they're unless they're continually updating
and publishing the paper print copies, but I don't think
they are. Or you're waiting for an owner's manual, not
a service manual.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
No money for service manuals.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Okay, yeah, it's not going to be it's not going
to be anywhere near as it's not going to be
anywhere near as comprehensive as electronic information. You know, if
in two thousand and eight they came out with a
bulletin related to your particular problem, but they stopped producing
that book in two thousand and five, you'll never see
that bulletin. So here's here's here's the argument. Yeah, it's nice,
(03:36):
it's well, it's nice to have a it's nice to
have Listen, the guy at Toyota told you, hey, here's
the most current copy of an O four service manual right.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Now.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What he said he'd get me one with all the updates.
And I've been dealing with this guy out in a
loft Kansas for like.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Well, maybe maybe maybe he does, maybe he knows something.
I don't know, But I can't imagine that in twenty
nineteen if that was the last date, or twenty twelve,
if that was the last data publication, I'd be curious
to see what the publication data is on the manual
that as Toyota has aged that vehicle out. That vehicle's
twenty one years old. Now, I don't know, I don't
(04:13):
know that they care. I don't know that they care
so much about it. Right, there's the argument for electronic information.
Neither here nor there. You got to get the bleed procedure.
You've got to follow brief bleed procedure. Make sure you're
doing it correctly. Number one. Number two, there's a possibility
this has a bad hydraulic control unit. This has the
electric vacuum pump set up correct It does right. So
(04:36):
here's a quick test. Pump the brake pedal forty times
thirty five to forty times forty times should do it
all right? You pump it forty times, turn the ignition
switch on and you'll hear the pump run. Okays, it
builds pressure within a few seconds of coming on, between
five and eight seconds. That pump should sound strained like
(04:57):
it's building pressure right, like it's under load. And if
it doesn't, then you've got to start to have a
conversation with your head. Do you have with yourself in
your head? Do you have a problem with that pump assembly?
Speaker 5 (05:11):
Now?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Ron, would you feel comfortable with changing just some motor?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Now I put the whole thing, I do the whole thing. Yeah, Okay,
it's twenty one years old. You know it's a and
not to mention. Here's the case where if you can
still get that complete motor assembly from Toyota. Let's say
you do Let's say you just do a motor and
five years from now the accumulator ball fails or some
(05:35):
other component of that and you find out it's not available,
and now you're chasing an aftermarket something that might be marginal,
you know what, on an older vehicle. If the goal
is to keep it, and since you just got it,
the goal is to keep it, You're better off replacing
and using the best quality parts you can find. Now,
it's going to be cheaper in the long run. Five
years from now you won't have a problem. You're saving money.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Fights I'm already so far ahead of the game, right exactly,
and spend eighteen hundred dollars on Toto factory ports to
replace both of it. I just wanted to make sure
I'm doing the right thing.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
You're you're on the right path, my friend.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
All right, please electronic blued and then we'll go from there.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Go from there, and if you need me, you know
where to find me, all right, Kittle, you'd be well.
Take care. Bobby. Arlene intent in Tennessee twenty Malibu. What's
going on here? Leen? How can I help?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I had to have the transmission replaced in April, and
I did that through the dealer, right, and I got
a rebuilt GM transmission.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Right.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
What I have a problem with is when I go
to put it in park. If I'm on level ground
and it takes my foot off the break, it goes
right into park. But if I'm on an incline or
decline and I try to park it and I take
the foot off, it rolls before it locks into park.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
More so did more so than it did with the
previous transmission.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Oh absolutely, yes, Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And you're and you're and you're going to tell me
you went back to the dealer and they said that's
normal for the operation of the vehicle.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
No. I went back to the dealer and they said
there was no error code and they couldn't duplicate it
until they told.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Me to go home. Can you can you take a
technician for a ride? Are you allowed to do that?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
No? They they kept it for a day and a
half and told me the technician did drive it right.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
But did the technician put it on an incline? Probably
not right, so he can't duplicate the problem when he
doesn't see it right.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
What I need to know is that a breaking problem,
or is that a transmission problem.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Sounds like a transmission problem to me. Okay, so take
your take your index finger on your right hand. Take
take your thumb and index finger on your left hand.
Put your put your index finger from your right hand
in between the other two. All right, grip, grip your
right hand index finger moderately tight. Okay, Yeah, that's basically
(07:57):
the park pole. Your right index finger. Your right index
finger is locked between the other two fingers, right right. Now,
spread them apart a quarter of an inch. See all
that slop? See how see how your finger moves more? Yeah,
that's the movement in the transmission. If that gap is
too large, if those parts are worn on that unit,
(08:19):
if it's a reman unit that was not properly assembled
or re manufactured, that measurement is off. And now you've
got too much slop such that it's loaded against load
your right index finger against your thumb. You feel how
hard that is to push?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
If it has to roll the other way and it
can't because it's so hard loaded in one direction, and
then finally bang, you jam it and you get it
to pop, that's the sensation you're going through. If they
don't experience that problem on an incline, just like you're
describing it. Because you've described it perfectly. There's nothing wrong
with your description, there's nothing wrong with your analysis. I
(08:55):
think you're spot on all right, But how do.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
I get them to believe that?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You got to somebody's got to go for a ride
with you. Take the service manager out for coffee. Say, hey, listen,
let me ask you this. Let me ask you this.
Here's here's the thing about relationships with a repair shop. Right,
is this where you bought the car?
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Is this the guys that have been servicing it up
till now?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Okay, Hey, Ron, you know you've been taking care of
my car for five years. You put a transmission, and
I think there's a problem really early, and I can't
experience it. Let's go for a ride. I mean, that's
the first words out of my mouth. It's it's because
the problem.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Is I'm dealing with a dealership and like he told me,
they have a turnover on technicians, and I'm not dealing
with the same technician I was a month ago.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Right, But that's not your problem. I know that's not
your problem, sweetheart, And don't let Yeah, it's their excuse.
Don't let them pass the buck. Shame on them for
doing that. All right, it's time to talk to the
service manager. Listen, I am a customer. I have been
here for five years. I have paid it for every
service you guys recommended to me. I have played the
(10:02):
game your way. Now I have a problem. You want
to know what the mark of a good repair shop is.
It's not when they can do an oil change, or
retire rotation or put brakes on the car. It's when
you've got a dedicated customer and they've got a problem.
It's up to that shop to solve it. They're obligated
to solve it. And I say this with all the
(10:23):
zest and energy I can for all my shops out
there that listen in, and for all my customers out
there that listen in, for all the listeners out there
that say what makes a good repair shop? That's what
makes a good repair shop. And if the service manager
doesn't give you any support, go talk to the sales manager.
You know, I think about buying another car from you guys,
but service is kind of falling on its face here
(10:45):
right now.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
I thought about doing that before. I'm going to take
it back in and I thought, who do I talk to? So,
you're right, I need to see the service manager.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
It's as my late father in law would say, it's
time to talk to the front of the horse because
the other end's not working. All right, Okay, okay, thank you,
good lucky, your sweetheart. You let us know what happens.
Ay five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
I'm the front of the horse. I'm running any in
the car, doctor, I'll be back right after this. Let's
(11:15):
real quick. Go to Chuck in Delaware sixteen Toyota Tacoma
with some noises from the back. Chuck, Welcome to the car, doctor, sir,
what's going on?
Speaker 5 (11:22):
Oh not a whole lot. Thank you for your callback.
You're welcome, enjoy your show.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
And So I have a sixteen Toyota Tacoma SR five
and every once in a while, if I coast to
a stop, it feels like the rear end sometimes for
the transmission, like bangs or pops, and I can physically
feel it. And it doesn't happen all the time.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
If you put it in neutral when it's doing that,
does the does the sensation go away?
Speaker 5 (11:55):
No, it's real quick. It just it just pops for
a second and then and then everything's fine.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Okay. Four wheel drive, Yes, as factory tires stock tires.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Uh, they're not. They're not stocked.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
No, are they big? They're not? But are they? Are
they a very aggressive tire?
Speaker 5 (12:13):
No?
Speaker 6 (12:14):
No, I've put I've put what they recommend to want
to learn.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
An LT Okay, So barring tires creating an issue or
some kind of drive line vibration, and barring that there's
a problem starting to develop with the drive shift, I
probably out of curiosity, let me ask this question. How
many miles around this? A little mileage wouldn't matter to
me in my mind. For this, how many miles around this?
Chuck four right? I'd probably pull the dry shaft down
(12:42):
and just feel the joints, make sure they all feel
equal in terms of, you know, they've got the right
amount of wiggle to them. Nothing excessive, nothing feels warned,
nothing feels clunky. Do we have a center support bearing
on this? Or is this a one piece shift? Why
do I think this is a center support bearing shift?
Speaker 5 (12:58):
That that I do not know?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
All right? Do I have it?
Speaker 5 (13:02):
I mean, everything's oem right. I haven't done anything to
the drug since I bought.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It, right, I was gonna say I would. I would
look at the shaft. Is it a problem? Yeah, it's
just a good time. Listen almost two hudred thousand miles
on an eight year old vehicle. It's a good time
to just how's the drive shift? Is it intact? Is it?
Is it starting to bind up in certain spots? Is
it starting to get excess of wear? How's the center
support bearing? If it's a two piece shift, which something
in my mind tells me it is, all right, those
would be the obvious things i'd look for when I
(13:29):
pull the shaft out, where the shaft goes into the transmission,
I would look at that slip coupling, all right, the
yoke itself, does the yoke itself looks like it looks
like it has where either on the outside, more importantly
on the inside. You ever ever pull a drive shaft
out of a tail shaft housing, and now I have not.
(13:51):
And look at the splines. Right, take your index finger,
make it. Make make a hole with your right index
finger against your thumb on your left hand, and put
your finger in the hole. Right round peg, roundhole. Now
start to expand your and I'm using my index finger
all out this show this week. Now, start to expand
that that index finger. Right, it's a little sloppy. Your
(14:11):
finger's a little sloppy in the hole. Is it is
the yoke bouncing around on the inputs on the output
shaft of the trans. Is it gouged? Are the splines
of the output shaft of the trans starting to dig
into the yoke so that as the drive shaft, the
drive shaft have to ha has to have smooth and
(14:32):
even balance against the output shaft of the trans. If, however,
you drive, I'm not picking on your driving, Chuck, I'm
just saying, however you drive aggressive or easy or whatever
in between. At one hundred and eighty five thousand miles,
if that output shaft has started to gouge the splines
on the inside of the dry shaft yoke, is it
(14:55):
catching and not releasing and allowing a smooth transition? Be
curious if putting the truck in neutral while it was
happening made a difference and just allowed the vehicle to
coast under no load?
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Right?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Right? Does that?
Speaker 5 (15:09):
And it doesn't happen all the time?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Right?
Speaker 5 (15:11):
Very it's very right. So it seems like it's boring
cold weather.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Okay, Well, and there's that there's that drive shafts yoke
sticking in in under under a duress condition, sometimes sometimes
part of a diagnosis. And you guys hear me say
this all the time. Is tell me what's good. I'll
tell you what's bad. I would be curious, all right,
is and let me say it like this. If you
pull the drive shaft down or your mechanic takes the
(15:37):
drive shaft out, and the ue joints are good, and
if there's a center support bearing and that's good, and
the inside of the yoke looks okay, right, I would
probably pack a little wheel bearing grease up against the
yokes blines, all right, or maybe a little yellow I
think I probably use yellow grease. What I call yellow grease.
Everybody else says white lithium, same thing. I put a
little yellow lithium on there, all right. It doesn't hurt,
(16:00):
it's a good it's a good slip yoke grease. Does
the problem go away in frequency? Does it go away completely?
Or does it still happen. If it still happens, you've
looked at the obvious. I just want to make sure
the drive shift isn't about to fall out on the
two hundred thousand mile truck, right, you know, I just
just yeah, just just the obvious stuff. Have you ever
(16:20):
serviced the drive line? Have you ever done diff fluids,
transfer case fluids, those kind of things? No, No, I
need you though, right, yeah, you do, and I don't.
I don't know that that's going to solve any problems
because frankly, I would have done it every fifty thousand
miles up to this point. All right, Right, But what
I would be curious is if you change transfer case fluid,
(16:40):
if you change you're dift fluid, and you were to
filter the fluid through a pain strainer, are you going
are you going to get any kind of fragments or metal?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Uh? Oh right? Row and.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah that's ret row as Astro would say.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
So, but you know that.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
That's how I would approach it, brother, all right, So
this way you kind of know what you're getting and
you know where you're at. But just some basics. There's
nothing that stands out. There's no bulletins. I thought we
were gonna have a conversation if you said to me, hey, ron,
I got a whine from the rear of the vehicle.
There's a bulletin from Toyota that talks about chassis or
(17:20):
cab insulation double thirteen eighteen. But that's not you. You've
got something else going on. Whether we're concerned about it
at one hundred and eighty thousand miles, whether it's preventable
or just general age. That's what some of this looking
and service and will tell us. Good luck to you, Chuck.
If you anymore, you know where to find me. Hey,
coming up next, Darryl Brockman. Let's learn about batteries and
(17:40):
the latest in technology from the folks over at Optimum Batteries.
I'm ronning Ay and the car Doctor. I'll be back
with him right after this. Welcome back. You know it's
getting to be that time of year. Well, actually that
time of year for batteries is probably year round now
because as we've said for a long time, right, we
see more batteries fail I think in summer than we
(18:01):
do in winter. But it's always a good time to
talk about batteries, and I thought it would be appropriate.
We've reached out to Daryl Brockman. He is product planning
over at OPTIMUMA battery and we're excited to have Daryl
with us and talk about all the new things that
Optima is doing. Darrel, Welcome to the Car Doctor.
Speaker 7 (18:17):
Thanks so much for having me. Great to be here.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I need to put a battery in my car. Let's
start the simple conversation here, right. I need to put
a battery in my car. I've got a two twenty
Toyota Camryo. It's got auto start, it's an automatic, it's
got all the bells and whistles. Help me put a
battery in my car, Daryl, what am I looking for?
Speaker 7 (18:38):
I mean, usually what you would recommend as an AGM battery,
especially if you have start stop in your vehicle, that
is much harder on the battery. The battery is going
to be instead of starting the battery, you know, once
when you leave for work and another time when you're
coming back for work, you might be starting the car
twenty or thirty times. And the a GM battery is
(19:01):
what's going to give you the longest life. You know,
in today's modern vehicles, the electrical loads on vehicles over
the last ten years has grown exponentially and it's not
expected to decrease. And the old flooded batteries just don't
have the life and they're not designed to meet those
(19:22):
kinds of you know, much higher electrical requirements that today's
vehicles have.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Is it a safe assumption? Dangerous word on family radio?
But is it a safe assumption to assume that, Well,
if I've got an AGM battery, I don't have a
secondary battery for start stop or you know. And I
guess the other plf of that question becomes, if I
do have that second, smaller battery, if I'm changing my
(19:47):
main battery, I should change my second battery too, correct.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
I mean, vehicles can have two and three batteries. In
an EV, there's the motive battery, the one that makes
the vehicle move. There'll be a twelve volt battery that's
you really powering the cabin functions or some you know,
some of the core functionality. And then in an even
an internal combustion engine vehicle, you know, a normal vehicle,
(20:13):
those often have two batteries now where they'll have the
starting battery, and then they'll have a small auxiliary battery
that's providing some backup power for some other critical systems.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Now, Optima would make a battery for my camera, wouldn't they?
Speaker 7 (20:28):
We do we have actually, so we have our a
GM line. We have red top and yellow top AGM
batteries that your camera probably takes a group thirty five battery.
We make that in both red and yellow top or
red top batteries, or what would be used in a
vehicle that has more typical electrical loads where the battery
(20:48):
is used to start the vehicle and then the all
charging system has enough power to keep the to maintain
electrical equilibrium, a yellow top battery. If you had a
big audio system in your car or something with exceptional
electrical demands, we'd suggest one of our yel top batteries
that's a dual purpose battery that has great starting power
(21:09):
in addition to the ability to be cycled more deeply
and have long long cycle life.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So you know you've got them. You've got the batteries
from my car, right, But then you get into like
what they call power sport vehicles, you know, like a
power sport Like why do power sport vehicles like ATV snowmobiles,
wave runners, they need a specific type of battery, right
as opposed to batteries that I might use in my
camera or is that can I take my camera battery
(21:37):
and put it into a power into a power sport
vehicle if it fits sure.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
And the biggest difference between a power sports battery and
an automotive batteries that those power sports batteries are much smaller.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Often.
Speaker 7 (21:48):
I'd actually introduced a line of lithium power sports batteries
about two years ago, and they have a lot of
great teachers lithium batteries. One of the advantages is the
very lightweight. A lot of people, you know, if you
have a bike that's or a power sports vehicle that's
more performance oriented, a lithium battery is much lighter than
(22:11):
the lead acid battery replaces, so it'll the vehicle handle
better and the Again, those batteries have great cycle life.
One of the features that are with the empower sports
batteries have that really people really like is our Optimus
CPR function, and that's what we call our built in jumpstarter. Basically,
when the battery gets if the battery gets discharged down
(22:33):
to thirty five percent stay of charge, if you leave
the heated grips on on your motorcycle, or if you
leave the whip lights on your side by side overnight.
Once that battery gets down to thirty five percent, the
battery automatically will go into sleep mode, it'll shut down
in that thirty five percent that it holds in reserve.
It acts like a built in jump starter. You just
(22:53):
have to press the button on the power link that's
included with the battery. It wakes the battery up and
you can start it up and be on your way.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Wow, that's kind of cool. That's that's neat. Now is
that is that part of lithium technology, because my other
question was you know you have and as when you
talk about your lithium technology, is that hypercore lithium because
or is hypercore lithium technology and optimum battery something specific?
Speaker 7 (23:17):
Also, so, there are a lot of different lithium chemistries
in the market. The lithium chemistry that's used in cell
phones is different than the lithium chemistry that's commonly used
in electric vehicles, and the lithium chemistry that is used
in our batteries is different than both of those. Optimally
uses a lithium iron phosphate chemistry, which is known for
(23:39):
having excellent capability to deliver a burst of power for starting,
but it's also widely considered the safest and the most
abuse tolerant lithium chemistry. And then even within a given
chemistry type our hypercore technology with a different for a
given cell chemistry, you can tune the performance attributes of it.
(24:02):
And that's where our hypercore chemistry comes in. For example,
our Q eight six automotives, starting withium automotive starting battery,
it can crank down the minus twenty fahrenheit. And if
you check other lithium batteries that they are on the market,
they generally recommend that they're not used certainly below zero
fahrenheit and sometimes even ten or twenty degrees fahrenheit. So
(24:25):
I'm in Milwaukee and I can even use one of
those batteries here.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So you're saying, you know, a power sport vehicle, an ATV,
a snowmobile, a wave runner that's gonna that can take
a lithium battery. But you're also saying you have lithium
technology available for cars, for my camera, for my pickup truck,
for my whatever.
Speaker 7 (24:44):
We have a full line of lithium batteries. We have
six different power sports batteries, different sizes to cover over
ninety five percent of the power sports vehicles on the
on the road, everything from a little fifty cc scooter
up to a big, big V twin touring bike, side
by sides and everything in between. We also have a
(25:06):
we have a couple of lithium batteries for marine and
r V applications, and we have a auto and truck
lithium starting battery as well.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
So if you make a group thirty five lithium battery
for my camera, right, I'm not saying you do. If
you do and I want to and I want to
put it in, is it a bolt in or do
I need to do something special? Do I have to
change something because my battery was originally a GM or
lead acid or whatever it might have been. Is there
is there a difference to the way it's going to
charge or work.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
So the physical the physical size of the battery, we
don't actually make the battery that it's a lithium battery
for your camera.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Right.
Speaker 7 (25:41):
The lithium automotive battery we make, it's a H six.
It's the most common size used in vehicles in the US.
It is a it's a direct drop in for those
drop in replacement for those vehicles. And the reason that's
possible is both lead acid batteries and lithium batteries. The
ideal charging voltage is very close to fourteen point four volts.
(26:04):
That's also the output the power output level of the
vehicle of vehicle charging systems. So that's what enables you
to be able to put a lithium battery into a
vehicle that originally had a let acid battery without having
to change anything with the charging system or anything else.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And that that lithium battery gives me the advantage that
I'll have more reliable starting power in colder weather, and
more durability, longer lasting.
Speaker 7 (26:35):
And that and the because the lithium batteries they have
a they basically they have a battery management system. It's
basically a computer inside, and that enables a bunch of
really cool features for a lithium automotive battery. I was
talking about that built in jumpstart function. So if you
go to the airport, leave your domemite on and jump
on the plane, you come back a couple of days
(26:57):
later in your battery. Instead, our lithium antomne motive batteries
have that same optimus CPR function. The cool thing about
the automotive batteries is you just need to all you
have to do is open up the optimum Bluetooth app
on your phone and it reactivates automatically, turns the battery on.
You don't have to open the hood, you don't have
to tear up our you even start the vehicle up again.
(27:21):
Just open up the app from your driver's seat and
away you go.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
You're making it way too easy, Daryl, Darryl, stay put
to take a pause on the side. I'm ronning Any
in the card doctor. Let's when me come back. I
want to talk a little bit about the power Link
system and some of the other things you've got going
on over there at Optima Batteries. We're here with Daryl
Brockman from Optima Batteries. I'm ron an Any in the
car doctor. I'll be back right after this. Hey, look
we came back. Ronan Ani in the car doctor. I'm
(27:44):
here with Daryl Brockman. He is the in product planning
over there at Optima Batteries. Darryl. When we pulled away,
I wanted to jump in real quick too, about the
power Link system. Can you talk about that real quick?
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (27:58):
So.
Speaker 7 (27:59):
Powerlink it's a proprietary system with multiple patterns for battery communication, control,
and charging. It's a corded dongle that's connected to the battery,
and it allows you to know the battery status. Has
multicolored LEDs, so for example, the LED of flash green
if the battery is fully charged, it'll flash red if
the battery needs to be charged. There's a button on
(28:21):
it it allows you to shut the battery down for
off season storage or if you're railing your side by
side to the trails and you want to don't want
to have to worry about it being powered up. You
can just press the button for three seconds it puts
the battery to sleep. I mentioned Optimus pr previously are
built in jumpstart function. It's using that button on the
(28:43):
power link is how you'd wake the battery up again.
And then finally, there's a plug on the end that
enables you to directly plug one of optimized Withium enable
chargers in Freezy maintenance your battery power sports vehicles and motorcycles.
The battery is usually not very convenient to get to.
It can take a half hour of wrenching to even
get to the point where you can see the battery right.
(29:04):
So this cord of dongle allows you to you know,
basically like an extension cord so that you can charge
your battery conveniently without having to break out your run.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
It's sort of like that remote access cord you see
sticking out of the grill of like a diesel plow
truck when they want to get to the block heater
or something. You're you're just making an access point easy
to get to.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Very similar, and we combine that charging capability with the
LEDs to no battery status and the ability to control
the batteries.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Right, and then it feeds. Is that what feeds back
to the app on the phone if we're doing that.
Speaker 7 (29:37):
So the power sports batteries, they have the power Link
our group thirty one batteries that are used for boats
and RBS r Q eight six batteries that would be
used in a number of cars and trucks. Those all
have a Bluetooth app. And that Bluetooth app not only
you know, the first question is why do I need
(29:57):
an app for my battery? I don't care what my
battery is doing. Probably the most useful feature that it
has that people really have been, you know, really very
interested in is if that battery gets discharged down to
thirty five percent, it'll automatically go to sleep. That they're
optim of CPR function. I was talking about just opening
(30:18):
up by You just have to open up the app
and by doing that and connecting to the battery, it
activates the battery and wakes it back up again when
that built in jumpstart function has been has been activated,
so you don't you don't even have to open up
the hood.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Of the vehicle.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
You don't have to make physical contact with the you know,
dig up your trunk.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I want to talk about safety certifications. Why are they
so important?
Speaker 7 (30:43):
The safety certifications? I mean, there's a lot of lithium
battery manufacturers and brands on the market. Agency and safety
certifications are one way to know that the battery has
undergone rigorous testing to ensure safe operation. And there's both
sell and battery level certifications. Optima has both not only
for the US standards, but for international standards as.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well, so you know, when people are using lithium, and
we hear lithium in the news all the time, right,
we know optims optim has done the research. And that's
where the safety certifications are so important that we're dealing with.
We're dealing with the you know, the cream of the crop,
so to speak. You guys are rich that that we're
dealing with a good quality of lithium battery and technology
(31:27):
behind it.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
Yeah, Clarius is engineering team. Clarius is the world's largest
battery manufacturer. The engineering team that supported development of these
Optima batteries their normal their normal rule is developing low
voltage energy storage systems for major audio automakers. Clarios is
the world's largest supplier of low voltage energy storage systems
(31:51):
for automakers. That same engineering team with that with their
you know, robust product knowledge and experience with the tech
achnology and battery management system development. That's the team that
supported development of these Optima batteries, and it's really what
enables us to have such high performance, such a unique
and proprietary feature set, and again to have that long
(32:15):
list of agency and safety certifications.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yep, Daryl, where can the listeners go get more information.
Speaker 7 (32:21):
Optima Batteries dot com or our tech support line at
eight eight eight eight Optima Perfect.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Daryl, We'll get together again. I'm on an a, Andy
and the car Doctor. We'll be back right after this. Hey,
once again, thank you to my special guest Daryl Brockman
for taking the time. Battery technology is evolving. I still
think batteries are evolving faster than the rest of the
car when you look at it, because it's it's it's lithium,
(32:49):
it's conventional, it's a GM, it's the way we test it.
It's the chargers, it's the maintainers. It's just accelerating like
a rocket ship. About six months ago, maybe eight months ago,
we did a test. We unwrapped one of Optima's, the
D four hundred plus battery maintainer. It's up on our
YouTube channel if you go take a look at it.
(33:09):
Just go out look for ron Anannie in the card
doctor or type in Optima D four hundred plus Battery
Maintainer and look at all the little technology that's in
that box. And it's just crazy what we need. And
it's also crazy what the tooling will do because of
the newer technology. So yeah, just a great interview. I
could have talked to Darryl for another hour. I kind
(33:31):
of geek out on that stuff. To quote Daryl, Darrel
says he's a geek with batteries. Yeah, I'm a geek
with batteries. To Daryl, that's why I get you. That's
why it was a pleasure to have you. So you
will find more information once again at Optima Batteries dot com.
Well I can tell by the music. Tom's trying to
get rid of me. He must think it's time for
me to go, so go I must, And let me
(33:51):
just say it's been a pleasure. I hope you guys
have a great rest of the weekend, however long it
lasts for you, until the next time we get together.
I'm Ronan Aannie in the card doctor, minding you good.
Mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless. See you
You're listening to Ron and Nanian The Car Doctor, nationally
recognized auto expert trusted by Mechanics, Weekend wrenchers and vehicle
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(00:25):
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start your injuries. The Car Doctor is into garage and
(00:47):
ready to take your call.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh that Tom Ray, what a kidder? So lot to do.
A lot going on this hour down around the bottom.
Daryl Brockman is going to be joining us from up
in the batteries to talk about the latest and battery technology.
But right now the phones are backed up. Let's go
over to Bobby. I'm glad you put the b in
front of your name, Bobby. It looked like Abby from
Long Island, New York, and I went Abby Bobby from
Long Island, New York. Oh for Toyota four Runner. What's
(01:12):
going on? How can I help?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
H Ron? Long long, long time listen. It's really I
really appreciate that what you do for all of us.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Thank you. Happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I just replaced my uh nineteen eighty four crested up
with a new to me two thousand and four four
Runner with sixty thousand miles. It's like a brand new car. Yeah,
I know I over paid for it, but you know what, Ron,
it rides like a new car.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, let's bump. Absolutely, I can check.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I can check. The transmission has a full sized spare tire.
But the previous owner had problem with the brakes as
far as a spongy pedal.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Okay, spongey now you're talking about while you're driving? Yes, okay?
And is it that it's not a good firm pedal,
almost like it needs to be bled.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yep. And I gave it a good thorough bleeding. First
I tried. I bled. The backs came out like iced tea,
I suppose, And I thought the pedal came up a
little bit. But then when I did the fronts, no
change and it's still it seemed like it got a
little bit better. But I wouldn't bet on it.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Okay, you're aware there's a specific bleed procedure for this vehicle.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Oh I am not. Yeah, I'm waiting for the owner's
manual from Toyota.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah you want to, and you want to also be aware.
And here's a classic example of driving an older vehicle, Bobby,
I would I would have a subscription to one of
the online electronic services all that of DIY something like that,
you know, just to see can you get more current information,
Because if you're waiting for the service manual from Toyota
for an four that probably stopped production twenty years ago.
(02:57):
More than a few bulletins have come out since that
book was initially published, unless they're unless they're continually updating
and publishing the paper print copies, but I don't think
they are. Or you're waiting for an owner's manual, not
a service manual.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
No money for service manuals.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Okay, yeah, it's not going to be it's not going
to be anywhere near as it's not going to be
anywhere near as comprehensive as electronic information. You know, if
in two thousand and eight they came out with a
bulletin related to your particular problem, but they stopped producing
that book in two thousand and five, you'll never see
that bulletin. So here's here's here's the argument. Yeah, it's nice,
(03:36):
it's well, it's nice to have a it's nice to
have Listen, the guy at Toyota told you, hey, here's
the most current copy of an O four service manual right.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Now.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What he said he'd get me one with all the updates.
And I've been dealing with this guy out in a
loft Kansas for like.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Well, maybe maybe maybe he does, maybe he knows something.
I don't know, But I can't imagine that in twenty
nineteen if that was the last date, or twenty twelve,
if that was the last data publication, I'd be curious
to see what the publication data is on the manual
that as Toyota has aged that vehicle out. That vehicle's
twenty one years old. Now, I don't know, I don't
(04:13):
know that they care. I don't know that they care
so much about it. Right, there's the argument for electronic information.
Neither here nor there. You got to get the bleed procedure.
You've got to follow brief bleed procedure. Make sure you're
doing it correctly. Number one. Number two, there's a possibility
this has a bad hydraulic control unit. This has the
electric vacuum pump set up correct It does right. So
(04:36):
here's a quick test. Pump the brake pedal forty times
thirty five to forty times forty times should do it
all right? You pump it forty times, turn the ignition
switch on and you'll hear the pump run. Okays, it
builds pressure within a few seconds of coming on, between
five and eight seconds. That pump should sound strained like
(04:57):
it's building pressure right, like it's under load. And if
it doesn't, then you've got to start to have a
conversation with your head. Do you have with yourself in
your head? Do you have a problem with that pump assembly?
Speaker 5 (05:11):
Now?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Ron, would you feel comfortable with changing just some motor?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Now I put the whole thing, I do the whole thing. Yeah, Okay,
it's twenty one years old. You know it's a and
not to mention. Here's the case where if you can
still get that complete motor assembly from Toyota. Let's say
you do Let's say you just do a motor and
five years from now the accumulator ball fails or some
(05:35):
other component of that and you find out it's not available,
and now you're chasing an aftermarket something that might be marginal,
you know what, on an older vehicle. If the goal
is to keep it, and since you just got it,
the goal is to keep it, You're better off replacing
and using the best quality parts you can find. Now,
it's going to be cheaper in the long run. Five
years from now you won't have a problem. You're saving money.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Fights I'm already so far ahead of the game, right exactly,
and spend eighteen hundred dollars on Toto factory ports to
replace both of it. I just wanted to make sure
I'm doing the right thing.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
You're you're on the right path, my friend.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
All right, please electronic blued and then we'll go from there.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Go from there, and if you need me, you know
where to find me, all right, Kittle, you'd be well.
Take care. Bobby. Arlene intent in Tennessee twenty Malibu. What's
going on here? Leen? How can I help?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I had to have the transmission replaced in April, and
I did that through the dealer, right, and I got
a rebuilt GM transmission.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Right.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
What I have a problem with is when I go
to put it in park. If I'm on level ground
and it takes my foot off the break, it goes
right into park. But if I'm on an incline or
decline and I try to park it and I take
the foot off, it rolls before it locks into park.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
More so did more so than it did with the
previous transmission.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Oh absolutely, yes, Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And you're and you're and you're going to tell me
you went back to the dealer and they said that's
normal for the operation of the vehicle.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
No. I went back to the dealer and they said
there was no error code and they couldn't duplicate it
until they told.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Me to go home. Can you can you take a
technician for a ride? Are you allowed to do that?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
No? They they kept it for a day and a
half and told me the technician did drive it right.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
But did the technician put it on an incline? Probably
not right, so he can't duplicate the problem when he
doesn't see it right.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
What I need to know is that a breaking problem,
or is that a transmission problem.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Sounds like a transmission problem to me. Okay, so take
your take your index finger on your right hand. Take
take your thumb and index finger on your left hand.
Put your put your index finger from your right hand
in between the other two. All right, grip, grip your
right hand index finger moderately tight. Okay, Yeah, that's basically
(07:57):
the park pole. Your right index finger. Your right index
finger is locked between the other two fingers, right right. Now,
spread them apart a quarter of an inch. See all
that slop? See how see how your finger moves more? Yeah,
that's the movement in the transmission. If that gap is
too large, if those parts are worn on that unit,
(08:19):
if it's a reman unit that was not properly assembled
or re manufactured, that measurement is off. And now you've
got too much slop such that it's loaded against load
your right index finger against your thumb. You feel how
hard that is to push?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
If it has to roll the other way and it
can't because it's so hard loaded in one direction, and
then finally bang, you jam it and you get it
to pop, that's the sensation you're going through. If they
don't experience that problem on an incline, just like you're
describing it. Because you've described it perfectly. There's nothing wrong
with your description, there's nothing wrong with your analysis. I
(08:55):
think you're spot on all right, But how do.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
I get them to believe that?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You got to somebody's got to go for a ride
with you. Take the service manager out for coffee. Say, hey, listen,
let me ask you this. Let me ask you this.
Here's here's the thing about relationships with a repair shop. Right,
is this where you bought the car?
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Is this the guys that have been servicing it up
till now?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Okay, Hey, Ron, you know you've been taking care of
my car for five years. You put a transmission, and
I think there's a problem really early, and I can't
experience it. Let's go for a ride. I mean, that's
the first words out of my mouth. It's it's because
the problem.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Is I'm dealing with a dealership and like he told me,
they have a turnover on technicians, and I'm not dealing
with the same technician I was a month ago.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Right, But that's not your problem. I know that's not
your problem, sweetheart, And don't let Yeah, it's their excuse.
Don't let them pass the buck. Shame on them for
doing that. All right, it's time to talk to the
service manager. Listen, I am a customer. I have been
here for five years. I have paid it for every
service you guys recommended to me. I have played the
(10:02):
game your way. Now I have a problem. You want
to know what the mark of a good repair shop is.
It's not when they can do an oil change, or
retire rotation or put brakes on the car. It's when
you've got a dedicated customer and they've got a problem.
It's up to that shop to solve it. They're obligated
to solve it. And I say this with all the
(10:23):
zest and energy I can for all my shops out
there that listen in, and for all my customers out
there that listen in, for all the listeners out there
that say what makes a good repair shop? That's what
makes a good repair shop. And if the service manager
doesn't give you any support, go talk to the sales manager.
You know, I think about buying another car from you guys,
but service is kind of falling on its face here
(10:45):
right now.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
I thought about doing that before. I'm going to take
it back in and I thought, who do I talk to? So,
you're right, I need to see the service manager.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
It's as my late father in law would say, it's
time to talk to the front of the horse because
the other end's not working. All right, Okay, okay, thank you,
good lucky, your sweetheart. You let us know what happens.
Ay five five five six zero nine nine zero zero.
I'm the front of the horse. I'm running any in
the car, doctor, I'll be back right after this. Let's
(11:15):
real quick. Go to Chuck in Delaware sixteen Toyota Tacoma
with some noises from the back. Chuck, Welcome to the car, doctor, sir,
what's going on?
Speaker 5 (11:22):
Oh not a whole lot. Thank you for your callback.
You're welcome, enjoy your show.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
And So I have a sixteen Toyota Tacoma SR five
and every once in a while, if I coast to
a stop, it feels like the rear end sometimes for
the transmission, like bangs or pops, and I can physically
feel it. And it doesn't happen all the time.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
If you put it in neutral when it's doing that,
does the does the sensation go away?
Speaker 5 (11:55):
No, it's real quick. It just it just pops for
a second and then and then everything's fine.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Okay. Four wheel drive, Yes, as factory tires stock tires.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Uh, they're not. They're not stocked.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
No, are they big? They're not? But are they? Are
they a very aggressive tire?
Speaker 5 (12:13):
No?
Speaker 6 (12:14):
No, I've put I've put what they recommend to want
to learn.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
An LT Okay, So barring tires creating an issue or
some kind of drive line vibration, and barring that there's
a problem starting to develop with the drive shift, I
probably out of curiosity, let me ask this question. How
many miles around this? A little mileage wouldn't matter to
me in my mind. For this, how many miles around this?
Chuck four right? I'd probably pull the dry shaft down
(12:42):
and just feel the joints, make sure they all feel
equal in terms of, you know, they've got the right
amount of wiggle to them. Nothing excessive, nothing feels warned,
nothing feels clunky. Do we have a center support bearing
on this? Or is this a one piece shift? Why
do I think this is a center support bearing shift?
Speaker 5 (12:58):
That that I do not know?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
All right? Do I have it?
Speaker 5 (13:02):
I mean, everything's oem right. I haven't done anything to
the drug since I bought.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It, right, I was gonna say I would. I would
look at the shaft. Is it a problem? Yeah, it's
just a good time. Listen almost two hudred thousand miles
on an eight year old vehicle. It's a good time
to just how's the drive shift? Is it intact? Is it?
Is it starting to bind up in certain spots? Is
it starting to get excess of wear? How's the center
support bearing? If it's a two piece shift, which something
in my mind tells me it is, all right, those
would be the obvious things i'd look for when I
(13:29):
pull the shaft out, where the shaft goes into the transmission,
I would look at that slip coupling, all right, the
yoke itself, does the yoke itself looks like it looks
like it has where either on the outside, more importantly
on the inside. You ever ever pull a drive shaft
out of a tail shaft housing, and now I have not.
(13:51):
And look at the splines. Right, take your index finger,
make it. Make make a hole with your right index
finger against your thumb on your left hand, and put
your finger in the hole. Right round peg, roundhole. Now
start to expand your and I'm using my index finger
all out this show this week. Now, start to expand
that that index finger. Right, it's a little sloppy. Your
(14:11):
finger's a little sloppy in the hole. Is it is
the yoke bouncing around on the inputs on the output
shaft of the trans. Is it gouged? Are the splines
of the output shaft of the trans starting to dig
into the yoke so that as the drive shaft, the
drive shaft have to ha has to have smooth and
(14:32):
even balance against the output shaft of the trans. If, however,
you drive, I'm not picking on your driving, Chuck, I'm
just saying, however you drive aggressive or easy or whatever
in between. At one hundred and eighty five thousand miles,
if that output shaft has started to gouge the splines
on the inside of the dry shaft yoke, is it
(14:55):
catching and not releasing and allowing a smooth transition? Be
curious if putting the truck in neutral while it was
happening made a difference and just allowed the vehicle to
coast under no load?
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Right?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Right? Does that?
Speaker 5 (15:09):
And it doesn't happen all the time?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Right?
Speaker 5 (15:11):
Very it's very right. So it seems like it's boring
cold weather.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Okay, Well, and there's that there's that drive shafts yoke
sticking in in under under a duress condition, sometimes sometimes
part of a diagnosis. And you guys hear me say
this all the time. Is tell me what's good. I'll
tell you what's bad. I would be curious, all right,
is and let me say it like this. If you
pull the drive shaft down or your mechanic takes the
(15:37):
drive shaft out, and the ue joints are good, and
if there's a center support bearing and that's good, and
the inside of the yoke looks okay, right, I would
probably pack a little wheel bearing grease up against the
yokes blines, all right, or maybe a little yellow I
think I probably use yellow grease. What I call yellow grease.
Everybody else says white lithium, same thing. I put a
little yellow lithium on there, all right. It doesn't hurt,
(16:00):
it's a good it's a good slip yoke grease. Does
the problem go away in frequency? Does it go away completely?
Or does it still happen. If it still happens, you've
looked at the obvious. I just want to make sure
the drive shift isn't about to fall out on the
two hundred thousand mile truck, right, you know, I just
just yeah, just just the obvious stuff. Have you ever
(16:20):
serviced the drive line? Have you ever done diff fluids,
transfer case fluids, those kind of things? No, No, I
need you though, right, yeah, you do, and I don't.
I don't know that that's going to solve any problems
because frankly, I would have done it every fifty thousand
miles up to this point. All right, Right, But what
I would be curious is if you change transfer case fluid,
(16:40):
if you change you're dift fluid, and you were to
filter the fluid through a pain strainer, are you going
are you going to get any kind of fragments or metal?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Uh? Oh right? Row and.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah that's ret row as Astro would say.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
So, but you know that.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
That's how I would approach it, brother, all right, So
this way you kind of know what you're getting and
you know where you're at. But just some basics. There's
nothing that stands out. There's no bulletins. I thought we
were gonna have a conversation if you said to me, hey, ron,
I got a whine from the rear of the vehicle.
There's a bulletin from Toyota that talks about chassis or
(17:20):
cab insulation double thirteen eighteen. But that's not you. You've
got something else going on. Whether we're concerned about it
at one hundred and eighty thousand miles, whether it's preventable
or just general age. That's what some of this looking
and service and will tell us. Good luck to you, Chuck.
If you anymore, you know where to find me. Hey,
coming up next, Darryl Brockman. Let's learn about batteries and
(17:40):
the latest in technology from the folks over at Optimum Batteries.
I'm ronning Ay and the car Doctor. I'll be back
with him right after this. Welcome back. You know it's
getting to be that time of year. Well, actually that
time of year for batteries is probably year round now
because as we've said for a long time, right, we
see more batteries fail I think in summer than we
(18:01):
do in winter. But it's always a good time to
talk about batteries, and I thought it would be appropriate.
We've reached out to Daryl Brockman. He is product planning
over at OPTIMUMA battery and we're excited to have Daryl
with us and talk about all the new things that
Optima is doing. Darrel, Welcome to the Car Doctor.
Speaker 7 (18:17):
Thanks so much for having me. Great to be here.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I need to put a battery in my car. Let's
start the simple conversation here, right. I need to put
a battery in my car. I've got a two twenty
Toyota Camryo. It's got auto start, it's an automatic, it's
got all the bells and whistles. Help me put a
battery in my car, Daryl, what am I looking for?
Speaker 7 (18:38):
I mean, usually what you would recommend as an AGM battery,
especially if you have start stop in your vehicle, that
is much harder on the battery. The battery is going
to be instead of starting the battery, you know, once
when you leave for work and another time when you're
coming back for work, you might be starting the car
twenty or thirty times. And the a GM battery is
(19:01):
what's going to give you the longest life. You know,
in today's modern vehicles, the electrical loads on vehicles over
the last ten years has grown exponentially and it's not
expected to decrease. And the old flooded batteries just don't
have the life and they're not designed to meet those
(19:22):
kinds of you know, much higher electrical requirements that today's
vehicles have.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Is it a safe assumption? Dangerous word on family radio?
But is it a safe assumption to assume that, Well,
if I've got an AGM battery, I don't have a
secondary battery for start stop or you know. And I
guess the other plf of that question becomes, if I
do have that second, smaller battery, if I'm changing my
(19:47):
main battery, I should change my second battery too, correct.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
I mean, vehicles can have two and three batteries. In
an EV, there's the motive battery, the one that makes
the vehicle move. There'll be a twelve volt battery that's
you really powering the cabin functions or some you know,
some of the core functionality. And then in an even
an internal combustion engine vehicle, you know, a normal vehicle,
(20:13):
those often have two batteries now where they'll have the
starting battery, and then they'll have a small auxiliary battery
that's providing some backup power for some other critical systems.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Now, Optima would make a battery for my camera, wouldn't they?
Speaker 7 (20:28):
We do we have actually, so we have our a
GM line. We have red top and yellow top AGM
batteries that your camera probably takes a group thirty five battery.
We make that in both red and yellow top or
red top batteries, or what would be used in a
vehicle that has more typical electrical loads where the battery
(20:48):
is used to start the vehicle and then the all
charging system has enough power to keep the to maintain
electrical equilibrium, a yellow top battery. If you had a
big audio system in your car or something with exceptional
electrical demands, we'd suggest one of our yel top batteries
that's a dual purpose battery that has great starting power
(21:09):
in addition to the ability to be cycled more deeply
and have long long cycle life.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So you know you've got them. You've got the batteries
from my car, right, But then you get into like
what they call power sport vehicles, you know, like a
power sport Like why do power sport vehicles like ATV snowmobiles,
wave runners, they need a specific type of battery, right
as opposed to batteries that I might use in my
camera or is that can I take my camera battery
(21:37):
and put it into a power into a power sport
vehicle if it fits sure.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
And the biggest difference between a power sports battery and
an automotive batteries that those power sports batteries are much smaller.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Often.
Speaker 7 (21:48):
I'd actually introduced a line of lithium power sports batteries
about two years ago, and they have a lot of
great teachers lithium batteries. One of the advantages is the
very lightweight. A lot of people, you know, if you
have a bike that's or a power sports vehicle that's
more performance oriented, a lithium battery is much lighter than
(22:11):
the lead acid battery replaces, so it'll the vehicle handle
better and the Again, those batteries have great cycle life.
One of the features that are with the empower sports
batteries have that really people really like is our Optimus
CPR function, and that's what we call our built in jumpstarter. Basically,
when the battery gets if the battery gets discharged down
(22:33):
to thirty five percent stay of charge, if you leave
the heated grips on on your motorcycle, or if you
leave the whip lights on your side by side overnight.
Once that battery gets down to thirty five percent, the
battery automatically will go into sleep mode, it'll shut down
in that thirty five percent that it holds in reserve.
It acts like a built in jump starter. You just
(22:53):
have to press the button on the power link that's
included with the battery. It wakes the battery up and
you can start it up and be on your way.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Wow, that's kind of cool. That's that's neat. Now is
that is that part of lithium technology, because my other
question was you know you have and as when you
talk about your lithium technology, is that hypercore lithium because
or is hypercore lithium technology and optimum battery something specific?
Speaker 7 (23:17):
Also, so, there are a lot of different lithium chemistries
in the market. The lithium chemistry that's used in cell
phones is different than the lithium chemistry that's commonly used
in electric vehicles, and the lithium chemistry that is used
in our batteries is different than both of those. Optimally
uses a lithium iron phosphate chemistry, which is known for
(23:39):
having excellent capability to deliver a burst of power for starting,
but it's also widely considered the safest and the most
abuse tolerant lithium chemistry. And then even within a given
chemistry type our hypercore technology with a different for a
given cell chemistry, you can tune the performance attributes of it.
(24:02):
And that's where our hypercore chemistry comes in. For example,
our Q eight six automotives, starting withium automotive starting battery,
it can crank down the minus twenty fahrenheit. And if
you check other lithium batteries that they are on the market,
they generally recommend that they're not used certainly below zero
fahrenheit and sometimes even ten or twenty degrees fahrenheit. So
(24:25):
I'm in Milwaukee and I can even use one of
those batteries here.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So you're saying, you know, a power sport vehicle, an ATV,
a snowmobile, a wave runner that's gonna that can take
a lithium battery. But you're also saying you have lithium
technology available for cars, for my camera, for my pickup truck,
for my whatever.
Speaker 7 (24:44):
We have a full line of lithium batteries. We have
six different power sports batteries, different sizes to cover over
ninety five percent of the power sports vehicles on the
on the road, everything from a little fifty cc scooter
up to a big, big V twin touring bike, side
by sides and everything in between. We also have a
(25:06):
we have a couple of lithium batteries for marine and
r V applications, and we have a auto and truck
lithium starting battery as well.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
So if you make a group thirty five lithium battery
for my camera, right, I'm not saying you do. If
you do and I want to and I want to
put it in, is it a bolt in or do
I need to do something special? Do I have to
change something because my battery was originally a GM or
lead acid or whatever it might have been. Is there
is there a difference to the way it's going to
charge or work.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
So the physical the physical size of the battery, we
don't actually make the battery that it's a lithium battery
for your camera.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Right.
Speaker 7 (25:41):
The lithium automotive battery we make, it's a H six.
It's the most common size used in vehicles in the US.
It is a it's a direct drop in for those
drop in replacement for those vehicles. And the reason that's
possible is both lead acid batteries and lithium batteries. The
ideal charging voltage is very close to fourteen point four volts.
(26:04):
That's also the output the power output level of the
vehicle of vehicle charging systems. So that's what enables you
to be able to put a lithium battery into a
vehicle that originally had a let acid battery without having
to change anything with the charging system or anything else.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
And that that lithium battery gives me the advantage that
I'll have more reliable starting power in colder weather, and
more durability, longer lasting.
Speaker 7 (26:35):
And that and the because the lithium batteries they have
a they basically they have a battery management system. It's
basically a computer inside, and that enables a bunch of
really cool features for a lithium automotive battery. I was
talking about that built in jumpstart function. So if you
go to the airport, leave your domemite on and jump
on the plane, you come back a couple of days
(26:57):
later in your battery. Instead, our lithium antomne motive batteries
have that same optimus CPR function. The cool thing about
the automotive batteries is you just need to all you
have to do is open up the optimum Bluetooth app
on your phone and it reactivates automatically, turns the battery on.
You don't have to open the hood, you don't have
to tear up our you even start the vehicle up again.
(27:21):
Just open up the app from your driver's seat and
away you go.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
You're making it way too easy, Daryl, Darryl, stay put
to take a pause on the side. I'm ronning Any
in the card doctor. Let's when me come back. I
want to talk a little bit about the power Link
system and some of the other things you've got going
on over there at Optima Batteries. We're here with Daryl
Brockman from Optima Batteries. I'm ron an Any in the
car doctor. I'll be back right after this. Hey, look
we came back. Ronan Ani in the car doctor. I'm
(27:44):
here with Daryl Brockman. He is the in product planning
over there at Optima Batteries. Darryl. When we pulled away,
I wanted to jump in real quick too, about the
power Link system. Can you talk about that real quick?
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (27:58):
So.
Speaker 7 (27:59):
Powerlink it's a proprietary system with multiple patterns for battery communication, control,
and charging. It's a corded dongle that's connected to the battery,
and it allows you to know the battery status. Has
multicolored LEDs, so for example, the LED of flash green
if the battery is fully charged, it'll flash red if
the battery needs to be charged. There's a button on
(28:21):
it it allows you to shut the battery down for
off season storage or if you're railing your side by
side to the trails and you want to don't want
to have to worry about it being powered up. You
can just press the button for three seconds it puts
the battery to sleep. I mentioned Optimus pr previously are
built in jumpstart function. It's using that button on the
(28:43):
power link is how you'd wake the battery up again.
And then finally, there's a plug on the end that
enables you to directly plug one of optimized Withium enable
chargers in Freezy maintenance your battery power sports vehicles and motorcycles.
The battery is usually not very convenient to get to.
It can take a half hour of wrenching to even
get to the point where you can see the battery right.
(29:04):
So this cord of dongle allows you to you know,
basically like an extension cord so that you can charge
your battery conveniently without having to break out your run.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
It's sort of like that remote access cord you see
sticking out of the grill of like a diesel plow
truck when they want to get to the block heater
or something. You're you're just making an access point easy
to get to.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Very similar, and we combine that charging capability with the
LEDs to no battery status and the ability to control
the batteries.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Right, and then it feeds. Is that what feeds back
to the app on the phone if we're doing that.
Speaker 7 (29:37):
So the power sports batteries, they have the power Link
our group thirty one batteries that are used for boats
and RBS r Q eight six batteries that would be
used in a number of cars and trucks. Those all
have a Bluetooth app. And that Bluetooth app not only
you know, the first question is why do I need
(29:57):
an app for my battery? I don't care what my
battery is doing. Probably the most useful feature that it
has that people really have been, you know, really very
interested in is if that battery gets discharged down to
thirty five percent, it'll automatically go to sleep. That they're
optim of CPR function. I was talking about just opening
(30:18):
up by You just have to open up the app
and by doing that and connecting to the battery, it
activates the battery and wakes it back up again when
that built in jumpstart function has been has been activated,
so you don't you don't even have to open up
the hood.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Of the vehicle.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
You don't have to make physical contact with the you know,
dig up your trunk.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I want to talk about safety certifications. Why are they
so important?
Speaker 7 (30:43):
The safety certifications? I mean, there's a lot of lithium
battery manufacturers and brands on the market. Agency and safety
certifications are one way to know that the battery has
undergone rigorous testing to ensure safe operation. And there's both
sell and battery level certifications. Optima has both not only
for the US standards, but for international standards as.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well, so you know, when people are using lithium, and
we hear lithium in the news all the time, right,
we know optims optim has done the research. And that's
where the safety certifications are so important that we're dealing with.
We're dealing with the you know, the cream of the crop,
so to speak. You guys are rich that that we're
dealing with a good quality of lithium battery and technology
(31:27):
behind it.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
Yeah, Clarius is engineering team. Clarius is the world's largest
battery manufacturer. The engineering team that supported development of these
Optima batteries their normal their normal rule is developing low
voltage energy storage systems for major audio automakers. Clarios is
the world's largest supplier of low voltage energy storage systems
(31:51):
for automakers. That same engineering team with that with their
you know, robust product knowledge and experience with the tech
achnology and battery management system development. That's the team that
supported development of these Optima batteries, and it's really what
enables us to have such high performance, such a unique
and proprietary feature set, and again to have that long
(32:15):
list of agency and safety certifications.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yep, Daryl, where can the listeners go get more information.
Speaker 7 (32:21):
Optima Batteries dot com or our tech support line at
eight eight eight eight Optima Perfect.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Daryl, We'll get together again. I'm on an a, Andy
and the car Doctor. We'll be back right after this. Hey,
once again, thank you to my special guest Daryl Brockman
for taking the time. Battery technology is evolving. I still
think batteries are evolving faster than the rest of the
car when you look at it, because it's it's it's lithium,
(32:49):
it's conventional, it's a GM, it's the way we test it.
It's the chargers, it's the maintainers. It's just accelerating like
a rocket ship. About six months ago, maybe eight months ago,
we did a test. We unwrapped one of Optima's, the
D four hundred plus battery maintainer. It's up on our
YouTube channel if you go take a look at it.
(33:09):
Just go out look for ron Anannie in the card
doctor or type in Optima D four hundred plus Battery
Maintainer and look at all the little technology that's in
that box. And it's just crazy what we need. And
it's also crazy what the tooling will do because of
the newer technology. So yeah, just a great interview. I
could have talked to Darryl for another hour. I kind
(33:31):
of geek out on that stuff. To quote Daryl, Darrel
says he's a geek with batteries. Yeah, I'm a geek
with batteries. To Daryl, that's why I get you. That's
why it was a pleasure to have you. So you
will find more information once again at Optima Batteries dot com.
Well I can tell by the music. Tom's trying to
get rid of me. He must think it's time for
me to go, so go I must, And let me
(33:51):
just say it's been a pleasure. I hope you guys
have a great rest of the weekend, however long it
lasts for you, until the next time we get together.
I'm Ronan Aannie in the card doctor, minding you good.
Mechanics aren't expensive, they're priceless. See you
Host
Ron Ananian
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