FAQs

Which OptiMate do I need?

Your choice of OptiMate should be focussed by the main intended use you have in mind. For example if you will mainly use your OptiMate for motorcycle battery maintenance, but would like to be able to occasionally charge a car battery, an OptiMate 2 DUO or 4 will be fine. Your choice then is just to balance the additional features vs cost. The filters on our website can be used by selecting the main requirements that you have to narrow down the selection. 


Can my OptiMate be left connected to my vehicle for long periods of time unattended?

Yes. This is exactly what Optimate is designed to do. OptiMate’s gentle charging algorithm will never overcharge or undercharge your battery.


Can my OptiMate damage my battery or vehicle?

Absolutely not!  Although most OptiMates have a high Voltage recovery mode, this is disabled when the OptiMate is connected to a vehicle. The turbo recovery function is disabled when OptiMate senses vehicle wiring - by charging the battery off-vehicle the full recovery function is enabled.


What does the OptiMate’s red Test light tell you?

OptiMate’s Red Test LED is to tell you there is a battery problem. It is warning you that the battery is unable to retain its full Voltage after the main recovery & charging stages have been completed.  This can be due to various causes: e.g. one or more of the battery's six cells having suffered an internal short-circuit or a power drain from the vehicle’s wiring. To verify this, remove the battery from the vehicle and reconnect OptiMate.


OptiMate will not charge my battery – no indicator lights other than the “power on” LED are showing.   What is wrong?

OptiMate will only start to charge when it detects that it is connected to a battery with at least 0.5 - 4 Volts (depending on model) in it.  Either the battery connection lead is not making a good connection to the battery; or the in-line fuse in the connection lead has blown; or the battery has less than 0.5 - 4 Volts.


What are DUO chargers?

The OptiMate DUO chargers are able to automatically charge both lithium and lead-acid batteries.


Which charger is best for my stop/start car?

We recommend our OptiMate 5 Start/Stop to charge and maintain your start/stop car.


Is it safe to leave the charger connected?

Yes, it is! That is exactly what the OptiMate is designed to do. The gentle charging algorithm will never overcharge or undercharge your battery.


What does a Bronze Series charger do?

The bronze series will charge and maintain your battery, ideal to keep healthy batteries in great shape.

What does a Silver Series charger do?

The Silver series chargers will charge and maintain the battery, but will also test it to make sure it gets the care it needs, and have the ability to SAVE discharged, sulphated batteries.


What does a Gold Series charger do?

The GOLD series is the best option we can offer for your battery, choose the one suited for your battery, and it will offer you all features OptiMate has for that type of battery.


Are motorcycle lithium batteries all the same?

Yes, motorcycle Lithium batteries are designed to work at the maximum 14.4V charging voltage of any motorcycle. All motorcycle batteries are made from Lithium Ferrous Phosphate technology.



If you have any further questions, please contact us and we will be happy to help!