MAINTENANCE
ODYSSEY
®
Extreme Racing™ batteries are very different from standard liquid-acid batteries that are
openly vented. The ODYSSEY Extreme Racing battery is and operates as a sealed battery, recycling
all gases internally. There is no corrosion of the positive terminal or corrosion to the surrounding area.
ODYSSEY Extreme Racing batteries are shipped fully charged from the factory, but prior to installation,
check the battery’s voltage to see if it is 12.65 volts or greater. If not, recharge it using the procedure
below.
NOTE: Do not charge in an air tight compartment
Never attempt to remove the top decal cover, as it will cause the battery to fail.
CHARGING
The state of charge in an ODYSSEY Extreme Racing battery can be determined from the following chart:
To get long life from the ODYSSEY Extreme Racing battery, it is important that the battery is kept near
full charge, approximately 12.8 volts. If there are electrical loads during storage, then the negative battery
cable should be disconnected or an independent float charger used. Low power 2.0 amp chargers that
reach final charging voltages of 13.5V to 13.8V for storage charge will keep a fully charged battery fully
charged but cannot deep cycle recharge if the ODYSSEY Extreme Racing battery becomes discharged.
Racing Vehicles using total loss (no alternator)
- standard automotive type chargers are not designed
to return 105-108% of the energy removed. They normally boost charge to 80-95% and expect the
alternator to complete the charge. Chargers listed on our website at www.odysseybattery.com are
specifically designed for ODYSSEY Extreme Racing batteries that are routinely deeply discharged. They
provide the 105-108% recharge and then switch to storage charge.
ODYSSEY Ultimizer™ chargers as listed on www.odysseybattery.com are specifically designed for
ODYSSEY Extreme Racing batteries and are required for routine deep discharge applications. They
provide 105-108% recharge and then switch to a storage charge.
If a standard automotive charger is used to boost charge a discharged battery because of an accessory
left on, it is important to make sure the charging voltage does not exceed 15 volts during charge. A hand
held voltmeter can be used to monitor this periodically. The following chart indicates the time needed to
bring batteries to 85-90% state of charge when using an automotive charger that puts out 14.5-15.0V. To
fully charge the battery, allow an additional 4-8 hours on charge at 14.5-15.0V.
Voltmeter Reading
State of Charge
12.84 Volts or higher
100%
12.50 Volts
75%
12.18 Volts
50%
11.88 Volts
25%
6
www.odysseybattery.com
Publication No. 2602-0093 US-ODY-ER-OM-001 - October 2008
