Optima Batteries?

jetmech807 · Nov 17, 2014

Posting this in here since it gets the most traffic.
Has come time to replace the battery in my 03. Would like to move it to the trunk and an Optima would seem ideal for that. However, I see a lot of bad things about them. Opinions on yellow top Optimas please.

madspeed · Nov 17, 2014

No experience with the yellow top, but my redtop was pretty much dead after last winter. Forgot to turn on the battery tender. I messed around with it for a few weeks and was finally able to revive it. Been holding steady ever since. Its about 8 years old too

95BlueStallion · Nov 17, 2014

Dont know about yellow tops, but I had bad luck with a red top. Died on me in less than 6 months. Performed a few trickle charges, one high amp charge, and it never lasted more than a month. In a car where my old battery lasted 4 years without a single charge. They told me I wasnt charging it to the "proper level," or charging it "correctly," but Ive never had to put so much effort into any cheaper batteries, so I said F it.

Comparatively speaking, I left the trans controller on in my truck for a few days and killed the cheapo battery I had put in it. Charged it over night with a 1.5 amp battery tender, and its starting fine in 11 degree temps today.

Shakerhood · Nov 17, 2014

I went with an Odessey Battery instead.

mikestang63 · Nov 17, 2014

Interstate batteries. Used them for 20+ years.

krazedstang · Nov 17, 2014

mikestang63 said:
Interstate batteries. Used them for 20+ years.

+1 This. I've had a Interstate in my car for about 4 years now. It's needed to be recharged but my car hasn't exactly moved much lol

NOS1543 · Nov 17, 2014

I have an Optima red top. First one I got died on me after a year or so (this was before I used a Battery Tender). Got it replaced under warranty and haven't had an issue since. I just don't let it sit for long periods of time without the Tender, especially in the winter, and it seems to be perfectly happy.

jetmech807 · Nov 17, 2014

Daily driver in Las Vegas. Easy winter, hellish summers.

Ozz · Nov 17, 2014

I know you mentioned yellow tops, but since others are chiming in about red tops...

I had one from the early 2000s and it lasted over 11 years (!) before it finally died. The replacement I bought was despite my having the proper style battery charger/tender used for maintenance (or charging it tethered off of a normal 12V battery being charged already). Even with all of that it didn't hold a charge no matter what I did. I finally got fed up and put a no-name, no-frills, plain battery in as a replacement and it's not given me any trouble.

I've read a lot in all of that time, there's a general consensus that their batteries are not what they used to be and the quality simply lacks. In my experience, I can't argue. 11 years of never needing a charger (even over winter) vs. 11 or so weeks before I started to require charging it between weekly drives was f'n ridiculous.

Boosted92LX · Nov 17, 2014

For what an optima costs I'll pass.

HotFox · Nov 17, 2014

Shakerhood said:
I went with an Odessey Battery instead.

What model? I have looked Into them CCA seems low.
Scott

90lxwhite · Nov 17, 2014

Walmart "Never Start." Been using em for years and years. Although they're not as cheap as they used to be and it seems like Walmart has gotten stricter on their return policy.

elarm1 · Nov 18, 2014

Have you guys priced a battery lately? My how the price has jumped!

90lxwhite · Nov 18, 2014

elarm1 said:
Have you guys priced a battery lately? My how the price has jumped!

No kiddin man. The ever starts used to be around $50-60, they're $100ish now

jetmech807 · Nov 18, 2014

That's my line of thinking. If the good, cheap ones, aren't cheap anymore, why buy them?

Shakerhood · Nov 18, 2014

HotFox said:
What model? I have looked Into them CCA seems low.
Scott

I used the 1200 Series with the reverse terminals.

2000xp8 · Nov 18, 2014

Bad experience with 2 red tops.
I'm done with optimas, just too expensive for what you get.

I prefer 2 batteries, diehards and interstates.
Believe it or not the Kirkland batteries at Costco were actually interstates. I believe they now switched to interstate labelled and the best part is that if I remember correctly you get a full 4 year warranty not prorated.

RazeNCain · Nov 18, 2014

All batteries are pretty much the same anymore. I just buy them at walmart now. Took 3 of them back in two months trying to locate a parasitic charge in a trailblazer it just kept killing the cells would only charge up to around 9 volts after a couple weeks. No questions asked.

90lxwhite · Nov 18, 2014

jetmech807 said:
That's my line of thinking. If the good, cheap ones, aren't cheap anymore, why buy them?

Good Lord! Nearly $300 for a battery!?!? Walmart for the win

90lxwhite · Nov 18, 2014

RazeNCain said:
All batteries are pretty much the same anymore. I just buy them at walmart now. Took 3 of them back in two months trying to locate a parasitic charge in a trailblazer it just kept killing the cells would only charge up to around 9 volts after a couple weeks. No questions asked.

Bout 9 yrs ago I took 3 back in a month. I had a bad alternator on a fwd car that was a b to change so I didn't for a bit.. A month ago I had a bad battery w in warranty and Walmart hassled me a lil but eventually gave me a new one.

Optima Batteries?

jetmech807

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

95BlueStallion

My assy trans to myself

Shakerhood

mikestang63

krazedstang

NOS1543

Member

jetmech807

Ozz

I think I have a problem here.

Boosted92LX

It's only an inch or two. What's the big deal?

HotFox

90lxwhite

I'm kind of a She-Man

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elarm1

90lxwhite

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jetmech807

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Optima Batteries?

Colonel Mustard

My assy trans to myself

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I think I have a problem here.

It's only an inch or two. What's the big deal?

I'm kind of a She-Man

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I'm kind of a She-Man

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