Which Optima Battery?

fawcett · Aug 10, 2009

I dont really understand the battery ratings. My old Optima is dead. I hadn't ran my car for a long time and its not holding a charge. Time to replace it with a new one except I dont know the difference between the options. Someone take me to school, thanks!

FYI: Optima is issuing a $25 rebate through Summit.

Freddie

revhead347 · Aug 10, 2009

Red Top. Cheapest, best warranty, and that's all you need to start it. If those batteries have been sitting a long time, and they don't take a charge, I've seen them come back alive if you put them on a 2 amp trickle charge for about 36 hours.

Kurt

xr8d302 · Aug 10, 2009

Point to note: Another company bought Optima about 5 years ago and so you'll notice that the newer Optima's are crap compared to the old ones.

My first optima ran me wonders for about 4 years of whatever I could throw at it (a lot!!)

I've heard stories of newer Optima's lasting 2 years then crapping out. The good news is that Optima will give you your money back if they crap out too soon

I think it was Exide or something that bought them. They're just not the same quality anymore

ProKiller · Aug 11, 2009

what?!!! exide bought out optima...damn it. i just bought an optima this weekend. i would have never bought it had i know exide owns it. exide is the dollar store of battery manufacturers.

xr8d302 · Aug 12, 2009

yeah i'll try to find a big thread on the f150 forums about it and link it here

There's some really bad experiences with the new optima's....that hurts me because i have 2 sitting around and both are the newer ones, probably won't do so well once the car's back up and kicking

If you can, take it back and muckle onto something different

whitesqual · Aug 12, 2009

Sooooo, whats the next best option???

Pokageek · Aug 12, 2009

Why do I hear of nothing but problems with crapt..oh I mean optima batteries? I had 2 friends with them that leaked all over the engine bay...TWICE for one of them.

fawcett · Aug 12, 2009

Kurt, Thanks for the tip. I've got it on the charger now. Wish I didn't have to wait 36hrs to see if its dead or not but hey, its worth a shot.

So if the Optima batteries are out, what is the next best option?
I'd like to take the car for a drive for the first time in 3-4years.
Thanks,
Freddie

xr8d302 · Aug 13, 2009

Redtop #4 on my 04 F-150 - F150online Forums

That thread talks about the optima situation quite a bit

Looks like the Interstate Megatron is a decent purchase. I'm guessing it's not as pretty, but will do the trick

revhead347 · Aug 13, 2009

fawcett said:
Kurt, Thanks for the tip. I've got it on the charger now. Wish I didn't have to wait 36hrs to see if its dead or not but hey, its worth a shot.

So if the Optima batteries are out, what is the next best option?
I'd like to take the car for a drive for the first time in 3-4years.
Thanks,
Freddie

That was a trick I learned at Advance, when i worked there. All the stores have one of those really sophisticated chargers in the back that can bring almost anything back to life. People would bring in Optima's, and the quick charger would tell them that it was dead. So I would warranty out a new battery for them, and put their old one back on the trickle charger. If I left it there for 2 days, it would test fine. Then I would put it on the used battery rack for $29.99, and tell my friends when I had a good one in. If you don't have any luck with your own battery charger, take it to Advance, and ask them if they will put it on their mega trickle charger for 2 days. Most guys will do it for free.

Kurt

BREWTUS428CJ · Aug 13, 2009

Optima bateries was acquired by Johnson Controls almost 10 years ago, they are not affiliated with exide. If you are having a problem with new batteries dying, you should check the date code before you purchase, for info on date coding see this: http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/761265-optima-red-battery-issue-anyone-else.html

BREWTUS428CJ · Aug 13, 2009

Also: that $25 rebate is good anywhere, so dont waste time waiting for shipping, just go to your local place and get one, you can print the rebate form off of optima's website.

xr8d302 · Aug 13, 2009

Good info Brewtus...I'll make it easier for these guys

BREWTUS428CJ said:
my place carries those, we havent had any issues. 8004-003 is our most popular part number, we sell 8-10 a month. If the place you purchased from doesnt move them or if they dont rotate the stock, then you might have gotton an old one. You should always check the date code of a battery before you buy, the date code works like this(on Optima): 1st digit is the year (8=2008) the next 3 digits are the day of the year (005 is the 5th of january, 032 is feb 1st and so on) this is the date of shipping, not the date of manufacture.
All of the batteries I have here are coded 8205, which is in July I think 205th day of 2008, (this is where it gets complicated with my elementary math skills) and I have one 8175 (June?) and the 8175 is sitting on the front of the shelf so that it sells first, If I kept throwing new batteries out in front of the 8175 for say a year and 3 months, it would still be sitting there in September 2009 and some lucky bastard might buy it, the he'll get all the way home before he discovers he also got a free bag of issues with his purchase.

95Vert383AOD · Aug 13, 2009

Get an Odyssey PERIOD!!!

Black Stampede · Aug 14, 2009

95Vert383AOD said:
Get an Odyssey PERIOD!!!

Big ditto. I just ordered my Odyssey 1200 and it should be here tomorrow. I am excited to be done with that optima BS. They are complete junk. I replaced mine 3 times under warranty and my buddy rio95 replaced his 4 times under warranty. Don't get one. The Odyssey was pricey, but I have heard nothing but great things about them especially being used in vehicles that see on and off usage.

fawcett · Aug 14, 2009

Jon, How Much Do They Cost?

revhead347 · Aug 14, 2009

Optima's are good batteries if you keep them charged. The battery in my Mercedes has been in there for 17 years, and we got it expired off a lifeboat. If you know anyone with an Odessey that is 17 years old, I'll change my mind and buy one.

Kurt

Black Stampede · Aug 15, 2009

fawcett said:
Jon, How Much Do They Cost?

The one I got was $206. Like I said I do not actually have mine in yet, I'm actually putting it in today, but I have heard nothing but good about them and nothing but bad about optima. When optimas come up on here people almost always say bad things about them.

Kurt, that is impressive, but we all have times when charging our battery isn't the first thing on our minds and the car sits. We will see how this Odyssey pans out.

revhead347 · Aug 15, 2009

Yeah, the Optimas need some good maintenance, and the old marine ones were far better. I've had nothing but good luck with Optimas though. The only time I ever heard of someone spending the money on the Odyssey was when they wanted a 16V battery for a race car. I really don't have any experience with them.

Kurt

fawcett · Aug 15, 2009

KURT IS THE MAN!!!
I can't believe it worked! For about two days I left the battery on a slow 2amp charge on some DieHard battery charger I borrowed from my boss. Looking at the gauge on the DieHard charger I had very little faith that it would come back. BUT IT DID. I think the battery is about 5-7years old, its sat in my garage hooked up to the car for the last three years. I am so suprised its alive, especially when thinking about the cold winters we've had. This is amazing.
I am really pumped that I didn't have to spend $200 on a battery that I didn't need. Now I can use that money and put it towards a new carpet and finally install my Sparco Torino 2 seats.

I gotta' give everyone a big THANK YOU especially Kurt for the solid tip!
And the best part is.... I CAN DRIVE MY MUSTANG TO THIS WEEKENDS FFW IN EPPING.
Fawcett

Which Optima Battery?

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