Optima batteries

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Optima batteries

Post by 14x4 »

F9K9 wrote:4. OPTIMA RED TOP Battery. My first croaked inside a year. I went around and around on this one. I would fully charge it and the next morning it was dead. Took it back to Advance and they would test it in my truck and it would require it to be charged inside store. The super "inside the store charger" would say fully charged and they would reinstall it. Next morning it was dead. After 3 days of this silly game I finally convinced them to test it in the truck after their "super duper, inside the store" charger pronounced it fully charged. The outside the store equipment said it needed charging inside. :?: My size was not in stock so, they ordered a new one overnight. It arrived DRT (Dead Right There) and the manager was POed and gave me a yellow top. It is not correct for our application but, I am nursing it untill it dies! Then I will go after a Die Hard Platinum battery that is a true AGM battery with the longest warranty. Chuck another $150 into the camp fire!
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Re: Worst Mods-Regrettable Mods?

Post by HenryJ »

The alternator is designed to charge hard and fast allowing time to cool while maintaining the running load. A deep cycle battery is designed to accept a charge slow and low. This tends to overwork and heat the alternator. No time to cool or "coast". Automotive alternators are generally designed to operate properly with a SLI battery not a deep cycle.

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Re: Worst Mods-Regrettable Mods?

Post by Jongo88 »

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the red top..
I have three of them in my s10's. One is 9 years old and the other two are at least 6 years old... I never had any go bad ( yet...).... lol
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Re: Worst Mods-Regrettable Mods?

Post by killian96ss »

I've owned 6 model 9004 Red Top's since 1996 and so far only 1 of them needed warranty replacement. Everyone has a different opinion on these batteries. In my case they have served me well and I will continue to use their batteries. The failure rates on some of the "other" recommended batteries are much higher than Optima batteries. Every manufacturer has an acceptable failure rate, so if you have a battery fail on you, regardless of brand, it doesnt mean there is anything wrong with the design or the company itself, it just means you got a bad one. I've recieved bad parts from several well known manufacturers, yet I still use their parts. Optima has been the most popular aftermarket performance battery for the past 20 years, so of course you are going to hear about failures more often than other batteries, but it certainly doesn't mean they aren't any good! I personally don't think Optima batteries are a bad or regrettable mod!

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Re: Worst Mods-Regrettable Mods?

Post by F9K9 »

14x4 wrote:
F9K9 wrote:4. OPTIMA RED TOP Battery. My first croaked inside a year. I went around and around on this one. I would fully charge it and the next morning it was dead. Took it back to Advance and they would test it in my truck and it would require it to be charged inside store. The super "inside the store charger" would say fully charged and they would reinstall it. Next morning it was dead. After 3 days of this silly game I finally convinced them to test it in the truck after their "super duper, inside the store" charger pronounced it fully charged. The outside the store equipment said it needed charging inside. :?: My size was not in stock so, they ordered a new one overnight. It arrived DRT (Dead Right There) and the manager was POed and gave me a yellow top. It is not correct for our application but, I am nursing it untill it dies! Then I will go after a Die Hard Platinum battery that is a true AGM battery with the longest warranty. Chuck another $150 into the camp fire!
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I wrote that on
Sun Dec 21, 2008 3:13 am
and the yellow top went in early '09 . I did replace it with a red top but, only because I got a killer deal from a club member. A red top in my Rubicon went in under two years. I didn't screw with the warranty and went with a Diehard Platinum. For now that is the only battery I'll buy.
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Re: Worst Mods-Regrettable Mods?

Post by Jongo88 »

I just looked to see how old mine are... There 12, 8 and 7 years old. The two yellow tops in my boat are 6 years old..
I guess I found the only good ones they had...
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Re: Worst Mods-Regrettable Mods?

Post by F9K9 »

Jongo88 wrote:..........I guess I found the only good ones they had...
Or it's those dayem ducks in my case. :roflmao:
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Re: Optima batteries

Post by HenryJ »

I'm done with Optima and avoid Johnson control as much as I possibly can. Optima used to be a VERY good battery and the old ones out there still perform very well. There are still some of those on the shelf. I saw three made in Colorado today on the shelf at O'reiley's. According to their rep, Optima batteries have been made at their new plant in Mexico since 2001. More of a long line of BS fed to us as we found out.

Spend a week and really read through this thread: Optima Battery Problems

Google "Optima Battery problems" , I think you will find there is a HUGE problem. So much so that they have hired people to rebut claims in many forums. "Optima Jim" is one of those that has been frequenting many forums.

They are trying to stand on the reputation of the Swedish Optima battery. It had no match. Something changed when they were purchased by Johnson controls. The old stock was still good, but the new stuff is garbage. I have three in the junk pile right now and know of at least two more that have as many or more. Three dealers here in town quit carrying them due to the return rate.

I still have three old Optima batteries. A Redtop in both the HenryJ and my wife's car. A Bluetop in my boat. All well past a decade old, made by the Colorado plant while Swedish owned and operated. I have moved on to the Sears Diehard Platinum series batteries. I have three of those serving me well with no problems in places where I had the new Redtops and one Yellowtop fail.

For now the Diehard Platinum is my AGM battery of choice.

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Re: Optima batteries

Post by ApproachMedium »

Autozone wont even carry them anymore. Which is funny because guess who makes duralast....


I had my issue back in Feb with my optima which turned out to be an error on my part. The battery was damaged in shipping and I thought it really wasn't. It ended up leaking out and failing causing me to have to purchase another one. The Yellow Top in my GTI has been going now for well over a year no problem. The GTI I think also has no issue with charging this type of battery as the factory VW batteries are not your standard battery I believe, on top of that I believe the alt is also high output with the electric steering etc. Other VW drivers I know have been using these batteries faithfully for many years and even in my same model year car since it was new.

As for the truck, we will see how its replacement holds up. I know full well what I got in to with the problems and junk from Johnson Controls but even with that so far the GTI battery was dropped dead about 5 times already from me leaving my amp on, it still jumped charged and is operating just fine. Any regular lead acid battery would have failed after that many times of near full discharge.

FWIW everyone on here seems to be pushing the DieHard platium AGM battery. Autozone also told me that is what they are pushing now also in their Duralast brand. I would go with what you feel comfortable with. Do the research read the reviews. As for me I do my own thing sometimes, just cant explain it lol.
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Re: Optima batteries

Post by roadrunner »

I'm still stickin with my MAXX bats from Wallyworld. I always get the biggest and baddest they offer with the longest warranty. Has served me well for many years.
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Re: Optima batteries

Post by HenryJ »

roadrunner wrote:I'm still stickin with my MAXX bats from Wallyworld...
Still my #1 choice for a flooded cell battery :rock:

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Re: Optima batteries

Post by killian96ss »

HenryJ wrote:
roadrunner wrote:I'm still stickin with my MAXX bats from Wallyworld...
Still my #1 choice for a flooded cell battery :rock:
I'm careful about buying stuff like this at Wallyworld since they do sell a lot of cheap crap, however a good friend of mine (who would never pay for an Optima :lol: ) says the MAXX batteries are the best standard batteries out there. The MAXX batteries are the bright yellow ones right?
I have a few race buddies who really like the Odyssey batteries. They are a bit heavier than most batteries, but they have excellent power ratings. Are they any good for a daily driver? One guy told me that Odyssey also makes the Sears die-hard AGM batteries. I don't know if its true, just what I've heard.

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Re: Optima batteries

Post by HenryJ »

Yes it is the Yellow Maxx battery that is the good one. Their lower line is not good.
Most of the Odyssey batteries are dry cell and not only expensive, but extremely durable. It is true that the Odyssey dual terminal battery for our application is made by the same company that makes the Sears Diehard Platinum series AGM. Odyssey doesn't have a dry cell dual terminal for our application. I assume that is why they outsourced an AGM. I believe it is Enersys. The only difference is the case color. They are exactly the same battery.

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Re: Optima batteries

Post by 04crewvt »

I went through 3 Red Tops in 8 years each one with the same problem of failing to keep a charge after the 3rd year in my very cold VT winters. Alternator was fine no unexplained drains and 4 or 5 days a week of 60+ mile drives to give a good charge. Never again!
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Re: Optima batteries

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Running a red top for 5 years in my truck, 10 in my vw
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Re: Optima batteries

Post by ApproachMedium »

The one in my VW finally died over the winter, i guess it was there for 6-7 years? The one in the S10 never lasted. I now have XS Power batteries. They say some 180mins of standby time. So far so good. Let the V dub sit for almost 2 months with no start, doors unlocked from remote, slowish to turn over but she turned over and ran. The optima would be stone dead after 3 weeks, even if it wasnt that old.

Ive let the S10 sit for a while now too here and there since i have been doing this Jeep project and now I am finally driving the jeep. S10 fires right up like i drove it yesterday, every time. Never doing the optima again. These XS power batteries go for about 350-400 bucks though.
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