Experiences with current Optima battery quality

[wings&wheels]

Hi All,

One of my Optima Yellow Tops is getting weak after 17+ years of Summer weekend only use, no complaints there.

I have read a lot of thoughts on the current production batteries not being as durable as the original ones, but am looking for some actual experiences.

Thanks

 

[DeepFriar]

I have one redtop and one yellowtop but neither is more than two years old. But a faulty body control computer in one killed the Redtop (not the yellow top, nooo) eight times total over about two months before I solved the problem. I haven't noticed any problem with it but it probably took some time off its life in the far term. Wish I could tell you more. BTW, is that a 235 in your signature?

 

[kc8adu]

i have a 14 year old one in a g20 5.7.
its still fine even with leaving lights on last year till it was so dead that i had to paralell it with my ups bank to get it back.its still fine.i have a 100w hf rig (icom 706) and a v/u/6m rig that doubles as a repeater.so a yellow would have been better this is a red.a neighbor has had 3 in 3 years!in a similar truck.mild boom car amp and 144a alt.he gets a year on new ones and i find nothing in the charging system wrong.they seem to go open internally.they are not what they used to be.the old but good ones i have here are made in U.S.A.
i would go with the odyssey or northstar now.
3 bad over 3 years is a sign of something wrong in the manufacturing that is still not corrected.if his current one dies its getting cut open as it will be out of warranty.
and autozone does not care.even though they know these have problems.
i wish you were near dayton oh to drop that weak yellow with me.
i have a d31 yellow that was weak and i poked 6 tiny holes in it one in the bottom of each cell.used a syringe to add about 20 cc distilled water to each.10 helped but 20 brought the impedance to near new.i used a bit of abs rod and my hot air pen to seal it.

 

[4wheeldog]

I have a redtop in my old 4runner. It lost some punch really early on (6 months in), and will not keep a charge above 12.3 volts. But it has been like that for about 3 years, without getting any worse, and still starts the old beast at 0F degrees.

I don't know if I would buy another. The ability of the Toyota to start has more to do with the starter design, than it does the Optima battery, IMHO.

 

[Nick1994]

They're junk now. My brother bought a yellow top for his Jeep a few years ago, first one lasted about 1.5 years and the top was bulging up pretty bad, also cranked a little slower. Got a warranty replacement and that one started giving him trouble a year later. Got a warranty replacement. Then he wrecked the Jeep and hasn't been used in 1.5 years.

 

[wings&wheels]

Thanks all, your experiences mirror what else I have heard. I will look at Odyssey and others next Spring.

Hi DeepFriar, yes the -236 'Dakota' has the 235hp O-540, fun but a bit thirsty.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Bought a Yellow top from Pep Boys few months ago, it was on sale and with online 30% off code the cost was less than ordinary battery, I think I paid around $110 for size 51 for Honda S2000.

Too early to tell, but it has 3 years free replacement so I don't worry about it until 2018.

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Bought a Yellow top from Pep Boys few months ago, it was on sale and with online 30% off code the cost was less than ordinary battery, I think I paid around $110 for size 51 for Honda S2000.

Too early to tell, but it has 3 years free replacement so I don't worry about it until 2018.


Don't put too much faith in that 3 year warranty. I called when I found mine only holding a 12.3 volt charge. They told me to call back when it got to 12.0 or less. 12.3 is already only about a 65% charge.

 

[Warstud]

Just read the reviews

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MSB...customerReviews

 

[DuckRyder]

I have several (at least 4) newer ones around and only one problem, the equipment it was in is pretty notorious for killing batteries due to modifications, so I wouldn't hold that against that one.

 

[Tuffy1760]

Sounds like you shouldn't buy optimas from amazon... I have had 5 blue tops for marine use and will never get another brand... tough and still going strong... might want to check your s manual to see if agm is OK...
I also switched to the optima chargers and they are amazing... I am currently running a pair of 24 blue tops for trolling motor... run all day long...
Check for SAP discounts online for good deals...

 

[wings&wheels]

Thanks again all.

As for Amazon, I have always taken their reviews w/ a lot of skepticism...even before yesterday's news, but for those exact reasons. I look to BITOG and similar forums because of the membership; a self selected group with a better than average understanding of things mechanical...or electrical in this case.

 

[bdcardinal]

I worked at Sears Auto 10 years ago. I think every Optima I sold I ended up replacing under warranty. I would never buy them personally.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
I worked at Sears Auto 10 years ago. I think every Optima I sold I ended up replacing under warranty. I would never buy them personally.

Warranty question: If a battery is replaced under warranty, what will be the replacement warranty be ? Start at full warranty on the replacement date or from the date of the first purchase ?

Let say Optima has 3 years free replacement and 7 years pro-rate, it died after 2 years so it is replaced with another Optima. The new Optima will have 1 year replacement warranty or 3 years ?

 

[bdcardinal]

If replaced under the first 3 year full coverage, the warranty is based off the initial sale date. If the customer participates financially in the replacement then the warranty starts over.

 

[Rendezvous]

I bought a yellow top for my father for his 1950 Chevy pickup about two years ago. The truck basically sits in his garage and basically never gets driven. Every few weeks he would start it up just to let it run a little bit but he would always have to jump it because the battery would be dead. The truck has a decent amount of modern electronics in it so we thought maybe there was something killing the battery even with the key off but nothing was found. So after about 3 warranty replacements he just went to Napa and bought a battery from them and its been fine ever since. I have used Optima's years ago and they always worked awesome so something must have changed.