How often do you replace your battery ?

[outrun]

Oh one more thing,

I disagree on you saying that high CCA is the SW is a bad thing.

Many of todays vehicles are AMP Hungry. Ignitions, fans, stereos, multiple on board computers (ABS,PCM,IGN,Airbag,Trans etc), and HID lights, DVD's , GPS...the list goes on.

These AMPS will not cause damage....after all it is about to the regulator to maintain a constant voltage. It is bad enough that most modenr vehicles are taxed to the limit electrically...Optima's shine in this realm.

That is another reason for there popularity.

Another good argument is the emminent switch to 40V? i think systems. When this gradual integration occurs you will see cars with 2-3 batteries alone. 12V vehicles are dying.

These 40V cars will certainly feature, electronic braking...ie the hydraulic system will be replaced with electronic actuators on the caliper.

Electronic power steering motors will also be in the mix.

And of course, on board in dash computers-gps-dvd will continue to become more common with high end OE manafacturers.

An Optima is rather cheap system upgrade bearing in mind all these factors.

My humble .02$ to all.

 

[mph]

quote:

---

Originally posted by outrun:
So now that price and warranty is resolved are there any other reasons?

---

Could you please clarify how doubling the price ($50 to $100) to get a 20% longer warranty (84 to 100 months) eliminates these concerns? Especially if I have to mail-order the battery to get that price?

 

[outrun]

Hmmm before i blame anyone of "cheapskatism," Optima batteries in terms of there design, durability, long life etc clearly are superior than standard lead-acid matrix type batteries.

You ask my such a question MPH without even caring to research the differences between a Spiral Glass Mat Optima and the competitors.

What you overlook somehow that there is a consumer segment such as certain members of this board that will spend TOP dollar on premium products.

And Honestly do not be fooled by these 74 and 100 month pro rate warranties.

I just honored a 72month old pro rata on Die Hard silver....the guy only gets back 1.72$ towards a new battery.

Do not be decieved by these seemingly attractive periods.

The Optima is like a VW or Honda engine...just because the factory does not put a 200k mile warranty does not mean they will not last that long.

 

[mph]

outrun, I do not overlook the quality of the Optima battery. In fact, I said nothing but good things about it in my post. The issue is that sometimes "good enough" is good enough. What is the point of getting a battery that will outlast the car?

As I said, if I lived somewhere cold, and had an engine that was hard to start, I'd definitely consider an Optima. But my crappy Exide served me well for long enough. There's paying for quality, and then there's going overboard. For my application, I think the Optima would be overboard.

Tell us all you want about how great the Optima is. I believe it, and have said so already. But what you've written makes it sound like you're telling everyone to run out this second and buy one, no matter where we live or what kind of car we've got, or doom will befall us. In short, you sound like a salesman trying to move the most expensive product whether we need it or not.

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by outrun:
---***--
Red Top: 36month free replacement, and 100months
pro-rata
---***---

---

That would be for me about break even or better in cost, with the potential to not have to replace a battery. Right now the only thing that has worked is the?? Megatron Interstate at about 1/2 the 130.00 cost of the Optima...

Isn't Interstate Now selling them?
So I guess you can go to anyone who sell's them for replacement issues, right???

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mph:
outrun,--***--. The issue is that sometimes "good enough" is good enough. What is the point of getting a battery that will outlast the car?
---***---

---

This sound reasoning then could apply to your oil as well, or anything else.

I for one would rather have a battery that would never die and have my metal or plastic car fall to ashes before my eyes... this way I am assured that the auto will not leave me stranded.
Everytime I have had a battery fail, it was either
freezing cold, pouring rain, In the middle of Rush Hour Down Town, somewhere or someplace nowhere near anything that is open because it is a Holiday or after hours or during a flood and AAA is about 4-6 Hours wait time, etc etc etc
No, gimme gimme gimme a battery that will last,
I'll pay double!

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mph:
-*-*-*-*
My point was simply that not everyone needs the very best of everything, all the time, and there's no reason to spend more than twice as much on a battery if it's not going to provide a real benefit to you. [/QB]

---

Agreed. Let me suffer Martyrdom.

I was an accessory to the crime, yes, my steely furtherance of having a perfect automobile has no copyright, but has been an unobtainable thoughtful obvious obsession; but in retort:

My argument was not colorable. It was mere truth, revealed to the board. Of necessity unfrugal, or to malign anyone or any other opinion of how to maintain ones own car???--No! Merely deciphering in my declaration and IMO how preventing ones own personal private automobile from declension.

 

[mph]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robbie Alexander:
This sound reasoning then could apply to your oil as well, or anything else.

---

Absolutely. The difference is that if your battery dies, you're out the cost of a battery and a little inconvenience. If your oil doesn't do its job, you're out a lot more. But the same principle still applies. My Civic engine that spends a lot of time at 7,200 rpm gets good synthetic oil. My girlfriend's highway-duty SUV, that was easy on oil, got $0.69/quart Chevron, and did just great on that diet.

quote:

---

I for one would rather have a battery that would never die and have my metal or plastic car fall to ashes before my eyes... this way I am assured that the auto will not leave me stranded.
Everytime I have had a battery fail, it was either
freezing cold, pouring rain, In the middle of Rush Hour Down Town, somewhere or someplace nowhere near anything that is open because it is a Holiday or after hours or during a flood and AAA is about 4-6 Hours wait time, etc etc etc
No, gimme gimme gimme a battery that will last,
I'll pay double!

---

Fair enough. Like I said, in other circumstances, I'd gladly consider an Optima. But I live in Southern California, it's never freezing, my little engine isn't hard to start, it's a stick so I can start it anyway if there's a hill, and AAA comes quickly. If my new battery only lasts half its warranty period, and I have to get a new one (at half price), that doesn't really bother me.

My point was simply that not everyone needs the very best of everything, all the time, and there's no reason to spend more than twice as much on a battery if it's not going to provide a real benefit to you.

 

[TheTanSedan]

I, too, should like to see something along the lines of excellent proof of the superiority of OPTIMA batteries. But the anecdotal accounts all over the web and elsewhere will have to suffice.

As was briefly touched on above -- and in comments on this board and elsewhere (in re "why bother with fancy-schamncy oil and analysis when plenty of cars still run out to 200k"?) -- there is a motivation I DON'T see mentioned often enough. And that is reliability.

In other words, how many of those 200k cars are still considered reliable enough to travel cross-country? In like-new condition? This is my desire.

And as most vehicles lack the kind of electrical bonding most conducive to keeping that system top-notch, it only seems right to upgrade cables, add bonding where appropriate, keep connections in best shape (scheduled maintenance), and use

the best battery.

Keep the constancy -- keep voltage drops and inconsistencies to a minimum -- and it would seem that all the electronic devices are going to live just that much longer.

Is an Optima the best? I don't know, but if it will last five or more years (the point at which our JEEP will certainly have 200k on it) then it will have been worthwhile.

Breakdowns are not acceptable.

 

[mulepacker]

The past 5 or 6 batteries that I've purchased hve been high quality DieHards...but each of them have "expired" within 2 months, either before or after, of the end of the warrenty period.

Sears knows how long their battery will last!

 

[Speed racer]

11 years for a Panasonic battery in my Mazda Miata. I believe it is a gel battery.
West coast batteries sells even better replacements for less $ for all kinds of difficult to find applications.. They sell mostly online and ship. I paid $72. to my door. Mazda Dealer wanted $130. for a domestic replacement.

I had a 1941 Buick I bought; car had been in storage since 1956. To my suprise, The factory original long 6volt battery still had a tiny charge on it. I dumped out the old acid, flushed the battery out, put new acid in, charged it up and used that battery until I sold the car 2 years later. Amazing.