May I gritch....

[oilboy123]

I tried a few Optima red batts on a few cars. They all sucked, and did not last. One even leaked at the seam.......

Have not tried any other AGM batts since. Maybe the Diehard is my next choice?

 

[JimPghPA]

If the design of the vehicle permits, channel some air from the front of the vehicle so it flows around the battery to keep it cooler that it now is kept at because of the hot air under the hood. In hot states such as Florida and Texas, this can add years to the life you get from a new battery.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Are some on here implying that AAP batteries are the same as Walmart?


I would go that far to say that. Look at the "stop sign" vent caps and date stickers. At least on the economy and two-year warranty models. I think Walmart has at least some different suppliers for the yellow premium line.

I've had consistent good luck with the 2 year warranty JC batteries for a decade now, starting with the Walmart DT-3N universal which was $40 in 2001.

 

[andyd]

I have a 2yr old Duralast from AZ in my BMW. The after mkt radio was periodically draining the battery every 4 days. I removed the radio and the drain has stopped. I've been re-charging the battery weekly. I'm impressed. The Ranger has the cheapest Valucraft, I could find at AZ. It starts readily, so far.

 

[jeepman3071]

Optimas do suck. Which battery was in her Jeep? My Cherokee currently has a Yellow Top in it. The first one lasted exactly 1 year and 1 month. There were no signs it was going out, just randomly decided it no longer wanted to take a charge and had a bad cell. They gave me a new one since it was under warranty. I've probably had this one about 4 months and its been good so far, but when it dies I'm getting something different.

I noticed they have a nice "Made in Mexico" sticker on them now. My friend had a Red Top optima in his Ford Ranger for 5 years and never had an issue, but that might have been before they changed production to Mexico.

When the battery is working it works great. I have a heavy duty headlight harness with upgraded housings and high wattage bulbs, as well as some KC Hilites off road lights. The Optima can easily handle them, but its questionable reliability is always in the back of my mind, hence the heavy duty jumper cables that live under my backseat.

What batteries would you recommend?

 

[vssjim]

At work all we have seen is short life on any Optima batteries we have run in to, and all late model motorcraft batteries have been bad sence they have the mexico sticker on them, likly to get a year before they are leaking around a post and rotting everything away.

 

[JimPghPA]

Interstate batteries are built and tested for hot climates. But you still have to be weary of even Interstate batteries that have sat on a shelf for a long time before you get them. If the size you use for your vehicle is not that common be sure there is not a lot of dust on the battery before it is removed from where ever it is being stored if it is in stock where you buy it. You are much better off waiting a day or two and getting one fresh off of the Interstate truck instead of going with one that is in stock with a lot of dust on it.

Heat does kill batteries, and the adding of ventilation if the vehicle is always in a hot environment is a good idea if it can be done.

 

[antiqueshell]

Unless you need a specialized battery (AGM, gel,ect) don't waste your money on something special. ANY basic JCI battery will probably last you at least 5 or 6 years on average and if you shop around before the old one dies you'll get a great deal.

This is one case where paying more does NOT get you more longevity or performance.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
If the design of the vehicle permits, channel some air from the front of the vehicle so it flows around the battery to keep it cooler that it now is kept at because of the hot air under the hood. In hot states such as Florida and Texas, this can add years to the life you get from a new battery.

It is difficult and costly to alter the air flow from front of the car to the battery, just wrap the Thermo-Tec Adhesive Backed Heat Barrier around the battery, someone did and it reduce the heat substantial.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermo-Tec-13575-A...ords=Thermo-Tec

 

[MarkM66]

Yeah, their high price makes one think they're an upgrade. But the opposite seems to be true.

And Optima also wants you to buy their high priced charger to charge the things, because a "normal" charger doesn't work right.

 

[charbaby]

Those whom I know, using the OPTIMA Batteries, only get about 2+yrs out of them. For the money, standard replacement or better batteries(750-800ca) is the way to go!

 

[martinq]

I've got a Hawker Odyssey PC-680 that's been in use since 2003 and now on it's 2nd vehicle. Works great, but last winter I had trouble starting at -20C. If you keep the battery inside overnight, or give it some heat (30min charge), then it kicks over no problem.

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc680.htm

This is a 15lb 16Ah battery. Next time I might go for a pack of Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries but they are also severely reduced at low temperatures.

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Optimas do suck. Which battery was in her Jeep? My Cherokee currently has a Yellow Top in it. The first one lasted exactly 1 year and 1 month.


It was a red top, I've never bothered with yellow or blue. In fairness to it, she did run it stone dead a few months ago (dome light left on). Normally I would take a stone dead battery and recharge it on a trickle charger overnight, but that wasn't something we could do at the time... it was jumpstart it and go (although I had her run every electrical load possible to limit the max charge current). Fast charging a deeply drained AGM using the vehicle's charging system is not good for them, and probably what actually killed this one. But I have seen older Optimas survive the same thing, and the consistent fall-off in Optima life that I've seen since I've been using them so long is what has turned me off them for good.

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
What batteries would you recommend?


Hah. Good question. As I said, net stories indicate that EnerSys Odysssey (same as Diehard Platinum) are good AGMs. So allegedly are Deka. But I don't have any long-term experience with either one. Kinda stinks because you invest in something without any guarantee of a good return.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum


It was a red top, I've never bothered with yellow or blue. In fairness to it, she did run it stone dead a few months ago (dome light left on). Normally I would take a stone dead battery and recharge it on a trickle charger overnight, but that wasn't something we could do at the time... it was jumpstart it and go (although I had her run every electrical load possible to limit the max charge current). Fast charging a deeply drained AGM using the vehicle's charging system is not good for them, and probably what actually killed this one. But I have seen older Optimas survive the same thing, and the consistent fall-off in Optima life that I've seen since I've been using them so long is what has turned me off them for good.


It isn't good to run the battery stone dead, but that shouldn't kill it. Especially since that is Optima's claim to fame is that you can recharge a stone dead battery and have it be fine. I had that happen on a buddy's Interstate battery. He left his headlights on and it killed the battery. I jumped it, and 3 years later he sold the truck with the same battery.

Any battery can have the occasional quality issue, but for the price of an Optima, you'd expect that to happen less than it does.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Normally I would take a stone dead battery and recharge it on a trickle charger overnight


Trickle charging is replaces about 2 amps per hour.

Most batteries are at least 55 amp hours.

2 amps for 12 hours will replace ~24 amp hours, which is less than half charged if the battery was indeed stone cold dead( 10.5 volts rested).

I am of the opinion that unless the battery can be brought upto 14.4 volts and held there for at least 2 hours, it is not fully charged.

Most trickle chargers will never get the voltage that high, or will take 36+ hours to do so.

The six pack design can excel in super high vibration environments. Or applications where severe stress is placed on the battery case itself.

If this is not your application, then you fell for some clever marketing.

Optimas have about 25% less capacity than a regular rectangular battery of the same size, so the same amount of amp hours used is actually a higher percentage of discharge which equates to shorter battery life.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Optimas have about 25% less capacity than a regular rectangular battery of the same size, so the same amount of amp hours used is actually a higher percentage of discharge which equates to shorter battery life.


Is that the same deal with the flat plate, rectangular, AGMs (Deka, EnerSys, etc.) as well, or are they better, and closer to a regular lead acid battery's capacity??

 

[wrcsixeight]

Regular rectangular AGM batteries are usually rated to within 95% of their flooded counterparts when measured at the standard 20 hour rate.

Strangely they usually weigh more.

If I were indeed looking for the lightest battery with enough cranking amps to meet the CCA requirements, only then I might consider the Optima red tops.

But I prefer higher capacities, and have no need of AGM in my application.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Regular rectangular AGM batteries are usually rated to within 95% of their flooded counterparts when measured at the standard 20 hour rate.

Strangely they usually weigh more.

If I were indeed looking for the lightest battery with enough cranking amps to meet the CCA requirements, only then I might consider the Optima red tops.



That is exactly why I went with a Red Top vs. an EnerSys variant last time.

The Red Top was at least 6 lbs. ligher than the lightest equivalent lead acid, and almost 15 lbs. lighter than the equivalent Odyssey.

 

[hattaresguy]

I just buy Interstate, never really had a problem.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
I just buy Interstate, never really had a problem.



My next battery will probably be an interstate. I have two of them in other applications (farm machinery) that have been fine for 5 years so far.