Are they really that bad?

[01sapphirebob]

Are the optima's really that bad? I purchased one and am now a little leary of putting it in my car with all I have been reading. I have an OEM battery in my RT/10. That car is on a battery tender all year basically and starts right up when I need it to.

My ACR (gen II) needs a new battery I think. When I got it and put the car on a battery tender it took about a day and a half to charge. I'm assuming it still has the original battery in it. So I went with the great promotion the VCA was offering and got an optima since I was gonna put a battery in the car anyway. I drive my car at least three time a week. However in July that will go down quite a bit (to probably zero time a week) with the birth of our first baby. That car will also be on a battery tender as well once the baby is born.

Any thoughts would be great...

 

[fastmd]

It won't be any worse than the stock battery, which lasted less than 1 year on my 06. It now has a yellow top, I feel it is superior to the red top and has been without a tender for up to 1 month in a NJ winter with no issues. I however tend to keep tenders on all my cars. My new 08 ACR has had a tender since day 1.

 

[Martin]

I really like them - but I have gotten a couple that didn't last long. They were under warranty, though, and it was easy to get a new one. For the promo price, I don't think you can go wrong with them.

 

[Steve-Indy]

I will not say they are "bad"...in fact, they are good if you track the car as they will not leak.

That said...as I have posted numerous times...I don't feel that they are worth the trouble on post-mid-93 Gen I's & all Gen II's because of the difficulty changing the battery given the location behind the left rear wheel.

1992's and early 1993's, Gen III's, and Gen IV's are easier since the approach is thru the trunk.

P.S. on the 92 and 93 models, be prepared to "reset" the alarm after changing the battery and finding that the Viper won't start.