Optima Batteries can kiss my.......

[V10SpeedLuvr]

When I bought the car, it had a Mopar battery and never had a problem with it. We noticed it was leaking one day so swapped it for an Optima Redtop....thats where the horror story began...

I jumped in the Viper yesterday afternoon to go meet a friend I hadnt seen in a long time. Insert key, depress clutch, turn key....barely a whimper. Repeat process 3-4 times. For the FOURTH time in about 3 years...my $180 "top of the line" Optima Redtop battery was dead I jump out of the Viper, muttered several inappropiate words, hop in the daily driver and go meet my friend. I called the battery place (which was across the street from where we met) and explained I was already busy and going to Atlanta last night, so I didnt have time to go home, drop the rearend out of the Viper, take old battery back, get new battery and go home and install the new battery. The guy looked up my history and saw where this was my 4th Optima and said he'd give me a new one, but they were out of the redtops I needed. I asked him what in the hell made him think I'd EVER put an Optima in any car ever again? He said they had one other type of a completely sealed battery and he'd give me one of them. So, we went and he gave me a full refund on the Optima and sold me a $80 Werker battery (their own line of battery). When I take the old battery back Monday, he's going to give me a copy of my purchase history so I can write Optima a letter and suggest a few places where they shove their batteries.

 

[JiPi]

Sorry to hear that.
For your information, last time I changed my battery was…let me remember…in 2000.
Yep, seven years, no battery tender (even during winter) and NO problem!

Edit: It's a Mopar battery!

 

[Tusc]

Ouch.

Does the car have any aftermarket electronics? Security system, stereo, etc?

I bought a drag car a few years ago and had battery issues until I became randomly ambitious and removed the security system. The battery problem randomly went away.

What's the internal difference on a battery, anyway?

 

[emo]

Sorry to hear that your having problems.I've had the same Red Top in my car for 5 years and have never had an issue, in fact I have them in 3 of my cars with no problems.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Ouch.

Does the car have any aftermarket electronics? Security system, stereo, etc?

Good question. The answer is no. The only aftermarket electronic type thing that I have is a CD player. Even still have the factory amps.

Come to think of it, I've gone through 4 Optimas in TWO years, not 3

 

[RoadiJeff]

I replaced my original Mopar battery after 7 years. Nothing was wrong with it, I just figured it wouldn't last forever and I didn't want it to stop lasting at an inconvenient time.

I replaced it with a Diehard that hasn't gievn me a bit of trouble. My car can sit in the garage for over a month with no Battery Tender or anything and it starts right up. I do not leave the alarm activated, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Those Optimas sure look pretty, not that anyone can see it in a Viper. I think the whole Optima thing is one big marketing ploy.

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Why is it not possible the the aftermarket cd player is not drawing curent in some way? All it takes is one mistake with one aftermarket piece and you have the potential to drain the battery. actually nothing else really makes sense, you must have a significant problem somehwere to draw the battery down that fast. Did they test the battery?

 

[grcforce327]

3yrs and NO ISSUES here!!!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Optima isn't any good. I've gone through two of them. Somebody posted a while back that they had gotten bought out.

I have a Sears Die Hard in one and Interstate in the other. No problems with either.

 

[AZTVR]

For your information, last time I changed my battery was…let me remember…in 2000.

What make battery ?

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Interstate here..no issues...

 

[95Viper]

Something is draining the battery. Something. There is no way you got 4 bad batteries in a row.

 

[SSSSE YA]

Something is draining the battery. Something. There is no way you got 4 bad batteries in a row.

Chad Sorry to hear about this problem.Is the post touching the frame or something? I have had many Optima batteries and they have all been great with plenty of cranking power.

 

[dave6666]

Chad Sorry to hear about this problem.Is the post touching the frame or something? I have had many Optima batteries and they have all been great with plenty of cranking power.

The only thing touching the frame is the asphalt when he has twelve ******'s waitresses in the car.

 

[MTGTS]

Just got a new battery a couple weeks ago and didn't buy an Optima because of what I read on here.

 

[snakebitdave]

I must be fortunate. Each car has the original batteries except the '93 which was replaced once with an Interstate.

 

[Qualitywires.com]

I will not use optima batteries ever. I have gone through too many of them. Once they die, they are dead and can not be brought back to life. I would stay with Interstate or Sears Diehard.

 

[RAYSIR]

Chad, I quit using the Gell cells also. Not just the Optima. In the rods I've built the gell cells (tried several Interstate and NAPA Excide) would be totally dead after the winter even disconnected. I haven't had any luck with them in my customers cars either. I quit stocking and using them in my shop. They seem to work good in a hot climate but not in the cold. They need to be slow charged. I was told a low 5 amp charge for a half hour then up to a 20 amp til charged. Watch not to get hot. I wanted to use them since my batteries on rods are inside the car but instead I started using plastic battery boxes.

 

[viper spray]

I just yanked my Optima red top out. After I left the interior light on and recharged it , it was never the same .

 

[JiPi]

What make battery ?

Oops, forgot to mention it, I have the Mopar battery.

 

[supraman95]

Funny you all mention this, I have just gone through a crazy electrical issue with my car and it was the optima. I bought a brand new yellow top and put it in the car. I ground the top posts down since it was a side post mount and the top posts were close to the frame. I drove the car for about a month with no problems. Then all of the sudden the car woudl not run anymore. no cranking power, etc. I replaced teh battery and it started up and ran fine but died after 1 min and then I checked the battery and it was bad. SO 2 bad batteries. Finally decided to try a different battery. No more problems and car ran fine. The reason it was so puzzling to trouble shoot was because alot of electronics in my car were no longer working. No headlights, no radio, etc.

After the new battery I went around checking fuses and they were all good. It was not until I pulled my headlight bulbs out that I noticed they were blown and it was not a fuse problem. Same with the radio, it was the fuse in teh back of the radio and not the fuse box. APparently with the optima's they come so close to the frame that the cause some arc'ing. This made anything that was on the end of the electrical system become the first line, in other words my headlight bulbs became a fuse!.....

Long story short, optima's are quirky in our cars and I got the same response from Underground. Proper shielding is a big deal with using a top post battery in the car.

Also I have had several Optima's in my supras and I have not had much luck. My red tops only lasted about 1-2yrs max each.

 

[ViperTony]

NAPA Gold here, no problems. Who actually manufactures the NAPA battery?

 

[Matt M PA]

I too went with an Interstate when it was time.

The store that sold me the Interstate also sells Optimas and suggest against buying one as they get many returns/exchanges.

 

[viper spray]

Funny you all mention this, I have just gone through a crazy electrical issue with my car and it was the optima. I bought a brand new yellow top and put it in the car. I ground the top posts down since it was a side post mount and the top posts were close to the frame. I drove the car for about a month with no problems. Then all of the sudden the car woudl not run anymore. quote]

That is what caused your problems.....................

You can stick a bottle jack in the batt. box and get a little bit more clearance , if you have one of the Vipers with a tight fitting batt. box , they vary quite a bit.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

As somebody said previously. If you dischrged the Optima gel cells to much they will never recover. They will not recharge with a charger. I have had many bad experiences with the optima batteries on my bass boat being discharged to far during a tournament and never recovering.

 

[Matt M PA]

I know someone that ground the posts down on an Optima and it vented the battery. One of the posts was hollow. Plus, it voids the warranty on the battery.

 

[viperchick12]

I didn't have much luck with my Optima Red Top either

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

The negative post on my battery touched the frame, but I spoke to several Viper guys/mechanics and they all said that shouldn't be a problem. I kept the plastic cover on both top posts anyway just for a little added safety. The car had a aftermarket CD player when I bought it (along with a Mopar battery) and I never had a problem. I put an Optima in before I had a new CD player installed and thats when the problems started, so the CD player doesnt seem to be the problem. I have a Interstate in my DD (which in the past did have all sorts of crazy, electronic gadgets installed) and never have had a problem.

 

[ACRSNK]

Same thing just happened to me in my Z06 about a week ago. I wanted to take it out for 1 last ride before putting it away for the winter, but couldn't because when I jumped in, the car wouldn't start. Thanks Optima!!! This wasn't the first time. Don't know why I put another in there. Never had any issues with the stock battery, just thought that it would be better to have an Optima in there. Should have done more research before I bought it. Car was being driven regularly and didn;t seem to have any issues. A couple of cold nights and all I got when I was geared up for my final ride was a bunch of clicks.
I am going back to stock. No more Optimas for me.

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

There are only a few battery manufacturers, but many many retailers, including MOPAR. Go with Walmart, and save some bucks for the supercharger.