optima battery

[SBMIANO]

Spoke with a dodge "specialist" for vipers and he told me to ditch the dodge battery for an optima yellow top. Ive seen postings on the red top but not the yellow. 200.00 for the battery any feedback before I buy?

Thanks

 

[RoadiJeff]

Do a search for "optima" on here. They're not all they are cracked up to be, although I guess they look pretty while hidden behind the wheel well.

A more traditional battery, such as a Diehard, is what a lot of people on here recommend. I use one, don't own a trickle charger, and I leave it sit for up to two months at a time and no starting poblems.

 

[Vipermann]

Had a Red Top -- went dead after several recharges in a few months -- but a loose ground cable in the rear appears to have messed it up (the Red does not seem to be as robust). Went with a Yellow Top, then never any issues.

 

[adamlotus]

try die hard,if you use a red top and it goes dead most likely battery will no longer be any good,if you dont drive your car often ,use a battery tender.

 

[JonB]

SEARCH, SEARCH, SEARCH.

No Optima.

YES Die-Hard

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

Had an Optima Yellow Top on my 94 RT-10 for 7 years (used a battery tender), and never an issue! It was going strong when the car was totaled. Have a 2005 with the original battery, and use the battery tender, and no issues so far.

 

[SnakeBitten]

Another alternative?

Voltphreaks - Home

 

[dave6666]

Oh Chad, where art thou?

 

[Flexx91]

I have a Yellow Top. No issues so far after 2 years. The Yellow Top is the deep cycle version and is used for high accessory loads (lights, radio, AC, etc.). The Red Top version is made for starting only.

 

[Alexarz]

I bought several and they all died out quickly.

Overpriced Junk!!

 

[XCELR8N]

Between my father and I we have had 4 or 5 Optima batteris in muscle cars, boats and daily driver cars. I have had the red top and blue top versions. Bought them when they were all the hype. I wish I never had bought them. Three of them died within a year. One was replaced under warranty, but it failed within 2 years. I will never buy another Optima battery again. I went back to Diehard batteries...

 

[Viper Specialty]

OK, now how many of you with issues have used YELLOW TOPS?

I see three others on the thread who have used a Yellow- and they all say; "no issues". Red Tops are another story, and half the price. Have had "OK" luck with the Reds, but not trouble free, and havent used any of them since 04-ish.

BIG difference between a Red and a Yellow. I have used nothing but Yellows in all local Vipers, not ONE issue. Everyone should take note of this before posting- they are not the same products. A search for "optima" on this site will give overshadowing tones of issues with Reds, on top of the old "hacked off top posts" Gen-2 issue that wasnt even the fault of the battery to begin with.

 

[XCELR8N]

I have used the deep cycle blue top batteries in boats. They were worse than the red tops in cars. I have not used yellow tops, but I am not about to start now. I dont know what the issue is with "hacked off posts" that you describ, but that is not the problem that I expereinced. They just seemed to prematurly die. Some died on daily driver cars, some died while sitting in storage (boat), and one died in a muscle car. I dont have much faith in Optima since I have tried 2/3 of their product line and had repeated bad luck.

Get the new Sears Diehard Platinum gell batteries if you really want a gell battery.

Just my opinion

 

[Cobraken]

Generally battery makers & car manufacturers do not recommend deep cycle batteries for automotive applications. re: not as much & decreasing output over the life of the battery.

 

[fqberful]

I've had mixed luck with optimas. I had a die-hard explode in my Vette. Go with an Interstate or Gould. Get the longest warranty conventional lead-acid battery you can, it will cost you 1/2 the price of an optima and last probably 5-7 years trouble free. Oh BTW get a Battery Tender and use it, it will extend the life of your battery 25-50%

HTH

 

[steve911]

For What its worth, MOPAR replacement batteries are now made by INTERSTATE.

 

[eagles]

I run the odyssey 925 in my '03 and have one in a 300zx tt. I have yet to have a problem over a couple of years and the bonus is they only weigh prox half of the optima or stock mopar or other conventional batteries. I do use a battery tender on all my batteries in cars which do not drive every day.

eagles

 

[dave6666]

For What its worth, MOPAR replacement batteries are now made by INTERSTATE.

A Texas company...

 

[Racer Robbie]

Do a search for "optima" on here. They're not all they are cracked up to be, although I guess they look pretty while hidden behind the wheel well.

A more traditional battery, such as a Diehard, is what a lot of people on here recommend. I use one, don't own a trickle charger, and I leave it sit for up to two months at a time and no starting poblems.

I could not have said it better. As far as I am concerned they are junk. I had one in my Ferrari and one in my Jeep and they both bought the farm in less than a year. now I use AGM style batteries which DO NOT discharge over time. In my diesel trawler boat they sit all winter and it starts right up every spring. they are 5 years old. Seer Defender at http://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1|328|51495&id=306218 for Power-Tech and Lifeline AGM batteries. I use power-Tech which is cheaper. Optimal batteries are not AGM batteries. Red Top batteries are Starting Batteries. Yellow Top batteries are Deep Cycle Batteries.

 

[Viper Specialty]

I could not have said it better. As far as I am concerned they are junk. I had one in my Ferrari and one in my Jeep and they both bought the farm in less than a year. now I use AGM style batteries which DO NOT discharge over time. Optima batteries are not AGM batteries. Red Top batteries are Starting Batteries. Yellow Top batteries are Deep Cycle Batteries.

Sorry Rob, you are wrong. Optima Batteries are AGM type batteries, and they have all of the features that you are currently describing.

Again, you obviously are not talking about Yellow Tops in your experience, which is the subject of this thread, and exactly why Optima YELLOW tops have the undeserved reputation that they do.

 

[Racer Robbie]

The Optimal batteries that I had in both my Ferrari and my Jeep were Yellow Top, which Optimal recommended, and they both failed.

 

[Viper Specialty]

The Optimal batteries that I had in both my Ferrari and my Jeep were Yellow Top, which Optimal recommended, and they both failed.

Optima would likely not have recomended those batteries to you, Ferrari is not even in the system, and Jeep comes back as a Red Top.

Other than that, you must have some luck- those are the only two to go bad that I have ever heard of. I have even brought one of these back from the dead that sat completely flatline for over 6 months well below freezeing- and that is not something that is easy to do for any battery.

 

[Racer Robbie]

Dan, you are quite correct. My Optimal dealer called Optimal and he recommended which battery to use in the Ferrari 328 GTS. They swore it would work, it did not. As for my Jeep they told me to go with the Yellow Top as the Jeep was equipped with a Meyer Electric Yydraulic Plow. Perhaps these batteries do not like our sub zero temp and high humidity here. who knows. but one thing is for sure when it comes to luck I swear i have a black cloud hanging over my head.

 

[Viper X]

3 Optima Yellow tops in the fleet. One is 5 years old, no issues. Sits for 4 - 6 months outside at a time, always works.

One three years old, no issues. One is two years old, no issues. These two both get a battery tender about once a month.

Very good products so far.

Dan

 

[michaelnouri]

I Have Used Many Optimas, They Seem To Be Lower Quality Than They Were In The Past.