Optima Battery Questions

[aldive]

I am considering replacing my current battery with a Red Top Optima. I have a few questions for those of you who have one:

(1) What size Optima are you using?

(2) How do you have it mounted?

(3) Opinions of some of the "fancy" mounting devices such as found here (dead link)

Thanks ....

 

[Lee S.]

Al:

I just changed my battery...I looked into optima but didn't think it was worth the price. As for as the mounting, I found out (after calling optima) that if you get the right model (you can go to their web site) and here's the kicker...buy it from a national chain like sears or auto zone, it will come with the proper mounting wedge to install it. A couple of local/regional auto stores were having optima sales at the time but not one of them had or knew anything about the mounting wedge.

Just for the heck of it I went to sears and they had the wedge (it's in a plastic bag attached to the battery).

The ebay mounting bracket looks nice...if you want dress up the engine bay. I know you just put a mac in so I'm figuring you're going for the bling.

Lee

 

[spindlecone]

I have the yellow top with a Billet holdown, you will most likely need to trim your OEM tray to get the Billet holdown to fit.

 

[aldive]

What size Optima battery?

 

[Lee S.]

Al:

Unless you are considering fabbing something up, Optima's web site shows only 4 choices.

(dead link)

You will need to enter your vehicle data.

Lee

 

[aldive]

Thanks, somehow I overlooked that feature.

 

[spindlecone]

What size Optima battery?

Mines the D-34, believe the redtop, yellowtop and bluetops are all the same size as far as starting batts are concerned

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Are these batteries really worth the mula? Whats really the "key-features" of these optima batteries? Just last longer?

-Drew

 

[TarHeel085]

optimas are gel-cell batteries right?? well as my boss at my shop has told me, the gel-cells tends to ruin your alternator over time. i cant remember why i just know he wont recommend them to anyone and wont replace an alternator without the owner replacing the battery with a regular one.

 

[spindlecone]

Are these batteries really worth the mula? Whats really the "key-features" of these optima batteries? Just last longer?

-Drew

Being a non liquid filled batt, they can be mounted in any manner you choose, even upside down, they will hold a charge for over a yr (great for RV or Boat use)I have 4 in my R.V all are about 10 yrs old.
If your application is just as a starting batt, no major electronics such as a winch, lots of lgts, major audio, there overkill

 

[BeauJ]

optimas are gel-cell batteries right?? well as my boss at my shop has told me, the gel-cells tends to ruin your alternator over time. i cant remember why i just know he wont recommend them to anyone and wont replace an alternator without the owner replacing the battery with a regular one.

Never heard anything like that before. Got one in my mustang which I rarely drive now, and it cranks every time. They last a damn long time and are worth the price.

 

[aldive]

well as my boss at my shop has told me, the gel-cells tends to ruin your alternator over time..

I have used gel cell batteries in the boat for years and have never had any alternator problems. I have never even heard of gel cells causing problems.

 

[Lee S.]

If your application is just as a starting batt, no major electronics such as a winch, lots of lgts, major audio, there overkill

Yeah...this was my thought exactly. The optima was like $45-$50 (can't remember exactly) than the battery I went with which I believe had more cca's than the optima.

Can't be 100% sure since I am the second owner but I believe that the battery I just replaced was the original stocker. That would mean that it lasted 7+ years. Couldn't see going the extra bucks for the optima since for me it's just a starter battery.

Lee

 

[expo5.0]

i have never heard of such problems either.

perhaps, your boss has seen alternator failures in vehicles with the batteries because more of the vehicles that have them have other aftermarket accessories which may (despite the battery) have hastened alternator failure.

 

[RFR2212]

I've actually had fabulous luck with optimas. I do believe the yellow top is better than the red top, but here's my brief story about them. I jumped a car which was having electrical problems, and some how, unknown to me at the time, it surged and blew out the side positive terminal of the battery. This was my alternator connection to my 200amp alt. I then drove about 30mi or so back to school on the battery alone, and I didn't even know there was a problem with the batter till I looked at it the next day.

Granted I didn't get a replacement battery b/c it was out of the 2year immediate replacement, I kept using the battery, and it worked just fine.

I'll continue to run optimas... My brother runs one, and my dad is getting one for our boat this summer. I think they're worth every penny.

 

[Bwana Bob]

No, they are not gel cells. They are AGM type batteries. AGM is "Absorbed Glass Mat", the battery is constructed with a spiral wound fiberglass mat as a separator between the positie and negative plates. The acid electrolyte is absorbed into the mat.

Advantages: The battery is sealed and will work in any position, so the danger of acid spillage is eliminated, unless you puncture the case. Also, Optima claims that the spiral wound cell construction makes the battery more resistant to vibration. As you may know, bits of lead can flake off the plates of conventional batteries, short cuicuiting the cell.

I specified Optima batteries for an application at work. We needed batteries in the turret of an M-109 self-propelled howitzer (big 155 mm cannon on a tracked chassis). Lots of shock and vibration and close to the crew, so we wanted a very reliable battery that would not leak or outgas.

Now unless you are setting up a trail rig that will see lots of heavy duty use, a good conventional battery will serve you well. My truck sees mostly highways with Jersey-sized potholes. I use an Interstate Megatron Plus battery and it has been excellent. Interstate, Optima, and Walmart MAXX are all made by Johnson Controls.

You can find an excellent tutorial and brand name to manufacturer cross reference at:

http://batteryfaq.org

Bob

 

[Hartman]

I have a yellow top and i'm almost convinced that nothing will keep my truck from starting as long as I have it. Well worth the money.

 

[huskyfan23]

I have a Yellow Top D34/78. I think the price of the battery is too much for a hold-down. $95?! I'm not even using one.

 

[UNCLESLiK]

i have the yellowtop. i prolly couldve went the red though....i was intending on getting a winch but that fell through. ive had no problems at all with these batteries and probably will never go back to a CCA batt..

just an FYI, the different color tops represent

Red - baseline Optima (recommended for cars/light trucks)

Yellow - Starting Batt (recommended for HD trucks/intese audio/off road accesories I.e -winch, KC lights, on board air systems)

Blue - Deep Cycler (mostly used in boats and RV's)

i find that Advance and Auto Zone sell them a bit cheaper than anyone around here in MS. advance sells the red tops for 98.99 while sears sells them for 139.98

 

[96limitedX]

i have a red top. got it for $109 with a discount. i LOVE it!!! i had a slight voltage problem. turned out to be my battery. i replaced it and the voltage gauge does not even move now. even with everyhting on(all lights/heater on full blast,rear defroster..ect) and stoped in gear. and before it would drop some.
(dead link)
anyway the place that sold it to me gave me these "new" holders that snapped to the battery so it would work with the stock battery hold downs. works great. and its rock soild!