New Optima Yellow Top?

Urban Redneck · Oct 13, 2004

Heard there is a new version of the Optima Yellow Top coming out. What is the difference in the two? Anyone know? There is nothing about a new one on the Optima website but have heard about it through different sales fliers. :dunno:

bgcntry72 · Oct 13, 2004

BFD
I am going to sell my BFG MTs because I hear that BFG is coming out with a new one that adds AN ENTIRE LUG on each tire.
Also, rumors of a 49" hi lift have me intrigued.
Heard anything about 6x10 speakers?
Gotta be better than those POS 6x9 speakers.

:viking:

Island XJ · Oct 13, 2004

Urban Redneck said:
Heard there is a new version of the Optima Yellow Top coming out. What is the difference in the two? Anyone know? There is nothing about a new one on the Optima website but have heard about it through different sales fliers. :dunno:

they are smaller, lighter, cheaper and have less CCA's, amp hours and reserve minutes. there is a writeup on their website here: http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/ near the bottom of the page.

Urban Redneck · Oct 15, 2004

bgcntry72 said:
BFD
I am going to sell my BFG MTs because I hear that BFG is coming out with a new one that adds AN ENTIRE LUG on each tire.
Also, rumors of a 49" hi lift have me intrigued.
Heard anything about 6x10 speakers?
Gotta be better than those POS 6x9 speakers.

:viking:

Thanks, Bg, knew I you would have the answer. Need a new battery, trying to get some options.

bremery88 · Oct 15, 2004

I heard that the optimas have a higher return/failure rate so I got a Exide Orbital. The orbital is a gel battery as well. So far its been great, especially on those really cold days last year. Its a big battery and runs about $120.

Island XJ · Oct 15, 2004

bremery88 said:
I heard that the optimas have a higher return/failure rate .

me too, and i was never totally happy with my optima. about 10 mos ago i bought a Canadian Tire brand gel/spiral cell battery with a 10 yr replacement warranty. very happy with it so far.

Spanky414 · Oct 15, 2004

Island XJ said:
me too, and i was never totally happy with my optima. about 10 mos ago i bought a Canadian Tire brand gel/spiral cell battery with a 10 yr replacement warranty. very happy with it so far.

I've thought of getting the Canadian tire one also because of the warrenty but its not the same as the yellow top, its not built for deep cycle and I want one that is for a winch and lights and a power inverter and such.

I've thought of getting the Canadian tire nautical spiral cell because its built for starting and deep cycle but its warrenty is much shorter.

Weasel · Oct 15, 2004

bremery88 said:
I heard that the optimas have a higher return/failure rate so I got a Exide Orbital.

I've never ehard that altough I have heard of a few people getting a bad one.
Mine's been awesome(red top). I've had it 7 years and it still will handle leaving the lights on for a day just fine.

RCP Phx · Oct 15, 2004

First off,Optima's are not "gel" cells,they are AGM(absorbed glass mat) kinda like a damp paper towel!You could squeeze out all the liquid acid and not even fill a small shot glass.Normal batteries usually only last a couple years out here with our extreme heat.Most everyone I know has had their Optima for 5>10+ years!

azxjman · Oct 15, 2004

RCP Phx said:
First off,Optima's are not "gel" cells,they are AGM(absorbed glass mat) kinda like a damp paper towel!You could squeeze out all the liquid acid and not even fill a small shot glass.Normal batteries usually only last a couple years out here with our extreme heat.Most everyone I know has had their Optima for 5>10+ years!

battiers are sopposed to last more than a couple of years? :huh:

Bones · Oct 16, 2004

bremery88 said:
I heard that the optimas have a higher return/failure rate so I got a Exide Orbital. The orbital is a gel battery as well. So far its been great, especially on those really cold days last year. Its a big battery and runs about $120.

I'm on my third Napa/Exide Orbital in about as many years. I'm starting to see signs that the present one (about a year old now) is going south.

My next battery will be a Yellow Top.

Bones :skull1:

Goatman · Oct 16, 2004

Bones said:
I'm on my third Napa/Exide Orbital in about as many years. I'm starting to see signs that the present one (about a year old now) is going south.

My next battery will be a Yellow Top.

Bones :skull1:

Bones, check out the deep cycle Blue Top. The Blue Tops are marine batteries, and the only difference is that they have a second terminal and all four terminals are threaded with wing nuts. The Blue Tops come in either starting (red top) or deep cycle (yellow top), and are the same except for the different terminals.

The deep cycle is definitely the way to go, they can handle more deep discharges without damage, and have plenty of power for starting purposes.

woody · Oct 16, 2004

Bones said:
I'm on my third Napa/Exide Orbital in about as many years. I'm starting to see signs that the present one (about a year old now) is going south.

My next battery will be a Yellow Top.

Bones :skull1:

That's weird... I have one of those NAPA/Exide Orbital Select's and it's given me great service for two (or is it three?) years. Mine has two pairs of full-size top posts and one pair of side posts. In fairness I'll add that I don't winch, I don't have a powerful stereo, have only jump-started a couple cars, and I don't run many accesories or the lights when the motor is off. (just the aux fan, which I wired to run straight off the battery.) I do have a 150 amp alternator which surely helps keep it charged back up.

I had planned to get another one for my trail beater, but would also consider the Blue-top deep-cycle/marine Optima that Goatman mentions.

keel5 · Oct 16, 2004

I saw a yellow top on sale at one of the local stores. I have a redtop in my XJ right now and have no problems with it.

I was wondering if I get the yellow top and keep the red top around for a spare will it go bad just sitting around.

Bones · Oct 16, 2004

Goatman said:
Bones, check out the deep cycle Blue Top. The Blue Tops are marine batteries, and the only difference is that they have a second terminal and all four terminals are threaded with wing nuts. The Blue Tops come in either starting (red top) or deep cycle (yellow top), and are the same except for the different terminals.

The deep cycle is definitely the way to go, they can handle more deep discharges without damage, and have plenty of power for starting purposes.

I have seen the blue tops, but the way my stereo and other stuff hooks in it may be a pain to switch. The other problem is availability. I'm not exactly in a metropolis where I live. I do think I have lined up a local source for ordering one though. In the mags I noted that the pair of terminals on the blue top are both on top. Do you know the size of the terminal studs? I'll have to see how much PIA factor there would be in changing my wiring set up. Right now the stereo runs off the side terminals on the Exide, while the main harness and all "add on" wires run off the top terminals. Seems to give less light dimming beats when running the stereo at ear-bleed levels :listenmus .
How is the blue top for genuine cold cranking? I have a stroker and live where it occasionally gets 10-15* below zero (not often but have seen it less than 20 below here :shiver: ). I have enough trouble getting her to start in the cold now. Slower cranking speeds would screw me for sure. The cold start issue is a result of 30lb injectors and a overly rich start up in cold weather. It floods out. When it happens all I have to do is pull the fuel relay and crank until it starts then replace the relay. It happens enough in the cold I'm thinking of using 24 or 26lb injectors in the winter. I may patch a switch into the fuel pump circuit so at least I don't have to pop the hood each time.

Bones :skull1:

Goatman · Oct 16, 2004

Bones said:
I have seen the blue tops, but the way my stereo and other stuff hooks in it may be a pain to switch. The other problem is availability. I'm not exactly in a metropolis where I live. I do think I have lined up a local source for ordering one though. In the mags I noted that the pair of terminals on the blue top are both on top. Do you know the size of the terminal studs? I'll have to see how much PIA factor there would be in changing my wiring set up. Right now the stereo runs off the side terminals on the Exide, while the main harness and all "add on" wires run off the top terminals. Seems to give less light dimming beats when running the stereo at ear-bleed levels :listenmus .
How is the blue top for genuine cold cranking? I have a stroker and live where it occasionally gets 10-15* below zero (not often but have seen it less than 20 below here :shiver: ). I have enough trouble getting her to start in the cold now. Slower cranking speeds would screw me for sure. The cold start issue is a result of 30lb injectors and a overly rich start up in cold weather. It floods out. When it happens all I have to do is pull the fuel relay and crank until it starts then replace the relay. It happens enough in the cold I'm thinking of using 24 or 26lb injectors in the winter. I may patch a switch into the fuel pump circuit so at least I don't have to pop the hood each time.

Bones :skull1:

I just went out and checked, and I was wrong, there are two post terminals and two threaded terminals. The threaded terminals look like 5/16". What I had done was use post connectors that convert to threaded terminals, so all four of mine are threaded, and I changed the main leads (starter and ground) to eyelet ends rather than post ends. My welding leads, winch leads, stereo/air compressor leads, fan leads, and main harness leads were already eyelet ends.

I don't remember the cold cranking amps, but the Blue Tops are exactly the same specs as the Red or Yellow Tops, depending on whether you get a starting Blue Top or a deep cycle Blue Top. The only difference is the color (blue) and the extra threaded terminal.

New Optima Yellow Top?

Urban Redneck

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