Optima batterys suck

[XJ_99]

I have had my blue top for about 2 yrs now and have not had a problem with it .................

 

[BlueCuda]

I think they were better when Optima was still its own Company. They are now owned by Johnson Controls and I think the quality has gone down. While JCI makes great batteries I don't think they did the Optimas any good.

Stump, glad to hear they got you taken care of on your battery. I am suprised they used that digital tester on it though, but hey at least they replaced it. Should have asked for a red top, probably would have gotten enough money back to pay for the tender, and have 3x the warranty.

Its my understanding the Optimas are all deep cycle by design more or less. When a battery is cycled lead falls off of the plates, once they lose so much lead it either shorts the plates out or the battery capacity becomes less than spec. Optimas can't really lose lead from the plates as they have the fiberglass mat between the spiral wound plates.

To save a little confustion i THINK(not 100%) that the Yellow tops and the deep cycle marines are the same battery, same for the red top and the marine cranking battery. Its post type that makes them different, the difference in CCA and warranty all has to do with application. Marine batteries rated in MCA are rated at 80 degrees vs 0 degrees for CCA, CA is rated at 32 degrees. Warranty is also based on application.

They Still make the Orange top more or less. It was nothing special it was just a Red top with top posts only, and the positive post was on the opposite side. They still make that but its red and is an SC34R from interstate.

 

[TNT]

I think they were better when Optima was still its own Company. They are now owned by Johnson Controls and I think the quality has gone down. While JCI makes great batteries I don't think they did the Optimas any good.

Stump, glad to hear they got you taken care of on your battery. I am suprised they used that digital tester on it though, but hey at least they replaced it. Should have asked for a red top, probably would have gotten enough money back to pay for the tender, and have 3x the warranty.

Its my understanding the Optimas are all deep cycle by design more or less. When a battery is cycled lead falls off of the plates, once they lose so much lead it either shorts the plates out or the battery capacity becomes less than spec. Optimas can't really lose lead from the plates as they have the fiberglass mat between the spiral wound plates.

To save a little confustion i THINK(not 100%) that the Yellow tops and the deep cycle marines are the same battery, same for the red top and the marine cranking battery. Its post type that makes them different, the difference in CCA and warranty all has to do with application. Marine batteries rated in MCA are rated at 80 degrees vs 0 degrees for CCA, CA is rated at 32 degrees. Warranty is also based on application.

They Still make the Orange top more or less. It was nothing special it was just a Red top with top posts only, and the positive post was on the opposite side. They still make that but its red and is an SC34R from interstate.

That explains why my Optimas work so well... They are the real thing.

 

[tommyr]

RED (12V Models): 36 Months Free Replacement, Remaining 36 Month Prorated
YELLOW: 12 Months Free Repacement, Remaining 12 Months Prorated
BLUE: 18 months free replacement, remaining 18 months prorated

So here's why I'm not interested in an optima. (Now I don't wheel, so I don't need something that won't leak)

from sears.com:
Diehard $99.99 3 year replacement, 100 month pro-rate
Cheapest Optima $159.99 (see above for warranty)

So for 60% MORE $$$ you get 28% LESS warranty.
HUH? :shocked: Let the manufacturer put THEIR money where their mouth is

 

[Georgia Mike]

You should never ever ever use a deep cycle batt in a vehicle for a cranking batt. It isn't what they are made for.

Buy a Red top, use it for a regular batt and you will have no issues. If you have a lot of lights, winches and other batt draining items, run a second batt and that one you can use a Deep Cycle batt.

Exactly! A marine type battery isn't designed to be used in automotive applications. Buy a red top and be done with it. I've had one in my truck for probably 4 years now, and I've never had a single problem out of it.

 

[Gaius]

Exactly! A marine type battery isn't designed to be used in automotive applications. Buy a red top and be done with it. I've had one in my truck for probably 4 years now, and I've never had a single problem out of it.

It is if it is a dual-purpose battery, which the yellow and blue are: starting and deep cycle.

Personally I run the Exide Dual-Force deep cycle in both of my Jeeps. It replaced a 6 year old reman red top.

 

[88XjLaredo]

Funny that this thread came up. While waiting for over 4 hours to get into Bonnaroo last Thursday, my Optima died after only 3 years, leaving me stranded in 90+* heat. I had to hike(run) 2 miles to catch up to the rest of my crew. Time to search for a better battery...

 

[corbinafly]

Funny that this thread came up. While waiting for over 4 hours to get into Bonnaroo last Thursday, my Optima died after only 3 years, leaving me stranded in 90+* heat. I had to hike(run) 2 miles to catch up to the rest of my crew. Time to search for a better battery...

http://odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc1500series.htm

Kyung

 

[87baseomatic]

My red top has been in my 87 xj, 89 v8 ford truck and both of my vw's (Its the dual terminal style). It sat for two straight winters hooked up in a car that hasn't been started. Just last week I had to finally put a charger on it as it couldn't crank over my vw gti(11:1 compression and a crappy starter) as I was taking it out of storage. Honestly for the six years I've had it, I can't really complain. I did get a standard issue interstate battery for the gti but I think I am gonna return it and just use the optima until it really calls it quits.

 

[Jay VT]

I have around 5 spiral cell batteries in my garage. The big problem is that AGM (spiral) batteries test differently than regular lead acid ones. Put a trickle charger (less than 5a) on it and leave it on for a couple of days. Thats how I got all of mine, they were turned in for cores.

 

[Prepmech]

I have around 5 spiral cell batteries in my garage. The big problem is that AGM (spiral) batteries test differently than regular lead acid ones. Put a trickle charger (less than 5a) on it and leave it on for a couple of days. Thats how I got all of mine, they were turned in for cores.

X2

I've got three of 'em and didn't spend a penny on any of them.

All three of them checked bad with a load tester. They will not cause the tester to read "Charge and re-test" like a normal battery with a low charge.

They like a nice slow trickle charge.

 

[n1ywb]

Optima red top. Unknown age. Working fine. I went to sea for 2 months. Got home and it was dead as a doornail. Optima touts their batts as staying charged for 8 to 12 mos. And I've measured the leakage current on my rig, it's negligable. Whatever maybe it's just old. I Jumped it and drove it around for a while. THe next day dead as a doornail. Bought a wallyworld 10 amp automatic battery charger and started leaving it on all night every night. It would get me to and from work but always cranked slowly and while charging you could hear the electrolyte boiling and outgassing. Thats bad in a sealed battery, in fact Optima says on their web site that any Optima with boiling electrolyte is junk, more or less.

So I went to Costco and shelled out $180 for an Optima Yellow Top, figuring it wouldn't shit it's bits if I drained it, I have a bad habit of draining batteries. Take it home, put it in the Jeep, it's got a pretty low voltage like 11.5 but whatever I figure I slap it on the charger overnight. Next morning I take if off the charger and turn the engine over, turns over kinda slow. Turn it off, measure the voltage, 11.5. WTF?? Charge it overnight a few more times, no improvement. After coming off the charger and settling down open circuit voltage is consistant < 12v. Optima specs say OCV on a fully charged batt should = 12.8V.

The optima yellow top specs say:
Rapid Recharge:

• Maximum voltage 15.6 volts (regulated).

Maximum current:

• No limit as long as temperature <125°F (51.7°C).

Maximum recharge time:

• Charge until current drops below 1 amp.

http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_edge/technical_specs.php

OK so I put a 10 amp manual charger on it and check the temperature on the battery periodically. After an hour, what do you know, boiling electrolyte. Take off the charger, drain off the surface charge, WTF 11.5V.

This battery is going back to Costco. I'm pretty unimpressed with optimas at this point. Any battery that can not be charged in accordance with the manufacturer's reccomendation is a POS.

Maybe it was dead from the get-go, maybe I should take my voltmeter and try to find a yellow top with higher voltage?

Too bad nobody in San Diego sells Odysseys.

 

[tomcat]

Just stop. Stop right there.

Now, go line up with all the other lucky bastards so I can hate you all at the same time.

Perhaps "Hate" isn't the right word. "Envy you to daepth unplumable with any line" would perhaps be more appropriate. Still, go join the others in the group.

well go get one of your own then:
http://roxburyauto.com/cars/68KaiserAmb.html

 

[n1ywb]

Update:
I left the yellow top on an overnight 2A trickle charge. THis morning the charger said "charged", but sure enough as soon as I took the charger off and drained the surface charge with my sweet XJ underhood worklight, the voltage at the terminals fell like a rock to < 12V. I've never bought a defective battery before. For $180 I didn't expect to buy one now. Don't they test things things at the factory?

 

[Hypoid]

I think they fired that guy...JK But, for $180 I expect to have a car attached. I would not be shy about getting my money's worth, or a refund.

 

[Ridr]

I've never had good luck with them , now I strictly run interstate

 

[cherokeekid]

you can get an odyssey shipped.

 

[mtnorange]

in my experience they really suck.

maybe it was b/c i bought it from Autozone and they sit on the shelf there for months and months vs a battery dealer.... but it was a bad enough experience to voice my opinion to AZ, Optima and never use their product again. I had an interstate battery that went dead so i wanted to "upgrade" to an optima. I went and purchased one for $140 something. Tossed it in the Jeep and it didn't start. I tested the voltage and it was just under 9 volts. (I should have made AZ check voltage) ...anyway.... i put it on the trickle charge and let it charge over night. The next day it started it up. AWESOME..... drove it for almost a week then started having problems with the Jeep idling. it would stall anytime you tried coming to a stop. I started trouble shooting other things.... but after two days of driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brake to keep it running the Jeep would go back to not starting at all. I continued trouble shooting and testing/replacing parts, disconnecting EVERYTHING auxiliary. (Radio, Blower motor, Aux Driving lights, Power Windows, Power Door locks and so on.) I thought the problem was an open circuit. The alternator tested fine, but i replaced it anyway, redid the wiring from the alternator and put new battery cables on. needless to say i tried everything i could think of. ....the entire time i never got a check engine light either. I was frustrated and i was tired of having my Jeep out of service (it had been almost 6 months of this cycle....run a week, charge a couple days and hope it starts.

My last idea, which should have been my first idea, was to replace the Optima battery. I went to a battery store, spent $48 and replaced the Red Optima. The Jeep started it up right away. I kept the Optima to see if the new replacement would encounter the same problem. it's been about 4 months and the Jeep is fine. No stalling, no dead battery and it starts every time. I've learned my lesson. (AZ finally refunded me the full price of the battery after i talked to the store manager and told him my store)

Price of my lesson: just under a grand. thanks optima

 

[n1ywb]

you can get an odyssey shipped.

Yup, but I need a battery now.

Also, $221.06 shipped for an Odyssey is just over budget for me. Also, they don't sell a metal-jacketed battery in the 34/78 size. The non-MJ 34/78 batt is only rated to 179 deg F, and I'm pretty sure the temperature in my XJ's engine compartment exceeds that, especially with the upper radiator hose practically touching the battery. They sell an MJ version in the next smaller size, which is electrically too small IMO, and the next larger size, which is way to big to fit under my hood.

I picked up an Exide Orbital at Kragen. It looks like the same bloody thing as an optima to me. 12.8V open terminal voltage after a full charge and it cranks the jeep with authority. Optima red tops at costco were like $130 and this was $150 before tax. My yellow top (which costco took right back, thanks costco) was about $180. It's not a deep cycle though. 2 year full replacement warranty 2 years pro-rated so not quite as good a warranty either. But whatever if it's not as crappy as Optimas seem to have become, I'm fine with it. I'm happy for all the people that have had good luck with Optimas, but based on the number of negative reports, it appears to be nothing but luck. Just my $.02

I demand a trustworthy battery.

 

[Kevin S.]

I have had a red top in my Cj-7 for the past 6 years. i have used the hell out of it. Winching it with no motor... Mud, juke box and it always starts up. Has never left me stranded. The first red top I owned I took in as a bad battery from Les Schwab, It had a chunk out of it, it lasted me for 3 years in my s-10. You can't go wrong with a Optima!!!