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View Full Version : optima batterys suck ass.



Jontoad
12-27-2009, 03:34 PM
stock battery went 8 years, optima red top one and a half and it was not very good the entire time. lights would dim at stop lights, voltage was not very good after start up and it would reset my radio presets and trip the "check guages" light once in a while. anyways, back to a silver level autozone battery and it doesn't have any of these problems. wish i would have got an Odyssey instead the first time. oh well. now I'm looking for my receipt from the optima so i can warranty it out and get store credit for when i break something else. lol.

Intense RT
12-27-2009, 04:02 PM
I'm running the small import 600cca Yellow Top import battery. Almost 2 years old now. Been pretty good. It is more sensitive to long periods of no starts and driving where it dies faster. Jump start gets it going again and as long as I drive it every few days, I'm good to go like it never happened.

Working at Advance, I saw that the Optima's were hit and miss also. Seems like they either last a long time or die in a matter of months. Not too much in between.

Intense RT
01-18-2010, 04:15 PM
Looking for a battery thread I found this one again. Forgot about it. I shoulda kept my mouth shut apparently because my Optima just shit the bed.:D

Corey
01-18-2010, 04:28 PM
I have 2Optima Reds in the engine compartment of my '73 W100, and they's not given me any issues. I start and run the truck about 2-3 times a month max, and it starts everytime. They are coming upon 3 years old. I also have a red Optima in my R/T the PO Installed, and it's starting and running just fine too.

Never heard anything bad about them so far.

Warrior Poet
01-18-2010, 04:32 PM
I've heard good things about kenitic.... I just got a napa gold in mine for now

Intense RT
01-18-2010, 04:33 PM
I've heard good things about kenitic.... I just got a napa gold in mine for nowHow much did the Napa Gold run ya?

Warrior Poet
01-18-2010, 04:35 PM
How much did the Napa Gold run ya?
Top of my head I want to say $80-ish... but it was november 08' when I got the truck

Intense RT
01-18-2010, 04:37 PM
I have 2Optima Reds in the engine compartment of my '73 W100, and they's not given me any issues. I start and run the truck about 2-3 times a month max, and it starts everytime. They are coming upon 3 years old. I also have a red Optima in my R/T the PO Installed, and it's starting and running just fine too.

Never heard anything bad about them so far.
When I worked at Advance Auto Parts, we sold them, and sometimes they lasted and sometimes the person would be back in a little over a year. Seems they make it past the warranty time most gently.:jester: Mines a yellow top but I figure it's made to be discharged and recharged multiple times. I think the colder weather in NC, as compared to Houston where I moved from, put the nail in the coffin. I have to be fair though. It was an import size with 450 cca, lol. Always turned the truck over easily though.

grapejuice1998
01-18-2010, 05:15 PM
The quality of the Optimas has gone down over the years, but they still honor the 3 yr free replacement and prorate the replacement after that.

Bos-R/T
01-18-2010, 06:09 PM
I have 2 yellow top deep cycle optima batteries in my 2500HD for 4.5 years now and they have given me no problems. I actually left my truck up at the barn for 2 days straight with the switch turned in the on position,all lights in dash on,with both tv's on in the headrests and the dvd player playing a movie over and over again and of course the radio on too AND the blower motor was set on low speed and I got in there and it still started my duramax right up. That made me go buy one for my dak. Ive had it for a year now and no problems. I have nothing but good things to say about optima.:biggthumpup:

sunike32
01-18-2010, 06:16 PM
I have 2 yellow top deep cycle optima batteries in my 2500HD for 4.5 years now and they have given me no problems. I actually left my truck up at the barn for 2 days straight with the switch turned in the on position,all lights in dash on,with both tv's on in the headrests and the dvd player playing a movie over and over again and of course the radio on too AND the blower motor was set on low speed and I got in there and it still started my duramax right up. That made me go buy one for my dak. Ive had it for a year now and no problems. I have nothing but good things to say about optima.:biggthumpup:

Agreed. For as much negative rep Optimas seem to have with the R/T crowd, my red top has been fine for the past 2-3 years. Last year (and this year) when it was in storage, all I did was unhook both battery cables and let it sit; no battery tender or anything. I am knocking on wood while typing this...hopefully it fires right up in the spring like it always has :jester:

Batmans
01-23-2010, 01:14 AM
Considering I work at Autozone I will give you a piece of advice. DO NOT buy any Autozone batteries. They're JUNK. #1 customer return is batteries. Value craft are cheap for people who don't have enough dough, red Duralast tops are a 2 year free replacement and maybe will last that long, and lastly you have the yellow Duralast Gold with the 3 year free replacement which will maybe last you 3-4 years. Batteries are not getting cheaper and I can't see you paying that much for a battery that will not last that long.

After the free replacement period is up, its pro rated and trust me you're lucky to get $30 back for the battery which you spent $84.99+ on.

Every vehicle I own gets a red or yellow top Optima battery. My boats are equipped with the blue tops. I have, I mean never have had any problems out of my Optima's. They're worth every penny. My R/T right now, is going 7 years with its red top. No problems. I have 4-5 years on my other cars with the reds and yellows. I stand by my Optima's 100%.

Now you do get your batteries once in a blue with a bad cell. Maybe you just got a bad egg, it does happen.

Intense RT
01-23-2010, 02:06 AM
Well I figured out what went wrong and due to my inability to observe my LM2 was plugged into the "always on" power outlet instead of the lighter where I used to have it (driven a couple of times past few months and my kids pulled it out playing in the truck). I put it back, not thinking, in the wrong outlet. Didn't notice the screen on when I would leave truck.

I think that's , likely, what killed my little import sized Yellow top D51 that worked well for almost two years.

Yeah, I decided against the Autozone batteries. Just gut instinct. Although I let them try to charge my Optima. No go, so I then went to Advance because when I worked for them (another state) we had nice/modern equipment. Let them try to charge it and came back a few hours later. The guy said it was bad and they gave me $48 pro rate. I DID buy it at Advance when I worked there, but I guess I forgot about the pro rate part. I just remembered the 1 year free replacement on the Yellow tops. Anyway, bought a 3 year/84mo gold series. If it don't die in 3 years, the battery may get drained by an LM2 on accident, lol.

jmaack727
01-23-2010, 07:21 AM
Duralast gold is all I use. My last lasted over 7 years. Im on number 2 in the dodge and the nissan has one also. Maybe oneday ill get an optima for the rt but for now even with sitting a month it fires right up easily.

tedomes
01-24-2010, 12:20 AM
I work for a company that has a deal with the optima people and I can get one delivered to me for $80 bucks but I didnt read about what the warranty might be. I think I read something about mimor dings and scratchs on them. Before I offered any I'd like to lay eyes on one first and get the details. I'd like to try one out first. But the price is about half what one goes for here.

Intense RT
01-24-2010, 02:33 AM
I work for a company that has a deal with the optima people and I can get one delivered to me for $80 bucks but I didnt read about what the warranty might be. I think I read something about mimor dings and scratchs on them. Before I offered any I'd like to lay eyes on one first and get the details. I'd like to try one out first. But the price is about half what one goes for here.I'd bet they're the cases of the batteries that get returned, but reconditioned of course...I'm sure anyway.

Bos-R/T
01-25-2010, 01:26 PM
Back when I was in technical school when I was taking starting and charging we took a black napa battery and cut it in half and the inside of the case read sears die hard. In other words napa,or whoever makes napa,recycled a sears battery and just turned it inside out and put the napa sticker on it. Ever since then I will not buy a battery thats black because 90% of the time its some old cheap recycled battery. I buy optima or interstate. But then interstate doesnt have a great rep these days either. Now 10 years ago they were the best batteries I sell but the last 2 years I have replaced alot on my customers cars that had bad cells.

BluRT00
01-25-2010, 03:06 PM
I have had iffy luck with two red tops in my R/T. Now I have a big yellow top I used in my 480 cid bb caddy truck. Let it sit for 3 yrs, tested it and the thing had 13.2 volts. Threw that in my R/T, and well lets just say it gets the job done very well. Only down side is it weights a ton, still gonna get a race weight battery for when I go to the track.

tcuillier
01-26-2010, 03:01 PM
My only experience with Optima is the red-top I've had in the R/T for over 5 years. Mine isn't a daily driver, but I've abused it by running it completely dead 4 times. I had heard the Optimas don't like that at all, but mine has come back strong each time. I finally wised-up and bought a float charger this winter to keep it charged while the truck sits idle during the crappy weather. I bought this red-top as an "appearance blem" for $57 (it has a "pucker" in the plastic on one side-. Definitely got my money's worth.

Tom

Batmans
01-26-2010, 03:12 PM
My only experience with Optima is the red-top I've had in the R/T for over 5 years. Mine isn't a daily driver, but I've abused it by running it completely dead 4 times. I had heard the Optimas don't like that at all, but mine has come back strong each time. I finally wised-up and bought a float charger this winter to keep it charged while the truck sits idle during the crappy weather. I bought this red-top as an "appearance blem" for $57 (it has a "pucker" in the plastic on one side-. Definitely got my money's worth.

Tom

Very true. It will kill an Optima. That's why I always disconnect my cables off my battery if the car is going to sit awhile. I've learned after killing a few yellow tops.

dakotaausten
01-27-2010, 03:45 AM
No lie Im going on 4 and a half years on my Odyssey 925 battery.It was the first mod to my truck.Its been my daily driver ever since i bought it.