Optima battery garbage?....or..?
Racer
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 373
Likes: 93
I'm an Optima fan boy. Lead acid batteries have a super high failure rate in environments where they sit in my experience. I just replaced the Optimas in my Duramax truck just because. They were bought as a pair and installed in 2005. I needed a couple of new tractor batteries so will use the 11+ year old Optimas until they fail and my truck gets an upgrade.
My 69 Camaro has one purchased in '04. My 240Z as well. I have (3) installed in jeeps that were bought in '04, '05, and '06 respectively. I have a couple of Blue Top combination batteries bought in '11 that are combination deep cycle/cranking and one yellow top marine. I think total count was thirteen with half of those over 10 years old.
The secret to having them last IMO is not trickle charging but disconnecting them from the rest of the car when it is sitting. Can't do this easily on late models, but anything with a carburetor a non-issue. Most of my vehicles sit for weeks if not months at a time on occasion and start right up after the battery is reconnected, no jump required.
The yellow top is the only one I have had fail at this point. It was purchased in '05 and made it to '14. I will say that when the first ones were bought at Sam's for less than $100 they were an EXCEPTIONAL value. If the newer ones make it 10+ years as well they are still a tremendous value compared to the lead acid batteries. Oh, and terminal corrosion because of out gassing minimized exponentially.
My 69 Camaro has one purchased in '04. My 240Z as well. I have (3) installed in jeeps that were bought in '04, '05, and '06 respectively. I have a couple of Blue Top combination batteries bought in '11 that are combination deep cycle/cranking and one yellow top marine. I think total count was thirteen with half of those over 10 years old.
The secret to having them last IMO is not trickle charging but disconnecting them from the rest of the car when it is sitting. Can't do this easily on late models, but anything with a carburetor a non-issue. Most of my vehicles sit for weeks if not months at a time on occasion and start right up after the battery is reconnected, no jump required.
The yellow top is the only one I have had fail at this point. It was purchased in '05 and made it to '14. I will say that when the first ones were bought at Sam's for less than $100 they were an EXCEPTIONAL value. If the newer ones make it 10+ years as well they are still a tremendous value compared to the lead acid batteries. Oh, and terminal corrosion because of out gassing minimized exponentially.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
In the video - you have to have an AGM battery charger, do a fancy-dancy hookup with another lead-acid battery with a regular charger, or, take the AGM battery to an "AGM specialist". Really ?
Kill me now...
Kill me now...
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 279
Likes: 20
From: Glendale Wisconsin
Dennis, I wish I could post the internal information our engineers share about magazine test results. What I can tell you is that lab testing can offer some insight, but we also field-test batteries to understand factors that can't be replicated in a lab environment. Lab tests may exclude some batteries that they know are the same as other brands with a different name on the label, while including other batteries that differ only in the name on the label. Lab tests may not include brands that don't have nationwide availability.
Lab tests also don't take specific applications into consideration. Does someone with a 2000 Ford Taurus have the same concerns about a battery as someone with a show quality C2? A lab test won't tell you how easy or hard it is to get warranty service on your battery. Companies can manufacture batteries that perform great in a lab test, but don't work as well in the field or vice-versa. Which one would you rather buy? Most folks will look at Consumer Reports results as a useful tool, but not the final word in making a purchase decision. If that were the case, Chevrolet might not sell many Corvettes.
fargon, I apologize if I wasn't clear in my previous post regarding charging our batteries and I'm sorry to hear about the issues you've had. Most chargers will charge and maintain Optima batteries just fine.
Frankie, the purpose of the video was to let consumers know a variety of common ways they can recharge their batteries. We understand the parallel charging technique might be too complicated or intimidating for some folks to attempt, which is why we suggest those people take their battery to a professional, who can charge and check it for them.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.instagram.com/optimabatteries
Lab tests also don't take specific applications into consideration. Does someone with a 2000 Ford Taurus have the same concerns about a battery as someone with a show quality C2? A lab test won't tell you how easy or hard it is to get warranty service on your battery. Companies can manufacture batteries that perform great in a lab test, but don't work as well in the field or vice-versa. Which one would you rather buy? Most folks will look at Consumer Reports results as a useful tool, but not the final word in making a purchase decision. If that were the case, Chevrolet might not sell many Corvettes.
fargon, I apologize if I wasn't clear in my previous post regarding charging our batteries and I'm sorry to hear about the issues you've had. Most chargers will charge and maintain Optima batteries just fine.
Frankie, the purpose of the video was to let consumers know a variety of common ways they can recharge their batteries. We understand the parallel charging technique might be too complicated or intimidating for some folks to attempt, which is why we suggest those people take their battery to a professional, who can charge and check it for them.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.instagram.com/optimabatteries
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 15,324
Likes: 2,271
From: NorCal
No problems with the 10 year old red top Optima in my '67. just fired it up and took it out in the 70* weather here last Sunday! 
I do keep it - as I do ALL my non daily driver car's batteries of various types and brands - on a maintenance/"float" charger when not in use.
That seems to be the key to long battery life, even more so than disconnecting.
I sure do like not having to replace the battery in my '67 under the expansion tank on a regular basis!
I do keep it - as I do ALL my non daily driver car's batteries of various types and brands - on a maintenance/"float" charger when not in use.
That seems to be the key to long battery life, even more so than disconnecting.
I sure do like not having to replace the battery in my '67 under the expansion tank on a regular basis!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,556
Likes: 288
From: Granbury Texas
Hello, I noticed your conversation involving our products and wanted to offer some assistance. Jim, fully-charged, your RedTop should measure about 12.6-12.8 volts. If you store it for extended periods of time and don't use a battery maintainer, it's a good idea to make sure the battery is fully-charged and disconnected from your vehicle when it goes into storage. When it's time to take it out of storage, it's good practice to fully-recharge the battery again with a battery charger, if possible, before starting and driving the car. That keeps stress off the car's alternator, which was designed to maintain a battery that is near a full state of charge, not recover a battery that may be more deeply-discharged.
While we do sell our own chargers, most battery chargers will work just fine to charge and maintain our batteries. We do suggest avoiding “gel” or “gel/AGM” charger settings or any charging rates that exceed 10 amps. Contrary to Internet speculation, there is no gel in our batteries and all batteries are vulnerable to improper charging. In fact, some other brands will void your warranty if you use a charger that doesn't meet the exact charging parameters listed in their warranty (we don't do that with our warranty). Some load testers will have AGM or Optima-specific settings, but properly-trained battery professionals will be able to correctly identify and load-test a battery. Load testers that don't have specific settings for Optima or other AGM batteries generally won't require a different testing method for those batteries.
There are a lot of battery manufacturers (and even more brands), although most batteries produced for this market are manufactured by one of three companies, including Johnson Controls, which owns Optima batteries. However, we manufacture all of our own batteries in our own facility and they are the only batteries produced there. We never re-spec or re-brand our batteries for any of our retail partners. The quality of our batteries is also excellent and the batteries we are producing today are the best we have ever made. Spend enough time reading conversations about batteries and you'll find positive and negative reviews on every brand.
As for warranties, they are largely a function of marketing and not necessarily indicative of product quality. If any battery fails because of a manufacturing defect, it is likely to do so well within the first few weeks of use, if not the first few days. Beyond that, battery lifespan is largely connected to how it is used and maintained.
Bill, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had getting warranty service. All of our warranties are serviced by the original retailer, but in the case of situations where customers have moved or retailers have gone out of business, we can usually make accommodations for warranty service near their current location, if we have a battery and a proof of purchase. I asked our call center for the transcript of their conversations with you and they indicated they had none attached to your name, so perhaps they didn't have that information. In any event, I apologize for that lack of service, as that is not typically how those situations are handled.
The parallel charging technique DanielJ described is also explained in this video.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
While we do sell our own chargers, most battery chargers will work just fine to charge and maintain our batteries. We do suggest avoiding “gel” or “gel/AGM” charger settings or any charging rates that exceed 10 amps. Contrary to Internet speculation, there is no gel in our batteries and all batteries are vulnerable to improper charging. In fact, some other brands will void your warranty if you use a charger that doesn't meet the exact charging parameters listed in their warranty (we don't do that with our warranty). Some load testers will have AGM or Optima-specific settings, but properly-trained battery professionals will be able to correctly identify and load-test a battery. Load testers that don't have specific settings for Optima or other AGM batteries generally won't require a different testing method for those batteries.
There are a lot of battery manufacturers (and even more brands), although most batteries produced for this market are manufactured by one of three companies, including Johnson Controls, which owns Optima batteries. However, we manufacture all of our own batteries in our own facility and they are the only batteries produced there. We never re-spec or re-brand our batteries for any of our retail partners. The quality of our batteries is also excellent and the batteries we are producing today are the best we have ever made. Spend enough time reading conversations about batteries and you'll find positive and negative reviews on every brand.
As for warranties, they are largely a function of marketing and not necessarily indicative of product quality. If any battery fails because of a manufacturing defect, it is likely to do so well within the first few weeks of use, if not the first few days. Beyond that, battery lifespan is largely connected to how it is used and maintained.
Bill, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had getting warranty service. All of our warranties are serviced by the original retailer, but in the case of situations where customers have moved or retailers have gone out of business, we can usually make accommodations for warranty service near their current location, if we have a battery and a proof of purchase. I asked our call center for the transcript of their conversations with you and they indicated they had none attached to your name, so perhaps they didn't have that information. In any event, I apologize for that lack of service, as that is not typically how those situations are handled.
The parallel charging technique DanielJ described is also explained in this video.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 5,416
Likes: 1,219
From: Glen Allen VA
Hello, I noticed your conversation involving our products and wanted to offer some assistance. Jim, fully-charged, your RedTop should measure about 12.6-12.8 volts. If you store it for extended periods of time and don't use a battery maintainer, it's a good idea to make sure the battery is fully-charged and disconnected from your vehicle when it goes into storage. When it's time to take it out of storage, it's good practice to fully-recharge the battery again with a battery charger, if possible, before starting and driving the car. That keeps stress off the car's alternator, which was designed to maintain a battery that is near a full state of charge, not recover a battery that may be more deeply-discharged.
While we do sell our own chargers, most battery chargers will work just fine to charge and maintain our batteries. We do suggest avoiding “gel” or “gel/AGM” charger settings or any charging rates that exceed 10 amps. Contrary to Internet speculation, there is no gel in our batteries and all batteries are vulnerable to improper charging. In fact, some other brands will void your warranty if you use a charger that doesn't meet the exact charging parameters listed in their warranty (we don't do that with our warranty). Some load testers will have AGM or Optima-specific settings, but properly-trained battery professionals will be able to correctly identify and load-test a battery. Load testers that don't have specific settings for Optima or other AGM batteries generally won't require a different testing method for those batteries.
There are a lot of battery manufacturers (and even more brands), although most batteries produced for this market are manufactured by one of three companies, including Johnson Controls, which owns Optima batteries. However, we manufacture all of our own batteries in our own facility and they are the only batteries produced there. We never re-spec or re-brand our batteries for any of our retail partners. The quality of our batteries is also excellent and the batteries we are producing today are the best we have ever made. Spend enough time reading conversations about batteries and you'll find positive and negative reviews on every brand.
As for warranties, they are largely a function of marketing and not necessarily indicative of product quality. If any battery fails because of a manufacturing defect, it is likely to do so well within the first few weeks of use, if not the first few days. Beyond that, battery lifespan is largely connected to how it is used and maintained.
Bill, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had getting warranty service. All of our warranties are serviced by the original retailer, but in the case of situations where customers have moved or retailers have gone out of business, we can usually make accommodations for warranty service near their current location, if we have a battery and a proof of purchase. I asked our call center for the transcript of their conversations with you and they indicated they had none attached to your name, so perhaps they didn't have that information. In any event, I apologize for that lack of service, as that is not typically how those situations are handled.
The parallel charging technique DanielJ described is also explained in this video.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
While we do sell our own chargers, most battery chargers will work just fine to charge and maintain our batteries. We do suggest avoiding “gel” or “gel/AGM” charger settings or any charging rates that exceed 10 amps. Contrary to Internet speculation, there is no gel in our batteries and all batteries are vulnerable to improper charging. In fact, some other brands will void your warranty if you use a charger that doesn't meet the exact charging parameters listed in their warranty (we don't do that with our warranty). Some load testers will have AGM or Optima-specific settings, but properly-trained battery professionals will be able to correctly identify and load-test a battery. Load testers that don't have specific settings for Optima or other AGM batteries generally won't require a different testing method for those batteries.
There are a lot of battery manufacturers (and even more brands), although most batteries produced for this market are manufactured by one of three companies, including Johnson Controls, which owns Optima batteries. However, we manufacture all of our own batteries in our own facility and they are the only batteries produced there. We never re-spec or re-brand our batteries for any of our retail partners. The quality of our batteries is also excellent and the batteries we are producing today are the best we have ever made. Spend enough time reading conversations about batteries and you'll find positive and negative reviews on every brand.
As for warranties, they are largely a function of marketing and not necessarily indicative of product quality. If any battery fails because of a manufacturing defect, it is likely to do so well within the first few weeks of use, if not the first few days. Beyond that, battery lifespan is largely connected to how it is used and maintained.
Bill, I'm sorry to hear about the problems you had getting warranty service. All of our warranties are serviced by the original retailer, but in the case of situations where customers have moved or retailers have gone out of business, we can usually make accommodations for warranty service near their current location, if we have a battery and a proof of purchase. I asked our call center for the transcript of their conversations with you and they indicated they had none attached to your name, so perhaps they didn't have that information. In any event, I apologize for that lack of service, as that is not typically how those situations are handled.
The parallel charging technique DanielJ described is also explained in this video.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,777
Likes: 105
Originally Posted by fargon
I've had 2 Optima batterys that failed prematurely. ...
http://www.odysseybattery.com
Last edited by babbah; Feb 25, 2016 at 06:03 PM.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 852
Likes: 112
From: Torrance California
I've had real good luck with AC Delco regardless of what some say. I've had one in my 67 for 14 years and it still load tests good. Have one in my '08' Z06 for five years and still checks good. Late model vettes are really sensitive to marginal batteries so you have to monitor their condition frequently. I do use Battery Tenders on both.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 852
Likes: 112
From: Torrance California
I've had real good luck with AC Delco regardless of what some say. I've had one in my 67 for 14 years and it still load tests good. Have one in my '08' Z06 for five years and still checks good. Late model vettes are really sensitive to marginal batteries so you have to monitor their condition frequently. I do use Battery Tenders on both.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 557
Likes: 75
From: Half Moon Bay CA
I'm an Optima fan boy. Lead acid batteries have a super high failure rate in environments where they sit in my experience. I just replaced the Optimas in my Duramax truck just because. They were bought as a pair and installed in 2005. I needed a couple of new tractor batteries so will use the 11+ year old Optimas until they fail and my truck gets an upgrade.
My 69 Camaro has one purchased in '04. My 240Z as well. I have (3) installed in jeeps that were bought in '04, '05, and '06 respectively. I have a couple of Blue Top combination batteries bought in '11 that are combination deep cycle/cranking and one yellow top marine. I think total count was thirteen with half of those over 10 years old.
The secret to having them last IMO is not trickle charging but disconnecting them from the rest of the car when it is sitting. Can't do this easily on late models, but anything with a carburetor a non-issue. Most of my vehicles sit for weeks if not months at a time on occasion and start right up after the battery is reconnected, no jump required.
The yellow top is the only one I have had fail at this point. It was purchased in '05 and made it to '14. I will say that when the first ones were bought at Sam's for less than $100 they were an EXCEPTIONAL value. If the newer ones make it 10+ years as well they are still a tremendous value compared to the lead acid batteries. Oh, and terminal corrosion because of out gassing minimized exponentially.
My 69 Camaro has one purchased in '04. My 240Z as well. I have (3) installed in jeeps that were bought in '04, '05, and '06 respectively. I have a couple of Blue Top combination batteries bought in '11 that are combination deep cycle/cranking and one yellow top marine. I think total count was thirteen with half of those over 10 years old.
The secret to having them last IMO is not trickle charging but disconnecting them from the rest of the car when it is sitting. Can't do this easily on late models, but anything with a carburetor a non-issue. Most of my vehicles sit for weeks if not months at a time on occasion and start right up after the battery is reconnected, no jump required.
The yellow top is the only one I have had fail at this point. It was purchased in '05 and made it to '14. I will say that when the first ones were bought at Sam's for less than $100 they were an EXCEPTIONAL value. If the newer ones make it 10+ years as well they are still a tremendous value compared to the lead acid batteries. Oh, and terminal corrosion because of out gassing minimized exponentially.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,777
Likes: 105
Originally Posted by ditchdigger650
That's the ticket on the red top optima, every time I drive the car I disconnect it when done. Have never charged it, Sat for 4 months one time I thought for sure it would be dead, it fired right up
Last edited by babbah; Feb 25, 2016 at 11:49 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
After reading all this, my $50 Rural King (Exide) batteries are looking better every day. I started buying them 5-6 years ago so I have no idea how long they will last because they are still lasting. I had only one that failed after one year (warranty) and Rural King gave me another one gratis. All the rest are still going.
I think it can also be assumed that some people have battery problems and some don't, regardless of battery brand. Fix the car before blaming the battery.
I think it can also be assumed that some people have battery problems and some don't, regardless of battery brand. Fix the car before blaming the battery.
Last edited by MikeM; Feb 26, 2016 at 05:23 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 279
Likes: 20
From: Glendale Wisconsin
pop23235, I read a lot of stories about our products online, both positive and negative and there are limits to what I'm able to do if someone has issues. I can't do much but apologize if someone no longer has the battery or any proof of purchase. When I am able to assist in some manner, I often find that further review reveals information never mentioned in the initial story- the battery purchased was used from someone on Craigslist, the owner has other underlying electrical issues, the owner damaged the battery, etc... We want to help people when we can, but there are limits to what we can do.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,884
Likes: 174
From: Melbourne FL
St. Jude Donor '09 & '11
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 128
Likes: 8
From: Harrisonville MO
pop23235, I read a lot of stories about our products online, both positive and negative and there are limits to what I'm able to do if someone has issues. I can't do much but apologize if someone no longer has the battery or any proof of purchase. When I am able to assist in some manner, I often find that further review reveals information never mentioned in the initial story- the battery purchased was used from someone on Craigslist, the owner has other underlying electrical issues, the owner damaged the battery, etc... We want to help people when we can, but there are limits to what we can do.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,777
Likes: 105
Originally Posted by mdyearmike
Where are Optima batteries manufactured?
http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/.../215667?page=1
Last edited by babbah; Mar 1, 2016 at 10:57 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 279
Likes: 20
From: Glendale Wisconsin
mdyearmike, all of our batteries are produced in our own production facility in Monterrey. They are the only batteries produced there and we never re-brand or re-spec our batteries for any of our retail partners. You can watcha video tour of our facility here.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,777
Likes: 105
Originally Posted by OptimaJim
mdyearmike, all of our batteries are produced in our own production facility in Monterrey. They are the only batteries produced there and we never re-brand or re-spec our batteries for any of our retail partners. You can watcha video tour of our facility here.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
The video says plant is in Monterrey Mexico. Good video.
Last edited by babbah; Mar 3, 2016 at 11:45 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 8,897
Likes: 1,357
From: Santa Ana CA
I've been running a Yellow Top Optima faithfully in my '64 for many years, and I bought it used.
It's been drained all the way, probably a couple times, and always came back with no problems.
But, the Optimas don't fit well with the stock battery hold down on the midyears. Initially, I added some spacers, but eventually replaced it with a polished billet aluminum piece made just for the Optimas, and this gives a nice fit. These are available through the "Tri-Five" group.
It's been drained all the way, probably a couple times, and always came back with no problems.
But, the Optimas don't fit well with the stock battery hold down on the midyears. Initially, I added some spacers, but eventually replaced it with a polished billet aluminum piece made just for the Optimas, and this gives a nice fit. These are available through the "Tri-Five" group.