Optima Battery? Any input
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 363
Likes: 8
From: Pikeville KY
Optima Battery? Any input
Time to buy a new Battery and I was wondering if anyone is running one in there car and what do you think. I have ran Delco, Interstate and Decka all in the past and they are all great. I was just thinking of trying one. I also went to there website and they do not show one for a 95 Corvette, what gives?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
IIRC, the Optima batteries have a slightly different case dimension and the factory battery hold down has to be modified to hold the Optima in place. And I don't think that the Optima comes in the correct group size for C4's.
Another concern is the possibility of the positive top post on the Optima can be close to the angled firewall brace and they 'could' come in contact and short.
Interstate would be a good choice as would a AC Delco "Professional Grade" battery (which are not sold in retail stores). DieHard Gold would be another decent battery.
Another concern is the possibility of the positive top post on the Optima can be close to the angled firewall brace and they 'could' come in contact and short.
Interstate would be a good choice as would a AC Delco "Professional Grade" battery (which are not sold in retail stores). DieHard Gold would be another decent battery.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,966
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From: Made In America
St. Jude Donor '10-'11
I hate the damn thing. i have had three red ones all under warranty. Nothing but trouble. Interstate is the best battery I have ever had. I had a AC delco years ago, and it leaked acid. I have the optima now and once it dies, it's gone! You have to use the side post due to the cruise control being right there above it. If it bumps, that is not good news. No other modifcations were made for *my* car. Before the new owner took over Optima, they were fine. Now they are mad cheaper and they suck!
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 151
Likes: 1
Optima batteries have the same dimensions as any other battery of the same size designation. The main reason to use an Optima red top (or any glass mat battery ) is "No leakage " Have you ever looked under your battery tray ? Lead Acid batteries leak acid after time. Eventually, yor lead acid battery will leak on the wire bundle below the battery tray.
The problem with optima not listing a battery for the late modle corvetts is that there ia a cross brace that runs above the battery .The top posts on the Optima will hit the brace. You will need to cut off the Positive terminal so it clears the brace. The optime size 75/25 that fits the corvette has both top and side terminals.
Hope this helps
The problem with optima not listing a battery for the late modle corvetts is that there ia a cross brace that runs above the battery .The top posts on the Optima will hit the brace. You will need to cut off the Positive terminal so it clears the brace. The optime size 75/25 that fits the corvette has both top and side terminals.
Hope this helps
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Optima Battery
I have had nothing but good luck with the Optima battery. I use red tops and it takes only a slight amount of adjustments to get them to fit. I even use the OEM hold down with no problems. Up here in VT it gets a bit cold in Jan and Feb and the Vette sits in an unheated garage for weeks and the battery never looses charge. The Vette starts every time. I use the same battery in my Blazer without any problems at all. I work for a shop that sells Interstate and I have had 2 fail in our Volvo XC. Optimas are great.
Good luck
Don
Good luck
Don
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Red top -- 2 years -- no problems 
Max G’s
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,751
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From: Monroe OH
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Have tried these out on some trucks. Great thing is that when they completely discharge they can be trickle charged back and will again hold thier charge. The downside is that if they are not run on a regular basis they will loose their charge and will have to be trickle charged again. For the use of my Vettes, which is not during the winter, I chose not to go with an optima. 
Last edited by l98tpi; Mar 20, 2009 at 11:24 PM. Reason: spelling
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
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From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Optimas cost more than conventional car batteries and Consumers Report measured lower capacity than claimed. If they had an advantage to justify their higher cost, I could understand using one, but they are mearly a lead acid battery with a fiberglass mat between coiled lead plates. They have less potential to leak acid and take hard vibration better than conventional batteries, but other than that I don't see why anyone would pay the extra price. We have had quite a number of posters that had them and had trouble. One guy said the place he bought them from stopped carrying them because of all the returns.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,141
Likes: 7
From: Metairie Louisiana
I use Autozone's Duralast Gold battery. It has a good warranty and when it starts to go bad I can drive to the nearest Autozone and replace it in the parking lot like I did last time. I've never had a problem with them leaking.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,394
Likes: 2,741
If you insist on using an Optima remove the brace "notch it and close the notch"!
There are "few" battery manufacturers out there presently, batteries are usually just built to "vendor" specifications.
Buy a "national brand" battery from a "reliable" local vendor and "pay attention" to the "free replacement" portion of the warranty. A five to ten dollar difference in price can land you 12 or 18 maybe even as much as 24 months additional "free replacement"!!
ACDelco "Professional" example: 5YR-18 month free, 6YR-30 month free and a 7YR-50 month free. The 6YR/7YR price is comparatable.
Leave your "breaker bar" in the tool box, you won't need it to secure the cables to the battery! The more common cause of terminal failure leading to a leak!
Last edited by WVZR-1; Mar 21, 2009 at 01:49 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,619
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From: Salem Oregon
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Just FYI, my bf works at the company (Johnson Controls) that USED to make the optima, but the company discontinued making them, and they are NOW manufactured in MEXICO.
It has gotten bad feedback since.
Laura
It has gotten bad feedback since.
Laura
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 3
From: Souderton Pa.
From personal experience the batteries work fine for my needs. However I have had my Optimas for a couple of years now. All of you that are having trouble. when did you buy them? I wonder if mine are from the previous manufacturer.
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
i have a red top it actually works great for the car if you don't have a 1600 watt stereo system or more. it will still draw from it having another gel battery hooked up. only thing is i've really noticed if it gets low it takes a lot longer for the alternator to charge it back up then a none gel battery.