Ok so I think I need a new battery again, this Die Hard Gold battery only lasted only 5 years and the yellow topped Optima only lasted 2 years. Who makes a good battey that fits and lasts in these cars.... My battery needs a charger on it if it doesn't get driven in 1 week. Is this normal or am I nuts

 

No, it is not normal.
Your car should be able to sit for several weeks and still be able to start.

My car has sat as long as a month without being started during the winter.
However, doing that is very likely to decrease the life of the battery.
I had to replace my battery after 5 years.

I started using a "Battery Tender" when the car is going to sit idle for any length of time.
Not so much because the battery goes dead, but just because it prolongs the service life of the battery.

Also note, there is a difference between a battery tender and a charger.

 

WOW a optima failed within 2 years
The yellow top optima is a deep cycle battery that can handle repeated deep discharges, so shoulkd suit a car that is not used for weeks at a time.
I have had some basic batterys last up to 6 years and some not even 2 years also, it comes down to what is happening during the times the car is not used. My vette is a weekend car and can sometimes sit in the garage for weeks at a time

The yellow top Optima i got came with a 2 year guarantee as do most upper end lead acid batterys, so see if you can get them to come to the party

Check your power antenna, i had mine flatten the battery a few times before i found the antenna was cutting in and out (that killed a battery that was a few months old), they activate a switch by movement during the fully up or down position to stop the antenna motor, it can activate by itself (i disasembled my antenna and greased it so it went up and down smoothly as it was binding with plastic to plastic contact) Also check the under hood lights are not turning on with the hood closed.

Listen for clicks at the left rear it may only do it every few mins but it can flatten a battery quickly.

Also check your alternator is charging the battery correctly and not overcharging the battery.

 

Here's what I would do:

1. Buy a true starting battery. Buy one with a large reserve capacity. The yellow-top Optima is a dual-purpose battery, and as such is not as well-suited to engine-starting duties as a true starting battery.

2. Check the current draw while the car is parked. It should be less than 50mA. If it is more, look for the source of the excessive drain. Remember to wait for the delayed-accessory bus to time out, and be sure all lamps are out (underhood lamps, interior lamps, etc).

3. Use a battery tender to maximize the service life of the new battery. I added a cigarette-lighter plug to my tender, which makes it super easy to connect and disconnect.

Live well,

SJW

 

Well i have a friend who has a yellow top optima in his 87 and has no problem with it for the last 7 years

When i put my new 383 engine in and found out the cam was installed 180 deg out after i could not get her started #@!&* engine builder !!!
I had my yellow top cranking and cranking it did not die it just kept on going 650cca is not bad i think.
Anyway my vette usually starts straight away within half a second
Not much required to start a TPI

The yellow top optima is a deep cycle battery that was recommended over the red top due to the amount of electrical load not the starting current requirement and long time the vette spends in the garage, (i run the thermo/fans all the time the ignition is on re intercooler). I was surprised at how long she cranked that 383 that was back fireing and would not start.

They can handle the punishment of being abused and the volts stay high.

Well i will let you know how long my optima lasts

(don't get me wrong any battery can fry and die with high current flattening the battery)

 

Yes?

Four years on a standard lead/acid is pretty good. 5-6 is very good.
Optimas? Have yet to hear anything that makes me want to go out and buy one.

 

I had two red top Optimas in a row fail in under 2 years. The first time I got a ride home and took the battery out of my other Corvette. The second time I got a $75 jump from a tow truck. I'll never put another Optima in my car. I heard that they were bought out and cheapened.

I used to use only Delco batteries and one of them lasted 8 years, but Delco sold the line and they are junk (in my opinion).

Now I have a Sears Platinum (made by Odyssey). It's been great so far.

 

I have a Interstate Megatron 2 that was getting weak after 5 years and took it to Autozone where the pimple faced kid told me it had a dead cell after he checked it on his machine. Not taking his word for it I then took it to Carquest and they checked it on there machine and I got the same answer. So I went to the local Interstate to get a new battery, The Sales guy there told me that these batteries are the best and all I needed was to leave it with him for 2 days and he would put it on a slow and low charge for the entire time and it would be good as new. I just keep a Battery Tender on it now and i havent had a problem since.

 

I'm with Cliff on Optima life. I have had two die in less than two years. A new one is now north of $200. Not gonna do that.

 

My original battery that came with the car in 1996 lasted 7 years!
In the winter when my car is put away, I use my Battery Tender since the car sits for several months.
My replacement battery was the Red Top Optima and it is still going strong after 8 years!!

 

Op, you have an obvious current drain that is killing your batteries. Everytime a lead acid battery is drained to zero, damage is done within. Too many of these and it's new battery time. Seems like this is what is happening to you.

 

OP, a simple question. Do you have an aftermarket alarm installed? I've seen them kill more batteries. Otherwise, as someone earlier said, check you current drain. If it's high, pull fuses (one at a time, of course) until it drops. Then you'll know which circuit to start checking. A good lead acid battery should last 5 years tops. After that they get untrustworthy, in my opinion. Best place to by a battery is Walmart because they're the same battery everyone else sells, just private labelled and cheaper.

 

A cautionary tale on the subject of Optima Batteries.

I buy all my batteries at Batteries Plus, which sells nothing but batteries of all types and manufacturers.

I have an old work truck with a 460 c.i. engine. Despite setting forlorn, forgotten and neglected for sometimes months at a time, it usually fires right up. A year or so ago, the alternator went out and took the battery with it (or vice versa; whatever). When I went to replace the Optima red top that was in it, I intended to replace it with another Optima. However, the sales person cautioned that they had recently been seeing roughly a ten percent return of defective Optima batteries.

Long story short, I upgraded to another brand (off hand, I can't recall the brand name, except that it has a blue case and copper, not lead, posts). On the plus side, I was able to use the remainder of the Optima pro rated warranty to offset the cost of the new battery.

 

My car is a 94 and nothing with the wiring is altered.... stock radio, stock PKE with alarm, under hood lights fuse is pulled, and I do not hear the antenna running (in fact i think the motor is broken). So who makes a good reliable battery because I definately feel that Optimas and Delco batteries are junk and I haven't been thrilled with the Die Hard as well. I do have a trickle charger that I put on the battery once a month for about a day during the winter months to keep a charge however my charger isn't a battery tender. Do battery tenders shut off once a full charge is met? What brands of batteries are reliable and fit in these cars? We all know how much of a PITA it is to put a battery in these cars because you have to remove the fender and rocker pannel just to gain access.

 

Only the fender!

I'll leave the "choice" alone but any Group 75 with side terminals are a fit. If your local to a battery store of sorts that's well established I might start there. They might offer several brands and understand your needs.

I'd check the electrical system for draws and a "trickle" charger is NOT a "tender".

 

To the OP:

This topic comes around more times than a carousel pony!

With the doors closed and curtesy lights off, normal current draw should not exceed 0.050A (or 50mA) and usually about half that for the C4s I've the chance to test. If you current draw is higher than 0.05A, something is "leaking". Time to pull fuses and watch to see when current falls off to ID the circuit. Then the ol FSM comes into play to further isolate the culprit.

As for battery life, using a smart charger, such as the Battery Tenders (various flavors, but I like the little waterproof 800mA version = about $35ish (at Amazon) make ALL the difference). Without these chargers, 5 years is about the limit, and after that its gravy time. However, every time the (non-deep cycling, lead acid type) are drained flat, you take months or years off it's life expectancy (has been my experience) - battery tender or not.

I can't say how long a car battery lasts when using the Battery Tender, because the Everstart (Walmart) battery in my wife's seldom driven C3 is 8 years old and counting. It has been on the BT the whole time, and it whips her little 11.0:1 compression L46 over like new to this day! and, the Walmart battery in my 11.8:1 compression LT5 is at least 5 years old - came with the car when I bought it - and it too has been on the BT for 5 years now. (BTW, I think this speaks well of the BTs too for running continuously for this many years w/o a problem!).

Mebby dis will hep you (or someone else too).

P.

 

My '90 is on its second battery which is now 12 years old. It's a Delco Professional series and has always been hooked up to a battery tender when not on the road...sometimes from October to May while in storage.

Some folks I know buy Costco batteries @ about $65 with a 6 year warranty and first 3 years at no prorated charge. After the first 2 and a half years they take them back to customer service who doesn't even look at them and get a new one at no charge. That way you always have a fresh battery freebie.

 

Uhhhh.... Honest, St. Peter... It wasn't really stealing. You see they had this warranty...

 

 

Hey mon, you gotta git wid dee progrom. Eets called entitlement. 47% of us are already on it. Its dee American Way!! Only problem is you guys gotta pay for it but don't fret...you'll get your turn.

As for St. Peter...just show him your card. If you don't have one go around to the back gate or jump the fence.