dead optima red top !!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 447
Likes: 0
From: Malta Europe
dead optima red top !!!
I need your opinion corvette people !! In december 01 I replaced battery+alternator the alternator was bought from mid america, that one is still good and the battery was bought from my local parts store , the battery that I bought is a red top optima !! If I let the battery sists for a while like 2weeks ,it would go down lo as 10.9volts but If i go out with it it will go up to 12.5 volts , so I don`t have any charging problems !!!so I took it off and on several times becouse of this problem and the man at the shop always telling me it`s good !!! now I had it with this battery should I replace it with another brand or I should give optima another chance !!!??? I am asking this because I always hear good things about optima ,but my optima was the bad of them all :mad what do the guys with optima people think of these batterys ?? should I give em another try by buying a new one ??? :confused:
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 447
Likes: 0
From: Malta Europe
Re: dead optima red top !!! (bogus)
thats funny becouse I always desconnect the negative terminal when it`s in my garage !! so there is nothing wrong with the vette !! it`s a battery thing for shure !! :mad
Race Director
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 16,950
Likes: 0
From: Stafford, Virginia Kittah, Kittah, Kittah...
Re: dead optima red top !!! (marlon88)
I like my red top, in fact I'm putting one in my daily driver when the current Die Hard goes...
You could have a bad battery, it happens with any product... But you really don't hear of other's complaining very often of failure with these...
My Vette also if left for two weeks drops into the 11s, I wired up a float charger with a plug that comes out of the driver's side gill panel to keep it charged while I'm not driving it...
I know the later models at least have some current drain to them, not sure about the earlier models... As you stated though, it appears as you wouldn't ahve that problem if you disconnect the battery each time you're done driving it...
Give it another try... You could go to something else to find out that it's not any better or it might even be worse... I've had Delco batteries that lasted 5 years, and some that lasted 2 weeks... About the only battery I've ever liked other than the Optima was the Interstate brand...
[Modified by wake, 2:58 AM 4/10/2003]
You could have a bad battery, it happens with any product... But you really don't hear of other's complaining very often of failure with these...
My Vette also if left for two weeks drops into the 11s, I wired up a float charger with a plug that comes out of the driver's side gill panel to keep it charged while I'm not driving it...
I know the later models at least have some current drain to them, not sure about the earlier models... As you stated though, it appears as you wouldn't ahve that problem if you disconnect the battery each time you're done driving it...
Give it another try... You could go to something else to find out that it's not any better or it might even be worse... I've had Delco batteries that lasted 5 years, and some that lasted 2 weeks... About the only battery I've ever liked other than the Optima was the Interstate brand...
[Modified by wake, 2:58 AM 4/10/2003]
Racer
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 276
Likes: 0
From: Springboro OH
Re: dead optima red top !!! (marlon88)
I have the red tops in all my cars, one's that sit and daily drivers. I have never had that kind of problem. Check for a short and give it another try. BTW you should get credit if you take it back to where you purchased it.
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Racer
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Palm City FL
Re: dead optima red top !!! (silver & red CE)
We were running a red top in a chevelle race car. After about a year, it would go down to about 9v. aftersitting for a week. We tried fully chargeing it before it sat, but still same. Interstate swapped it out and no problems since. (almost a year).
I put a red top in my malibu about 2.5 yrs ago. The car sat in a paint shop for about a year. I needed a new bat for the vette, so I yanked it. It was stone dead.(mv) I hit it with a 10 amp charge, and its been in the vette since.(8mos)
I also put one in my dads F150, no problem.
I put a red top in my malibu about 2.5 yrs ago. The car sat in a paint shop for about a year. I needed a new bat for the vette, so I yanked it. It was stone dead.(mv) I hit it with a 10 amp charge, and its been in the vette since.(8mos)
I also put one in my dads F150, no problem.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: dead optima red top !!! (marlon88)
thats funny becouse I always desconnect the negative terminal when it`s in my garage !! so there is nothing wrong with the vette !! it`s a battery thing for shure !! :mad
Drifting
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 1
From: Greensboro NC
Re: dead optima red top !!! (bogus)
I have heard of Optima battery failures off and on on several forums, so caution is advised when buying these. These posts were all concerning teh red tops. The common thing I noticed was that when a red top optima got discharged way down just once, it would not hold charge anymore when recharged.
I went for a genuine AC Delco when mine went a two years ago. $80 bucks. I also have a battery tender on it over the winter. I seriously doubt that one Optima will alst as long as two AC Delco's.
If you go by Consumer Reports who did a car battery test last year, you go with the Sears Die hard Gold battery. They came out way ahead of all other batteries. Dunno if they also had a red top in that test.
I went for a genuine AC Delco when mine went a two years ago. $80 bucks. I also have a battery tender on it over the winter. I seriously doubt that one Optima will alst as long as two AC Delco's.
If you go by Consumer Reports who did a car battery test last year, you go with the Sears Die hard Gold battery. They came out way ahead of all other batteries. Dunno if they also had a red top in that test.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 596
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From: Tollhouse Ca
Re: dead optima red top !!! (marlon88)
The only batteries I've had problems with were Exides. I've bought batteries for my boat and my driver from Wal Mart. I don't even know what brand they are, but they've worked fine and I don't think I paid over $50 - $60 for them, so I see no need to spend big bux on a battery .. jmho
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,498
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From: Bucks county Pa
Re: dead optima red top !!! (84FromHell)
Heres my Optima story. I bought one a red top for my 84. It was all good as first then was dying every other day if it sat. I swapped it for a delco right before i sold it then found out the dealer found a bad interior light timer. Tried to return battery for a prorate on another. They gave me a hard time so i scammed them for a new one. I put this new optima in my 77 olds beater. Ill tell you what no BS this car can sit 6 weeks and starts right up. Granted it aint a vette but has a analog clock that runs and it donesnt go on long trips. Im half tempted to put it back in this vette cause im getting a stereo. The New Delco in this vette only holds for 2 weeks if the car get driven. So im sayin they dont suk, it could be the car. I hated them too and everyone was like youre nutz theyre awsome. :cheers:
