Its been hit or miss lately with Optima
Optima Batteries No Good????
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 260
From: Westchester County New York
Optima Batteries No Good????
I was always under the impression that Optima Batteries (either the yellow top or red top) were the best batteries around....
Now Im hearing that they dont hold charges and Im getting bad feedback about them.
Im ready to buy a new battery but maybe an old standby like a DieHard is the way to go???
Thoughts...comments....
Now Im hearing that they dont hold charges and Im getting bad feedback about them.
Im ready to buy a new battery but maybe an old standby like a DieHard is the way to go???
Thoughts...comments....
Supporting Tuner
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,311
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
I have had the Optima Red Top for about six months now and have not had any problems. Awhile back I saw some threads about the optima batteries having problems but even in those posts I saw more postive feedback about the batteries than negative.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 260
From: Westchester County New York
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 24,652
Likes: 298
From: NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'08
great concept and all, but I have them fail just like any otehr battery.I am going with something else when this one dies....
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Instructor
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 226
Likes: 0
From: Palo Alto Ca
optima
Replaced stock battery after it died two month old......got a Red top and it been in the car since Dec 03 on problems.....car is a daily driver......
Also they are suppose to have a great warrenity
Also they are suppose to have a great warrenity
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
A buddy bought a Red Top for hiz ZR-1 last year and it lasted 4 months. He got it replaced under warranty and that one went about 60 days before it failed. He now has an AC Delco in the car and working fine.
The reports of Optima battery problems seemed to be from all around the country according to posts in both the C4 and C5 sections. The chances are that there was a batch of bad batteries that got shipped all over the country.
Personally I would be hesitant to buy one at this point. The original battery in my old 92 'vert lasted 11 years; the only reason I replaced it was because of a trip I was taking across country and didn't want to risk being stranded somewhere. I gave the OEM battery to a friend for his truck and it stayed in there until last August! Not too shabby for a 14 year old battery.
The reports of Optima battery problems seemed to be from all around the country according to posts in both the C4 and C5 sections. The chances are that there was a batch of bad batteries that got shipped all over the country.
Personally I would be hesitant to buy one at this point. The original battery in my old 92 'vert lasted 11 years; the only reason I replaced it was because of a trip I was taking across country and didn't want to risk being stranded somewhere. I gave the OEM battery to a friend for his truck and it stayed in there until last August! Not too shabby for a 14 year old battery.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 235
From: North Carolina
Replaced my original Delco's with Exide Orbital a few years back. Its a AGM replacement and has been working fine. If its not a DD use the battery tender, almost any battery is going to go down after 4-5 weeks in these cars, especially stored in the winter months.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,857
Likes: 2
From: pawleys island sc
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,766
Likes: 0
From: Western North Carolina
CI 3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '07
I have had my Exide Orbital for 4 years.No problems and I don't drive my Vette alot. I use a battery Tender. Got mine at NAPA.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
From: Brenham Texas
Optima
I have had the red top for about one and half years now.
If the battery is not charged on a regular basis, like every 3 days
It won't start the car.
I do not have a battery tender but a small 2 amp charger that I put on it three times a week.
I really should drive the car more, but in the winter it rains most every week.
Don't like to get it in the rain. I know, kind of strange, but that is me.
The battery always charges back up.
I had it checked out by Auto Zone they told me it was fine just keep a trickly charge on it if it sits for a while.
If the battery is not charged on a regular basis, like every 3 days
It won't start the car.
I do not have a battery tender but a small 2 amp charger that I put on it three times a week.
I really should drive the car more, but in the winter it rains most every week.
Don't like to get it in the rain. I know, kind of strange, but that is me.
The battery always charges back up.
I had it checked out by Auto Zone they told me it was fine just keep a trickly charge on it if it sits for a while.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 310
Likes: 1
From: St.Louis Missouri
I had one in my race car and it never worked worth a crap so I traded it for a few gallons of race fuel.I talked to several other people at the track that had bad luck with them too but I've talked to a few that had good luck too.The ones that had good luck with them told me they had to charge them with 50+ amps to get them to work.I ran a alt. but never charged it with more than 15 amps.Made 3 passes and the car ran worse each pass and then wouldn't make it down the return road.I never plan to mess with one agin.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I have had the red top for about one and half years now.
If the battery is not charged on a regular basis, like every 3 days
It won't start the car.
I do not have a battery tender but a small 2 amp charger that I put on it three times a week.
I really should drive the car more, but in the winter it rains most every week.
Don't like to get it in the rain. I know, kind of strange, but that is me.
The battery always charges back up.
I had it checked out by Auto Zone they told me it was fine just keep a trickly charge on it if it sits for a while.
If the battery is not charged on a regular basis, like every 3 days
It won't start the car.
I do not have a battery tender but a small 2 amp charger that I put on it three times a week.
I really should drive the car more, but in the winter it rains most every week.
Don't like to get it in the rain. I know, kind of strange, but that is me.
The battery always charges back up.
I had it checked out by Auto Zone they told me it was fine just keep a trickly charge on it if it sits for a while.
I would agree that maybe being a daily driver is probably helpful, but to say it has to be driven every three days or so is not so.
Life Time NCM #2196
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 82,586
Likes: 1,698
From: Converse TX
Mine lasted 2 1/2 years and Pep Boys replaced mine free and I will also use another battery when this red top dies
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,167
Likes: 11
From: Powell TN
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
In the October '06 issue of Consumer Reports (the same issue with the road test of the new Z06 ) it rates the Duralast (Autozone) and the Everstart (Walmart) as the CR Best Buys. The Everstart finished in the top five in every catagory (out of 62 batteries, 5 catagories).
The top picks if you live in a cold climate were:
1. Everstart
2. AC Delco
3. Napa
The top picks if you live in a warm climate were:
1. Napa
2. Duralast
3. AC Delco
Something most people don't know is, almost all replacement batteries are made by just three companies: Exide, Johnson Controls, and East Penn. which build them to retailers specs.
Only two batteries rated Excellent in the Life Test catagory.
1. Napa 84 Select 8465
2. Duralast 65-DL
Also, all batteries are labeled with a shipping date code. It will be a letter and a number. For example C6 (
) would be March of '06
) it rates the Duralast (Autozone) and the Everstart (Walmart) as the CR Best Buys. The Everstart finished in the top five in every catagory (out of 62 batteries, 5 catagories). The top picks if you live in a cold climate were:
1. Everstart
2. AC Delco
3. Napa
The top picks if you live in a warm climate were:
1. Napa
2. Duralast
3. AC Delco
Something most people don't know is, almost all replacement batteries are made by just three companies: Exide, Johnson Controls, and East Penn. which build them to retailers specs.
Only two batteries rated Excellent in the Life Test catagory.
1. Napa 84 Select 8465
2. Duralast 65-DL
Also, all batteries are labeled with a shipping date code. It will be a letter and a number. For example C6 (
) would be March of '06
Last edited by 'VETTE PHASE; Jan 10, 2007 at 07:22 PM.