optima red top
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 552
Likes: 0
From: Alton Illinois
optima red top
i have read a lot on this form about batteries and red top has come up often. i bought my car with a new red top in it and after 2 years it shot craps. has anyone ever tried to get warranty service for a red top if you are not near the place it was purchased. it was a joke. first of all, the web site for optima does not list any u.s. distributors and secondly, the apparent u.s. central distribution site is somewhere in colorado and i could not find them on the web. my battery was 18 mo. old and no one who carried the optimus red top would honor the warranty unless i bought it from them. the whole warranty process is and was a joke. i needed a battery not another web quest so i finally gave up and bought a gold from zone (who also sells optima red and yellow top). i won't even consider an optima in the future, not to mention that the zone is a 4 yr. replacement and 8 yr warranty battery! i don't feel that great about the zone but the warranty is pretty good and the battery is easy to r & r!
just thought i would pass this little tid bit along for those considering red tops
just thought i would pass this little tid bit along for those considering red tops
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,803
Likes: 205
From: Hillsboro OR
I haven't used the warranty service yet. So I can't comment on that. I have mostly heard that if a Red Top is idle for a while, they die. I have only had mine for ~4 months and so far so good. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 925
Likes: 4
From: EXTON PA
i have read a lot on this form about batteries and red top has come up often. i bought my car with a new red top in it and after 2 years it shot craps. has anyone ever tried to get warranty service for a red top if you are not near the place it was purchased. it was a joke. first of all, the web site for optima does not list any u.s. distributors and secondly, the apparent u.s. central distribution site is somewhere in colorado and i could not find them on the web. my battery was 18 mo. old and no one who carried the optimus red top would honor the warranty unless i bought it from them. the whole warranty process is and was a joke. i needed a battery not another web quest so i finally gave up and bought a gold from zone (who also sells optima red and yellow top). i won't even consider an optima in the future, not to mention that the zone is a 4 yr. replacement and 8 yr warranty battery! i don't feel that great about the zone but the warranty is pretty good and the battery is easy to r & r!
just thought i would pass this little tid bit along for those considering red tops
just thought i would pass this little tid bit along for those considering red tops
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 4
From: Brookfield Wisconsin
Red Tops will die very easy in Garage Queens or cars that are NOT daily drivers. My first one died in my Delorean over the Winter storage, this is when I found out they are not for Garage Queens or non daily drivers. I had zero issues getting a new Battery under warranty. After that I kept the battery topped off and had zero issues for 3 years till I sold the car this February.
I believe the warranty is for the original purchaser only, most warranty's need the original receipt to validate the warranty.
I believe the warranty is for the original purchaser only, most warranty's need the original receipt to validate the warranty.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 142
Likes: 1
From: Playa Del Rey Ca
Red Top replacement
for your next battery, try Pep Boys. I bought a Red Top there about a year ago. Took the Vett into them a few months ago with no Pep Boys receipt with me. They looked it up on their computer, found when I bought the battery and replaaced it with a new one. There was a $6.00 charge.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
You need a battery maintenance charger to keep any battery fully charged if the car isn't being regularly driven and charged. Starting it up a couple of times a month during the winter isn't going to keep the battery fully charged with the electrical draw on it from multiple computers/modules/security system, etc.
OPTIMA is a site supporting vendor by the way. Their website does show distributors within various miles of the zip code you enter. AUTO ZONE and COSTCO are two in my rural area. They can be found at PEPBOYS and many battery suppliers as well.
Using Allton, IL zip code 62002 of the original poster, I found seven pages of distributors within 25 miles...
http://www.optimabatteries.com/deale..._DoSearch_y=12
Last edited by hotwheels57; Mar 13, 2008 at 01:18 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 4
From: Brookfield Wisconsin
Mine is still going strong after 3 years.
I believe the Optima is made buy the same company that makes the AC Delco.
Normally I would just buy a Farm and Fleet battery http://www.farmandfleet.com/ , I have had a 100% success rate with them and I think they are made by the same company.
I believe the Optima is made buy the same company that makes the AC Delco.
Normally I would just buy a Farm and Fleet battery http://www.farmandfleet.com/ , I have had a 100% success rate with them and I think they are made by the same company.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
It was still going strong with the new owner 2 years later since I gave him the charger when he bought the car.
I've have them in daily drivers, employers fleet vehicles and "garage queens" on BATTERY TENDER PLUS float chargers. I've never had one fail yet.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,956
Likes: 2
From: Indianapolis In
so i finally gave up and bought a gold from zone (who also sells optima red and yellow top).
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
In general, AGM batteries are long-lasting only in vehicles that are used often, for distances of over 10 miles or so. If don't want to have to hook up a battery tender every time your car will be idle for a couple of weeks, a good lead acid is the way to go. The AC Delco Professional has a 50-month FREE replacement warranty and costs about $100. It can be exchanged any where AC Delco batteries are sold.
7th Gear
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Alvarado TX
Red tops are not set up for typical cars to my knowledge, they are designed for heavy duty farm equipment where they are used only to start and not power anything else (radios, etc). I am a big fan of Optima's and have used every color they got, a blue top starts the big block in my boat, and red and yellow power my 6.5TD Chevy. The blue is only a year old with no problems but the yellow is 5+ years and the red is 2+ years with no problems from either. When the delco craps out in the vette is when I get an yellow top for it. According to the booklet that comes with the optima batteries, red tops would not be recommened for our applications, but yellows would be.