You can pick them up at any dealership or check out:

http://www.acdelco.com/index.jsp

Enter your zip code and select batteries. Keep in mind, though that not all non-dealership auto parts stores that sell AC Delcos, sell their Professional series batteries.

 

I just replaced the original battery in my 04 coupe this morning. It was also going on six years old. I wasn't having any problems, but I figured at six years, it was bound to happen. I put another six year Delco back in it.

 

My '03 Z has an Optima red top in it. I'm not sure how old the battery is. It was already installed when I purchased the car. I have no complaints about it. It does the job just fine. My '98 Mustang had an Optima yellow top that I installed when I bought that car a few years ago. It survived being run down thanks to me leaving my lights on for a very long time and from being run down because of a dead alternator. I charged it back up and it worked like new both times. I, personally, have never had a problem with any of the Optima batteries I have owned.

Good luck with your choice!

 

Hi guys, I saw some confusion regarding Optima batteries and just wanted to try to clear some things up. If your car is not a daily driver and is packed with all kinds of electronics (as most newer ‘Vettes are), you should really consider purchasing a battery tender/minder, regardless of the battery you are using. There is a direct correlation between long battery life in these vehicles and the regular use of a battery tender.

Because of the high-purity lead grid in Optima batteries, they have a self-discharge rate much lower than conventional flat-plate batteries. This means they can sit for longer periods and still retain enough charge to start your vehicle. All batteries like being stored in cool, dry places and depending on storage temperature, a properly-charged Optima can usually sit for 8-12 months and start most vehicles, but they should be checked every six months, to make sure they have at least 12.4 volts.

When you’re getting ready to take your vehicle out of storage, it’s a good idea to check the voltage of the battery before driving your vehicle. If it needs a charge, charge it before you drive it. Otherwise, the battery may have enough of a charge to start your car once, but if you don’t drive it long enough, the alternator may not re-charge the battery and you could find yourself stranded a few miles from home.

If you leave your battery hooked up to your vehicle while it’s in storage or don’t use a maintenance charger, the battery could get discharged more deeply. Either way, you’ll probably end up with a deeply-discharged battery that can’t start your vehicle, but an Optima can probably be recharged.

Texanz06, I’m sorry to hear of the problem you had with your YellowTop. While we do have batteries that go bad, many of the batteries returned to us with “dead cells” are simply in a state of deep discharge and work perfectly fine when properly re-charged with an AGM-specific charger or by using the following technique-

If an Optima is deeply discharged (below 10.5 volts) most basic chargers will not supply a charge. Also keep in mind an Optima will not recharge properly if treated as a regular flooded or gel battery. To charge the battery, you can wire a 2nd fully charged automotive battery (12V+) to the discharged Optima in parallel (+ to + and – to –). Then hook up the charger to the discharged battery, setting the charger at 10 amps. Leave for 2 hours, monitoring frequently. When the discharged battery reaches 10.5 volts or more, remove the 2nd battery and continue charging the Optima until fully charged.

Typically we recommend charging at a relatively low current, such as 2 amps, but when the battery has been deeply discharged, some sulfation of the battery plates may have occurred. If you charge at 10 amps, the higher current will help to break up this sulfation.

If you have an automatic charger, let it run until the charger indicates charging is complete. If you have a manual charger, estimate charging time by multiplying the capacity (amp hours or Ah) of the battery by 1.2 for a rough estimate of charging time in hours.

In most cases these steps will recover an Optima battery. It’s okay for the battery to get slightly warm during the charging process, but hot to the touch means there’s a short and the process should be discontinued.

When buying a replacement battery for your vehicle, it’s a good idea to find out how old the battery is that you are purchasing. Optima batteries have a serial number on a white, 1”x3” non-spillable decal on the side of the battery. The first digit is the year of manufacture. Digits two-four are the Julian date of manufacture. For example, if your serial number is 9243xxxxxx, this means your battery was made on the 243rd day (August 31st) in 2009. Optima batteries are also made by Johnson Controls and have some of the top quality ratings within JCI’s Power Solutions Group.

Optima batteries can be mounted at extreme angles, which the off-road guys seem to like. However, their vibration-resistant characteristics and sealed design are also popular with car owners who track their vehicles or want to minimize the chance of acid damage around the battery. Also, please don’t select a battery based on its color. If you have a huge stereo system, you need a deep-cycle battery, even if it doesn’t match your paint.

I apologize for going so long on this post, but if you have any other questions, I’ll do my best to answer them. Thanks for your interest in Optima Batteries!

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, Optima Batteries

 

Thanks for a great explanation about Optimas, i checked my date code for the Red top i have in my truck and it was Manufactured Oct 9 04'
I keep a 1.5 amp maintainer charge on it cause i don't use the truck that often and the battery goes dead without it, it's probably time for a new one i know im pushing my luck.