Anyone thinking of buying an Optima, forget the Red Top and save yourself a lot of grief. It isn't the correct battery for your Vette. You need a Yellow Top.. Otherwise, save $100 and buy an AC/Delco Professional at the dealer and take the wife out to dinner. I just bought a 79 C-3 yesterday while cruising through Craigs list. I plan to do the Delco battery when needed. Im NEVER doing the Optima game again! EVER! The warranty process is a joke. AC/Delco is good at any GM dealership. Or, better yet, get a WalMart battery and save even more$$$.. Sorry if I sound a bit bitter about Optima but... They jerked me around for a few weeks on a defective NEW Red Top which I upgraded to a Yellow Top.. Then a week later, they called and said my Red Top "wasn't defective enough" Oh yeah... Excuse me while I laugh again.. They actually wanted the yellow top back! I would have given it back had my Red top actually held 12.5 volts but it wouldnt go over 12.2... Bubba at the battery shop said "hey, it's a 12 v battery".. I think its over charged! No thanks and I still own the Yellow Top. Rant Off. Sorry about slamm'n a forum vendor, but just ask anyone that has ever tried to warranty an Optima and see the rant begin..

 

Ive said that for years. I think C5/C6 owners honestly believe that paying close to $200 for a battery makes the car better.

I replaced the battery in my 06 Coupe with a walmart battery. It works great. My 02 Z has a 6 year old red top and when it kicks the bucket, it will be replaced with a walmart battery. The red top failed with in 4 weeks of replacement. The replacement has worked well but I can NOT see replacing it with a battery that cost so much. They don't provide any more than the less expensive battery from walmart.

BC

 

Well said Bill! I totally agree!

 

As do I!

 

batteries only made at a few plants and only real difference is label on many, rest is all marketing. having said that I prefer delco except for price so I put an auto zone gold top in 03ZO6, moms 99 deville, daughters 97 camry and my 93 pickup and couldn't be more happy, however, to each their own

 

My c5 drain culprit was seat bladder pump was pumping on its own... Draining down to zero.. After two replacement batteries the power to those bladders is disconnected... All's well now... Fix to replace the switches is a future job.

 

I do believe Paul Koerner's comments on having a battery with a Reserve Capacity (RC) of 120 has a lot to do with the C5 column lock issues. If you watch his video on the subject he clearly states this.

I purchased my 04 A4 from the original owner in Dec. 2010 and it had the original battery, which came standard with a Group 86 / CCA 590/RC 95 and the OEM battery lasted 6yrs. I replaced it with another one in Dec. of 2010 and that one lasted 6 yrs. I just replaced it again this past Feb. with a AC Delco Pro Group 86 / CCA 590/RC 95.
Oh and one more thing.....since I have owned the car it sits outside in a driveway all year and although it's not a DD I do drive it when the weather is nice, even in the winter as long as the roads are clear of snow, ice and salt.
I have NEVER used a battery tender and I never had a problem...knock on wood !

 

So am I.

 

After charging. It dies within hours.

 

UNTIL you do a current draw test you wont know what the sleep mode current is. It should be no more than 25 milliamps. Do that test and report the results. Then we will figure out what is causing the excessive draw. Have you fully charged the battery and had it tested?? Recommend that you do that.

BC