optima battery worth it?

Home / the12volt's Install Bay / Car Audio / optima battery worth it? (

Topic Closed)

Welcome Guest :)

Members

< Prev Page Next Page > < Prev Topic Next Topic >

97gss

Copper - Posts: 235

Joined: February 12, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: December 16, 2008 at 10:44 PM / IP Logged

ckeeler wrote:

To all of those who have problems with Optima batteries not holding a charge, do this as it seems to be the only thing that works and even then it only works so so. Optima batteries will not take a charge on a trickle or even 10 amp charge those pieces of junk need to have a full size battery charger connected to them. then set that battery to the start mode and charge the battery for a good 15 - 20 minutes. this seems to get the chemicals activated then turn the charger back down to a 20 amp setting if it has one or the next highest setting from jump start that your charger has and let it charge for several hours. don't know why but that seems to be the only way to get these batteries to take a charge.

thats all the advice i can give for any poor soul with one of these batteries other than take it out and get rid of it like a bad rash. buy something else that is the best recomendation i have. there are several deep cycle batteries out on the market that use the optima design technology but are built even better. if you do not feel like searching around to find the best thing for the best price, a good deal is this, just go to your local CARQUEST PART STORE and purchase their version of the optima battery. it is built is East Penn and is still cheaper than an optima and will be a battery you will never regret spending the money on. this battery is top notch. if you do the shopping and hunting you will find this exact same battery marketed under different brands. the problem with buying a battery is you cannot just shop for one over the internet and have it shipped to you bcse it considered hazmat. so you need to find what you want and try and find it somewhere locally. as i mentioned earlier all batteries are made by only three manufacturers. so several of these batteries i am talking abt are the same exact battery that you can find at a carquest parts store locally it just has a different sticker on it.

I'll give this a shot in the morning. I may check out those Carquest batteries as well.

CutDog504

Silver - Posts: 637

Joined: May 14, 2002

Location: Louisiana, United States

Posted: December 16, 2008 at 11:27 PM / IP Logged

I've had both the red top and the yellow top optimas, both are junk. The yellow crapped out on me at a year, the red a little over a year. I've always been a fan of sears die hard batteries. I still have a die hard gold that was in my old Cutlass. The car was flooded in New Orleans by hurricane Katrina. I kept the battery because after charging it back up and load testing it, it tested out good. Its now in my brothers Tahoe, still goin strong. Even after being flooded, AND its about 5 years old!

04nata

Copper - Posts: 358

Joined: April 22, 2008

Posted: December 17, 2008 at 6:39 AM / IP Logged

good info for those of us that we considering the purchase, I'll stick with my checker battery

2004 Hyundai Sonata

Kenwood KDC-X599 HU

2-Sundown X-18D4

2-SQ Q4500.1

2-SQ Q90.4

1-Massive DBX4

8-Niche 5.25 mids

8-Niche Tweeters

4-Skar 8" mid-bass

OhioGen 220a alt

OhioGen 350a alt

156.0

ckeeler

Gold - Posts: 1,461

Joined: June 20, 2008

Location: New Mexico, United States

Posted: December 17, 2008 at 7:10 PM / IP Logged

and like i said before, with ALL batteries, the regular acid ones are better for abuse and neglect and non-maintenance than an AGM battery. you really have to baby those for them to last at all. and for the kind of stuff all us guys do to batteries.......AGM batteries just dont last too long. the real only good application for one is where it has to be mounted funky like on it side or upside down because they dont leak. the only applications for them are things like race cars and rock crawler jeeps and stuff like that and in those kinds of recreational vehicles, it doesnt matter how long a piece of junk like an optima lasts anyway.

for regular old power and abuse, you'll get the best bang for your buck and best durability with a regular old acid battery. although you still have to apply the rule of bigger is better! optima battery worth it? - Page 2 -- posted image.

CutDog504, 04nata, believe it or not, but both of the batteries you have are made in the same factory with the same process and materials by the same manufacturer.

jmelton86

Gold - Posts: 1,228

Joined: February 07, 2007

Location: South Carolina, United States

Posted: December 17, 2008 at 11:33 PM / IP Logged

Kinetics are overrated. Powermaster is the way to go.

I have Exide Orbital Yellowtops in my car...

2013 Kia Rio -90a alternator

DDX470HD GTO14001 GTO1014D (x3)

Big3 in 1/0G

1/0G to GTO14001

haemphyst

Platinum - Posts: 5,054

This member has been recognized as an authority in Electrical Theory. Click here for more info.

This member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Audio and Video. Click here for more info.

Joined: January 19, 2003

Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island

Posted: December 18, 2008 at 9:02 AM / IP Logged

Never replaced a red-top in my life. I have never used anything but the red-top in any of my systems, LITERALLY. It, like all the other parts of the electrical system must be treated appropriately, and it will serve you faithfully.

I have run systems worth THOUSANDS of watts, with never a replacement, but I have always had upgraded alternators, as well.

I'm not going to go into why the red-top IS the best battery, you can do the search yourself, but ELECTRICALLY, the red-top is EXACTLY what your car stereo wants.

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

soundnsecurity

Gold - Posts: 2,711

This member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.

Joined: November 10, 2008

Location: Louisiana, United States

Posted: December 18, 2008 at 11:51 AM / IP Logged

i have a red top in my ranger as a main battery and iv never really had a problem with it. just once i had to get a jump start because i left my system on too long when it was turned up. but other than that one incident it is pretty faithful and runs my autotek like a champ.

and about recharging an optima, i heard once that to recharge an optima it needs to be hooked up to another optima(series or paralell im not sure) AND a charger for a few hours, does anyone know if this is true?

Search for other posts by soundnsecurity

ckeeler

Gold - Posts: 1,461

Joined: June 20, 2008

Location: New Mexico, United States

Posted: December 18, 2008 at 12:03 PM / IP Logged

soundnsecurity wrote:

i do. read my earlier post on this thread about charging an optima.

soundnsecurity

Gold - Posts: 2,711

Joined: November 10, 2008

Location: Louisiana, United States

Posted: December 18, 2008 at 12:14 PM / IP Logged

ckeeler, i read that post on your way of charging and it is duly noted, but it doesn't have anything to do with what i am asking about. now if you have already tried doing what i am talking about in my last post and it has no truth to it then just say no it doesn't work. have you tried hooking a dead optima to a charged optima and a charger?

ckeeler

Gold - Posts: 1,461

Joined: June 20, 2008

Location: New Mexico, United States

Posted: December 18, 2008 at 12:32 PM / IP Logged

soundnsecurity wrote:

not only will that not work with an optima battery, it wont work with any battery.

< Prev Page Next Page >

Printable version

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Search the12volt.com

Follow the12volt.com

Disclaimer: *All information on this site ( the12volt.com ) is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to fitness for a particular use. Any user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and use of this information. Please verify all wire colors and diagrams before applying any information.