ok. i want to buy an optima, what size and color do i need? i know the red has more CCA but wont the yellow last longer in down time? i dont expect my car to have much down time and the weather here isn very cold. id like to be able to listen to my radio with the car off and not have to worry about the car starting though. is yellow top my best option? what size? has anyone found a place to get these for a good deal? thanks

 

LISTEN! I'm tellling you Optima's suck I've gone through 2 red tops. Once they lose a charge they're no good. They never come back like other batteries. If your alternator ever dies. Your battery is fawked and will never get a full charge again. Trust meeee. They're a waste of money unless you have a pimp alt and a boomin system. If you do get the yellow top. But personally I will never by another one. Oddesey for me!

 

I have used a yellow top in my dads truck that I used to drive. I used to have very powerful 10's that pretty much destroyed the alt. The battery held on and I still have it. I have had it for almost 2 years. I used to listen to the stereo all the time with out starting the truck. I got mine really cheap though just because of connections but I like it. I plan on getting one for my 7 when the time comes.

 

the optima's are good batt. but like all things there are some bad 1's.......and the 1's that you get from auto zone or anything parts store like that sell the low low brand that is not as good as the 1's that you read about..that is why they are cheeper and do not have the same warenty as the other 1's

 

Mine came from Autozone with a 2 year warrenty. I only paid $70. The guy took my old battery and deducted money for that and threw in another $20 deduction just for being a good guy. Maybe it was a chance and I came out on top. I will let you know how it goes with my 2nd purchase.

 

get a stock size yellow top. the red top isn't that good imho

 

there are many group sizes for the yellow and the red tops, group 34/78 is the most common but group 31 is the most powerful

I personally got a Exide extreme 34/78 which is the same as the red top and I haven't had any problems with it.

when you buy a battery get the vendor to check the voltage with a digital multimeter and don't buy any that are lower then 12.2volts, they should sit at 12.6 for a good fully charged battery.

 

I've drained my current optima twice now...both times it has regained it's charge..no problems at all...but experiences always differ

 

i've got an optima which has been fully discharged 3/4 times now but its still kicking strong.

 

I've had a red top in my winter stored 1st gen for over 15 years. It's been totally drained at least five times and always comes back to life. I've never seen another battery that can take it.

 

These batteries do not like to be fully drained, even states that in the instructions. They take on a 'memory' that reduces the useable capacity of the battery. When using one during winter storage, I recommend a battery maintainer for longer life.

 

You have to charge jell cells differently that’s why you keep running yours. It is not the battery it was your maintenance. Jell cells are suppose to never be depleted all the way also.

Yellow top is for things like systems and fans. Red is a truck batt for cranking, Yellow I would recommend but if you feel you will never nee the deep cycle capabilities run a RED.

 

never had a problem

 

I actually forked out the money and got the optima red top twice and each has lasted about 18 months... thats bullshit if you ask me...

 

My redtop lasted atleast 10 years, and the only reason that it died is because when my motor went, I took the battery out and left it on cement for about 3 months.

 

is the exide a jell cell?


i just got off the phone with my buddie who drives a mazdaspeed protege. his battery went to **** the other day and he just ordered a yellow top through autozone for like $210. i need a jell cell batterie as it will be located in the hatch of the car. what is the "standard" size yellow top?

 

My blue top Optima (deep cycle marine type) went bad after about 8 months. Acted like a dead cell or internal problem. Go with the Oddyssey.

 

Odyssey are my pick. Size weight dry packaging CCA.

 

I've had my read top for about four years now. Killed it once from my own stupidity. I started my Suby the put it in there to charge it back up. Never had any problems before or after. Sometimes it's months (winter) before I'd drive my car and whenever I turned the key my car started without hesitation everytime... this being with a chevy v8 with high commpression in the FB.