I would like the pros and cons on the optimas, I had one of the originals that gates put out and it lasted 15 years before dieing, my son purchased one in march three years ago and it will not hold a charge for more than a week, and yes we took it in for warranty and the folks at the parts house kept it for a week and charged it up, called after two and said it was ok so no warranty satisfaction, i checked the optima web site and i see where the have changed the warranty from 3 years free replacement and 3 years pro rated to a straight 3 years free replacement. so much for progress.... Mike Bourg
They are very sensitive to the type of charge they receive once they fall below a certain voltage. See if you can find a friend with a CTEK brand charger, they have been known to revive AGM batteries from the dead. Good luck.
If they drop all the way down most chargers can't "see" them and won't charge them, what you have to do is connect a lead acid battery and the optima in question in a series... then charge it...
Interesting. I had one that worked great for 5 yeras, then went away when I sold the car... I may be doing some marketing research for Optima in the next few days. They asked me to get feedback from you guys on their products and service. So keep an eye out for that thread, where you can "talk" directly to them... Scotty
My issues with Optima batteries can be read here. They suck adn so does their customer service and district manger Jimmy Day. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380620&highlight=optima+battery&showall=1
I disagree, had mine since 1995, when low, recharge it with a normal battery charger & it is fresh next day. Been doing this routine especially during winter time. In my opinion they are a great product!!!-------Don
Don, The Optima you bought then is not the same Optima that is sold today. You might get a good one, but the quality has definitely suffered due to mfg changes / cost cutting.
My personal experience is 2 dead ones in the back of the race car, even with a trickle charger. I've read that the old ones were better, the newer ones only last a couple years, then you have to replace them. For the price, I expect them to last at least as long if not longer than a standard battery. Unless they step up and offer a replacement period that is better than a conventional battery AND back it up, they will not get my money when I replace the race car batteries. The pitch is that they are different and better. The price reflects this. Unless they are proven better and backed better, it sounds like the only thing different is being able to mount them different. I'd rather make enough room to fit a conventional battery than get stuck having to use only the product that has not been proven to be the same life, CCA, let alone offer more advantages.
they are shit, and i would never waste my money or time on them ever again..not to mention they are not made in the good ol USof A, and thats enough for me right there not to mention what Denise said about them..i talked to the same jerk off she did. and they stiffed me on a battery that was not out of warrenty...until they dicked around for a week getting back with me (they knew the date code at that time and purposely played the waiting game with me) , than said sorry cant help ya. Go the traditional route..Lead Acid I have 4 lead acid batteries some 4 years old and 1 over 7 years old..still plugging along..i never got more than 4 years out of one of my optimas and under 3 out of the last one. and with a good battery charger with a de sulferization mode you can really keep them alive for a long time
The most recent i've bought seems back to their old quality. I had problems with both red and yellow tops for a while and in two of the cars i had them in the space was only for the optima (both inside the drivers' compartment in a tight area) but the last one i got is working fine, sits for long periods without loosing its' charge. So maybe the quality is back. I know i bitched enough, as well as many people here. Somebody listened.
I went to my local independent parts store ( real car guys ) and got an 8 volt battery for my original model A . I love the way it starts and the lights are bright . My '40 has a six year old Optima and I've had no trouble at all ( 12 volt ).
Optimas were pretty good batteries if bought back in the mid 90's. But I have heard nothing but bad things about present (or recent) Optimas lately. Dunno if I would by another. The one I had lasted 12 years before my horn relay stuck and cooked it. And no, my horns are not hooked up, so I never heard my horn relay assasinating my Optima.
I bought a red top in april, junk by june. Replacement is okay so far, but I don't trust them any more. Warrany was changed, for the worse.
Used a yellow top in a dragster in 1993, then put it on a crane. now have it on a forklift. Hope I haven't jinxed it by mentioning it. If only the new ones were like that... Heard they are made outside of the USA now....guess that explains everything.
thats because they even know they suck they used to be ok for cars (vehicles) that were used on a regular basis..but for a "toy" that is set up for the winter or something not used much they werent even good for that., and you have to have the right type of charger for them too. (another PITA!)..now they arent even good enough to use on the end of a rope to hold your row boat in place
No! Mine got killed by the horn relay after lasting 12 years. Others have said the new ones are crap, I have no experience with the recent ones. I am not putting them down, in fact I will probably get another one after I start reading positives about their recent batteries. I am pro Optima! Lot of misinterpretation going on!
Seems to be the word on the street. Mine works fine. The first time I owned this car I looked into them and passed because they were too expensive. When I bought the car back the previous owner had installed a used one he had. Before a recent tune-up and carb rebuild I was definitely putting it to the test with frequent attempts to start, never failed to turn it over one more time but I am unsure of their customer service as I've never had to use it.
On my third and its year 3 I know I'm screwed. Chalk it up to experiance. What they said once it drops below certain charge level no ticky no laundry!
OK here is my two pennies worth. My brother worked for Advance Auto Parts for 9 years, Advance sells Optima batterys, he said they had to swap out most of them due to dead cells. He hates them so I have to also. OK thats my two cents worth.
Shameless plug here. Braille batteries are super small, really powerful and made in America. I have one in my hot rod and accidentally left the key on for over 48 hours - of course that killed the battery. Stuck the charger on it and good as new - no problems. http://www.thehotrodcompany.com/shopnow/show_item.asp?product_id=B3121
I have had one in my 55 for 6 years now. Whenever it's not used or stored I put one of those cheap Harbor Frieght trickel chargers on it. ($7.99). It has never failed when needed. I bought mine at advanced auto also. I might go with the Braille battery as mentioned above. I'll need one for another "Fun Car" I'll be done building in the spring. Don't like to hear about bad customer service and non US made batteries.
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