Optima batteries [Merged 10-6]

[logic]

Hi,

I've been doing a little battery research. I've settled on Optima, based on comments I've seen regarding them and the fact that they're a sealed setup. I'm now looking at the various versions of batteries that they produce, and I've noticed very little difference (from reading over their techinical specifications) between their various "colors" (red for engine use, blue for marine, yellow for deep cycle applications). For reference, here are links to the specs they publish for each major type of battery:

The "Red Top 34" engine starter battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/34.pdf

The "Blue Top 34" dual-terminal marine starter battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/34M.pdf

The "Yellow Top 34" dual-terminal deep cycle battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/D34.pdf

My question, then, is simple: what's the difference, besides packaging? The marine battery literature makes claims about not discharging as much over time and recharging faster, but that would seem to be about it between the red and blue (the yellow has a few obvious differences, such as resistance and power output). Am I misreading, or is there really very little real-world difference?

For the curious: the reason I'm asking is because I'd like to be able to run the blue-top to match the rest of the underhood setup (along with any advantages that might come from the discharging characteristics; it sounds like the perfect setup for a car that's stored over winter, for example). That's the kind of eraser-head riceboi I am.

(I was a little unsure of whether to post this in the Basic/Newbie forum, or in the 2.0 Turbo Performance forum. Mods, please feel free to move if you think this is too basic.)

 

[ziggys95tsi]

Just wondering which Optima Redtop can do for my DD car. Can i get away with the cheaper one thanx..

 

[D_Eclipse9916]

I have an optima, if I had to choose again I would probably get a advanced auto or whatever brand with a 3 year warranty for half the price. No real reason to get one, if your racing, youll get a braile lightweight racing battery, not an optima, they weigh a ton!

 

[DSMunknown]

No real reason to get one, if your racing, youll get a braile lightweight racing battery, not an optima, they weigh a ton!

Helps those of us with wheel hop and traction issues.


Click here and read the long thread on Optima batteries. Wouldn't be surprised if this thing was merged too.

 

[ziggys95tsi]

do you have theone with 720 CCA or 800 CCA? i also plan on puttin the battery in the trunk area to help with the displacement of weight.and i beleive optima's dont need to be sealed.???

 

[InfiniteGSX]

I have a 34/78 and about to get a Slimline battery as a engine start battery...

I have NEVER had a problem with my redtop until my friend abused it when he borrowed it and now it wont hold a charge for longer then 10minutes. thank god for the 3 year warranty.

 

[95gsx4g63]

hey, glad to see you guys are having better luck than i am with my optimas. Iv had to replace the yellow top in my every day/winter jeep twice, and the red top on my eclipse, i have to go and replace it again, third battery on it.

like stated above - thank god for the warranty, these batts are expensive!!!!!!!!!

 

[DIS1KRAZY]

I have both batteries the red and the yellow, the yellow in my 2nd gen and the red in my 3rd gen. The red top on my 3rd gen has more cold cranking amps than the yellow top. They are both good batteries, but i do use the red mostly for audio, with car on and off. I don't know why just do and I have no problems out of it or either one.

 

[myeagleneedmods]

So I have read through this whole thread and am still a little bit confused as to what the model # is for the red top that I need. I have a 95 Talon, its my DD, and unfortunatly I get cold winter weather where I live. Is it the 34/78, the 25, or something else?

 

[myeagleneedmods]

Took a gamble and went with the 34/78 redtop. Fits perfectly and snug. I do notice a little bit more bass from my subwoofer now too.

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[Skip01]

Actually.. BeefJerky your half wrong.. with several amps one battery even with a high amp alternator is not enough.. i have friends in the sound world with 3 northstar (telecommunications batteries) with 8000 watts of amps and his voltage will still drop.. another friend has 2 kinetic batteries with a 300amp alternator and voltage still drops.. with upgraded ground wires 0 gauge power etc.. so batteries can and WILL make a difference.. (But this all revolves around the fact that you have several amps..)

 

[98DropTop]

I was going to buy an optima red top the other day at Walmart because they were on sale, but the guy told me that they didnt carry the right one for my car... I was pretty sure that it didnt really matter, and I thought it would fit anyways, but I held off and emailed optima just to see which one they would say would be good for my car. Now they told me it would be the red top 25. I remember seeing people on here getting like the 34 or 35 I just cant remember and couldnt find the right thread. Which one do you guys have in your car, and how did it fit? Thanks

 

[silvreclips]

As long as the battery will fit in your car it should work.

 

[Skip01]

Make sure its not a dry cell either.. wait.. i dont think optima makes a red top dry cell nm

 

[DGajre777]

Find any optima battery that fits. The 34 has higher cranking amps, higher cold cranking amps and higher capacity than the 24. Both the 24 and 34 will fit in your car, so if they don't have the 24, get the 34.

If you have an audio system and you like to run your battery dry, you might want to look at a dual purpose Optima that is a starting battery and a deep cycle battery. Optima Reds are starting batteries while Optima yellow and blue are deep cycle batteries. Some Optima yellows and blues are dual purpose is they have a 'D' before the model number of the battery.

Make sure its not a dry cell either.. wait.. i dont think optima makes a red top dry cell nm

Umm... all Optima batteries are dry cell.

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[appeartobelosin]

i just grabed one off the shelf @ advanced auto and i was like "yep this will fit in the spot where my battery goes." didnt look @ any numbers just put it in and it works awesome!!!!

 

[98DropTop]

Ya thats what I figured, thanks. I know optima batteries are good and will last long, but there are the few out there that have had problems with them, only reason im saying this is because the guy told me that because they dont carry the proper battery for my car he will not give me a warranty if I buy the 34...... pretty lame... I guess if I end up buying it and something happens to it, I could always bi*** until I get my way, or email the company.... As they say, the Customer is always right, haha ..

 

[TheMadCheshire]

They have to give you the warrenty on the battery. You just need to have the paper work. We sell batteries(at Sears) that aren't for the correct cars all the time. I call them all idiots. But in this case, its not the 40 dollar battery where a 100 dollar battery is required, its the 180 dollar battery that'll fit with some slight mods where another 180 dollar battery would work if they carried it.
Basically, if the CCAs are correct, and the dimensions are right, then the battery should work fine, no problem. If they whine about the car, go over to the book that has all the listings, find one that takes the 34 or 24 group size and tell them you have this car. They sell it to you, it fails later, you take it back and tell them "I have this car and my battery failed I need it warrentied".
They don't offer the warrenty, opitma does. They merely relay it to the customer.

 

[Defiant]

Get a cover on that positive terminal
immediately.​

 

[98DropTop]

go over to the book that has all the listings, find one that takes the 34 or 24 group size and tell them you have this car. They sell it to you, it fails later, you take it back and tell them "I have this car and my battery failed I need it warrentied".
They don't offer the warrenty, opitma does. They merely relay it to the customer.

haha, thats an unreal idea.. Im gonna do that... would have never thought of that... thanks

 

[TheMadCheshire]

haha, thats an unreal idea.. Im gonna do that... would have never thought of that... thanks

I see it all the time at my work. People buy the cheapo batteries and throw them in their escalades. Well not really but you get the idea. Once they fail though we usually ask them to bring the car in and inform them they have the wrong battery. However, I doubt walmart would really care that much. Plus I doubt they have the correct battery/alt/starter technology to test them.

 

[1997 gsx]

Red top is the way to go! it weighs 40 pounds (39) to be exact

 

[myeagleneedmods]

Get a cover on that positive terminal
immediately.​

If your referring to my pic, I know, had it on the side, I had just taken the pic after just putting it in. Its covered now. I've already learned the hard way to keep it covered

 

[Captain D]

I had two bad experiences with optima red tops. The first was a long trip on the interstate. My radar detector gave me a "high voltage" warning so I headed for the nearest exit. When I stopped at the bottom of the exit ramp the car died completely. No electrical power at all. Steam started to come out from under the hood like I blew a radiator hose so I thought this is great, I have a voltage and a coolant problem. When I opened the hood the cooolant system was fine, the battery was venting steam out of the two foam vents like small volcanoes. I got the vehicle towed to a shop and they conrirmed both the alternator and battery were toast. I don't know if the alternator took out the battery or if the battery took out the alternator. What bothers me about the battery is that it went bad so fast and cooked itself. I suppose a lead acid battery could have fried the same way but I have never heard of one during that.
The second incident happened with a different vehicle. I went to a shopping center and parked the vehicle for 5 minutes. I came back and tried to start the truck and the battery was dead. I had a hard time jumping it but finally got it started and took it to a shop to have the charging system checked. The system checked out fine but the battery was dead and would not take a charge. What bothers me is that the battery gave me no warning that it was going bad, it just died. With a lead acid battery you usually get some kind of warning that the battery is getting weaker.

 

[customdsm]

I use a red top no problem. I understood that the yellow tops were for stuff like marine, rv, or deep cycle engine use and the only real difference I could see in the types was the amount of cold cranking amps. Red tops will do more than plenty fo DSM's.

 

[Peepers]

I was at Costco (Canada) today and saw they had the following in stock:
Yellow Top – 35 - $168.99
Red Top – 75/35 - $159.99

If I understand this correctly, the “35” represents the post on the top of the battery and the “75” represents the front posts. Is this correct?
Thus for a DSM, only top posts would be needed, so would I need a “25”, “34” or “35”? Based on the Optima webpage, it states that a ’97 Eclispe would require a size “25” but from what I’ve been reading, guys are using “34”s and/or “35”s

What’s the correct size? Do the ones stocked at Costco fit?

Mark