dead optima? (1 Viewer)

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Jan 10, 2009
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Location
Abbotsford B.C.
Just put in optima yellow tops in my hdj81 to replace the origonal jap batteries.
did a quick AVR test to be sure alt was working properly and all ok. However when i got home today i poped the hood to check up on an old oil leak i recently fixed i could ever so lightly hear noise coming from the batteries..... further inspection lead me to the small vents they have on their tops, thats where the faint noise was coming from.
I have never owned optima batteries before and was wondering if this is normal or are these bats f'ed??? the last thing i need is a battery to explode under the hood!
 
Optimas still vent - it is normal. They won't vent battery acid like a typical lead acid battery but they still vent.
 
Optima Batteries suck. I went through 3 in a month before I gave up on them.
 
My Optima red top died on me last week while I was on vacation. It was sitting at 6 volts when I got home today.
 
Ive had a few red tops.
I went through 4 of them in my BJ70 within a few years but the one I bought on the same day for my old fj40 as the 1st set for the BJ lasted 10 years I would let it sit 6 months at a time . The one in my 65 Beetle has be fine for the last 5+ years I let this one go for over a year and still fired right up with no jumping.
The only thing I noticed was a small draw on them (clock , radio etc)seemed to suck the life right out of them anything after 2 weeks they needed a jump. They would never seemed right after that
 
I have a blue top for more than 2 yrs now, it seems to work fine so far. I thought it was dead due to my mistake, I let it drain for more than a week when my dome light was on. Initial jump start and idle for over 15 minutes, turn off than starts fine. Next morning dead again at 5v, would not hold a charge. Got the car jump again and idle for another 30 minutes, dead a few hours later. So I was convince it is gone. Third time jumping the car to test my audio system, for some reason it starts holding charge now. No problem since yesterday. Got a battery charger trying to revive the battery. Check with a battery charger, hold 90% most of the time now, putting it on 2amp slow charge to top it off. I found this site showing how to WAKE UP and revive a mistakenly dead optima.

Charging an Optima or AGM Battery : Batteries Are Us
 
I have had several Optima’s and they are great batteries until you kill them once too many times. ”How many times are too many?” you ask, well that is the question. I killed one on the first full dead and another lasted for five or six before giving it up. One thing for sure they do not seem to give any notice before dyeing. I have had Sears Platinum’s for two years now, killed them several times (kids do not close the doors on the 80 all the way) and no problems.
 
My optima decided to half ass cranked/no start this morning. It was working just fine when I parked it last night at 9pm. No lights left on, no doors open. I put the jumper on it and it started.

If I leave the vehicle sit for more than a few days, it dies. This is the 4th time this has happened. Luckily, I've been at home every time. I think I'm going to scrap it. I've only had it for about 2 years.

I'm going to switch to the Platinum this week. I've read nothing but good things about them.
 
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dead optima

Thanks for the info guys, ive got enough liaibilitys in my live, dont need un-reliable expensive batteries to be another. There goin back to costco this weekend for sure.
 
If you are returning them - go to Sears and get the DieHard Platinum P2 battery. It is a better one than they will spec for your truck (the P1) and it is the same cost. These are rebadged Odyssey batteries - they don't vent as they are AGM batteries.
 
Unfortunately the Platinum line of the Sears Diehard series isn't available here in Canada and the corresponding Odyssey priced out around $500 at a local battery shop. I ended up getting the Canadian Tire Eliminator series for mine. Good warranty, and there's a Canadian Tire in almost every town.
 
optimas do not charge well. you need to either slow trickle over a period of weeks, or charge them through a lead battery to get them to charge up.
 
Surprised it went bad that quick??? :rolleyes: I had them before and probably never go back to them. A few years ago they where good, reliable batteries. Don't know what happened to their quality.[/SIZE]:deadhorse:
 
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If you are returning them - go to Sears and get the DieHard Platinum P2 battery. It is a better one than they will spec for your truck (the P1) and it is the same cost. These are rebadged Odyssey batteries - they don't vent as they are AGM batteries.

Which series/model of the P2 did you go with?
 
Which series/model of the P2 did you go with?

I have the Diehard Marine P1 - it is a tough fit physically and took a lot of work to get it set in properly. Any of the rest of them will be an easy fit - the terminals are reversed from what the cruiser is expecting - but you can mount them backwards and pull the fusible links into the battery tray area to get them in. All of the Diehard Platinums are rebadged Odysseys. The non marine batteries have better warranties from Sears.

DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-1 - Group Size 31M = Odyssey 31M-PC2150 1150CCA 100Ah
DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-2 - Group Size 34M = Odyssey 34M-PC1500 880CCA 68Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-1 - Group Size 34 = Odyssey 34-PC1500 880CCA 68Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-2 - Group Size 65 = Odyssey 65-PC1750 930CCA 74Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-3 - Group Size 75/86DT = Odyssey 75/86-PC1230 730CCA 55Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-4 - Group Size 34/78DT = Odyssey 34/78-PC1500 880CCA 68Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-5 - Group Size 35 = Odyssey 35-PC1400 820CCA 65Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-6 - Group Size 25 = Odyssey 25-PC1400 820CCA 65Ah

...and with the exception of the Marine P1 - they all cost the same at Sears

When my Optima Yellow top goes I will be replacing it with the Diehard Platinum Automotive P2.
 
I have the Diehard Marine P1 - it is a tough fit physically and took a lot of work to get it set in properly. Any of the rest of them will be an easy fit - the terminals are reversed from what the cruiser is expecting - but you can mount them backwards and pull the fusible links into the battery tray area to get them in. All of the Diehard Platinums are rebadged Odysseys. The non marine batteries have better warranties from Sears.

DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-1 - Group Size 31M = Odyssey 31M-PC2150 1150CCA 100Ah
DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-2 - Group Size 34M = Odyssey 34M-PC1500 880CCA 68Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-1 - Group Size 34 = Odyssey 34-PC1500 880CCA 68Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-2 - Group Size 65 = Odyssey 65-PC1750 930CCA 74Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-3 - Group Size 75/86DT = Odyssey 75/86-PC1230 730CCA 55Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-4 - Group Size 34/78DT = Odyssey 34/78-PC1500 880CCA 68Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-5 - Group Size 35 = Odyssey 35-PC1400 820CCA 65Ah
DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-6 - Group Size 25 = Odyssey 25-PC1400 820CCA 65Ah

...and with the exception of the Marine P1 - they all cost the same at Sears

When my Optima Yellow top goes I will be replacing it with the Diehard Platinum Automotive P2.

Great info! :beer:

My battery was replaced on a road trip 2yrs ago from some random auto store with some random make, ya know the situation where its just get me going again because Im miles from home in BFE. But have been following threads for when the time comes I know what to buy or look for.


ya.... I know I got electrical issues lol :(
 
dang! never herd such bad reviews for optimas. my blue top just bit the dust, but it lasted me 9 years. was thinking of going with a red top from sams club. think they have them listed in the $130's. yellow tops were in the $160's.
 

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