Optima red Or yellow?

[Ams1069]

Here's my .02. I too was wary of optima after having a couple replaced under warranty and another declared "dead" out of warranty by the local autoparts store. But after researching and watching the youtube link about recovering a deeply discharged battery, I think it was all operator error. I used the prescribed method on the "dead" red top last night and it seems to be working fine. In fact its now in the 80 and I made it to work without any problems.

 

[Grench]

I like the support from vendors too. Jim has offered to look into any warranty issues which is great (especially since I'm picking on his company).

 

[OptimaJim]

jynx, I don’t know the specs for charge voltage on that charger, but it wouldn’t necessarily be concerning if the voltage was at 14.6 when charging a deeply-discharged battery. General indications of an overcharged battery are liquid seepage from the vent areas, a battery that gets very hot (too hot to leave your hand on it for more than a few seconds), or a cover that is domed above one or more of the battery’s cells.

If you can fully-charge your YellowTop (approximately 13.0-13.2 volts) and it can hold close to that charge for 12-24 hours afterwards, while disconnected from your vehicle, it should be OK.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

.......If you can fully-charge your YellowTop (approximately 13.0-13.2 volts) and it can hold close to that charge for 12-24 hours afterwards, while disconnected from your vehicle, it should be OK.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

Would the same be true for a Blue Optima?

 

[Benjaman]

Looking @ replacing my leaking battery, the ? is should I get the Red top or Yellow top Optima Battery? The Yellow is rated as a starting and deep cycle where as the Red is just starting. also if any one has the hook up on a good price, please let me know $159.00 seems pretty high. I think I paid 115 @ Costco a few years back when I had a pre runner.

I had a red top about 8 years back, crapped out in about a year, Costco replaced it for free. Second red top died at around 2 years. I whined to Costco, and received a full refund. I then bought a AC Delco, it lasted the last 5 years, and went to the junk yard with the truck. Now running a Sears DieHard Planinum, Really is a Fantastic battery.

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DieHard Platinum-1 by MyWeirdStuff, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[OptimaJim]

Would the same be true for a Blue Optima?

Our 34M BlueTop (dark gray case) is the marine equivalent of our Group 34 RedTop starting battery, so that battery would be fully-charged at 12.6-12.8 volts. All other BlueTops have light gray cases, like their YellowTop counterparts and would be fully-charged at 13.0-13.2 volts. Thanks for asking!

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.powerpacknation.com

 

[Dave 2000]

Dave, Optima was acquired by Johnson Controls ten years ago and the quality of our products has continued to improve under their ownership. Although flat-plate battery technology has been around for quite some time, the Gates Rubber Company, specifically Gates Energy Division, first patented the SpiralCell technology which JCI ultimately acquired in the 1970s.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
[URL="http://www.powerpacknation.com"]www.powerpacknation.com[/URL]

Hi, apologies for the delay in replying, Internet access can be a little 'vague' here at times in the less populated areas of Spain.

Thanks for explaining how long it has been since Johnson Controls took over, it seems only four or five years ago, how time flies anyway, I stand to be corrected but the information/rumours that were floating around awhile ago was that after Johnson took over they 'down graded' the production quality along with the advertised specifications, I had a link somewhere that explained it in more detail, it seemed a little coincidental that the product started to get some bad press in the the short time after changing ownership. There is also the fact that the name 'Optima' is known pretty much worldwide where another brand 'joe Bloggs batteries' ect and only available in Korea tend to be easily forgotten. I have no beef with Optima's and they worked well in my particular circumstances, but for the record could you confirm/deny the specification has been downgraded (or even upgraded) since Johnson took over?

Nothing like being put on the spot mate

regards

Dave

 

[OptimaJim]

Hi Dave,


At the risk of repeating what you previously quoted me as stating, our quality has improved under JCI's ownership. We do sell a lot of batteries and see a corresponding number of conversations about them, both good and bad. I understand that some folks would like to draw a connection between an ownership change and the problems they've personally experienced. That does happen quite often with many companies and products and sometimes those concerns are valid. If JCI wanted to cut corners and fatten the bottom line, they could have done so for far less than the $50 million they invested in our new production facility.


Many of the “bad” batteries returned to us now are actually deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly recharged. As a result, I spend much of my day posting links to our most-popular YouTube tech video, which explains how to recover those battteries and was also covered recently in a Hot Rod magazine article- YouTube - Tech Tips 3: Recovering a Deeply Discharged Battery


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

[cody c]

Hey Jim question for ya...

When the red tops only want to hold a charge for a couple days, and ive installed a disconnect switch to eliminate possible leaks, and I have a solar panel installed to help keep the batteries fresh, but they still wont start the vehicle after two days of sitting without a jump start, is this normal for red tops? Also checked the polarity of the panel to the batteries.

Also, when the interior of my vehicle smells like rotten eggs, and one of the batteries is blowing off steam like a kettle, what do you think has happened to the battery, or what is going on? Charging voltage seems 14-15 volts.

It is an interesting thing to observe in the rain at 36 farenheight/2 celsius on the side of a freeway on a sunday evening 200 kilometers from home!

Thanks.

BTW, i think the yellows might have been a better set for me.

 

[Dave 2000]

Hi Dave,


At the risk of repeating what you previously quoted me as stating, our quality has improved under JCI's ownership. We do sell a lot of batteries and see a corresponding number of conversations about them, both good and bad. I understand that some folks would like to draw a connection between an ownership change and the problems they've personally experienced. That does happen quite often with many companies and products and sometimes those concerns are valid. If JCI wanted to cut corners and fatten the bottom line, they could have done so for far less than the $50 million they invested in our new production facility.


Many of the “bad” batteries returned to us now are actually deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly recharged. As a result, I spend much of my day posting links to our most-popular YouTube tech video, which explains how to recover those battteries and was also covered recently in a Hot Rod magazine article- YouTube - Tech Tips 3: Recovering a Deeply Discharged Battery


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

Good enough for me! Many thanks

regards

Dave

 

[Grench]

Hey Jim question for ya...

When the red tops only want to hold a charge for a couple days, and ive installed a disconnect switch to eliminate possible leaks, and I have a solar panel installed to help keep the batteries fresh, but they still wont start the vehicle after two days of sitting without a jump start, is this normal for red tops? Also checked the polarity of the panel to the batteries.

Also, when the interior of my vehicle smells like rotten eggs, and one of the batteries is blowing off steam like a kettle, what do you think has happened to the battery, or what is going on? Charging voltage seems 14-15 volts.

It is an interesting thing to observe in the rain at 36 farenheight/2 celsius on the side of a freeway on a sunday evening 200 kilometers from home!

Thanks.

BTW, i think the yellows might have been a better set for me.

It sounds to me like you cooked your batteries. Are you sure your voltage regulator is working properly at cruising RPMs?

 

[cody c]

what is the acceptable voltage range? 14-16 volts? how come only one battery "kettled" on me?
Could be, but the Alt is less than a year, and the voltage regulator is about half a year old.

 

[OptimaJim]

Cody, I would be inclined to agree with Grench in that it sounds like your battery was overcharged. I was just reading this GM TechLink article on charging systems this morning, which included the following information:

"Traditional charging systems use an internal
temperature sensor inside the generator to
establish generator voltage set points. When the
generator is cold, it raises the voltage output set
point. When the generator is hot, it lowers the
voltage output set point. This type of system
tends to overcharge the battery on long trips at
highway speeds and undercharge the battery on​

short trips with low vehicle speeds."

Typical alternator output is approximately 13.7-14.7 volts. I don't know how much damage was done to the RedTop that vented, but if you can fully-charge your RedTops (12.6-12.8 volts) and leave them disconnected from any current draws for 12-24 hours, they should maintain close to that voltage level. If they hold voltage when disconnected from your vehicle, they should be ok. If they drop voltage when connected, you have an electrical issue that is discharging the batteries and needs to be addressed. Can you tell me what the key-off load is on your vehicle? Are your RedTops installed inside your vehicle?

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries