Strange things are happening with the red top optima wth?

[96Cruiser]

I hate to say this but I tend to agree......when I first bought my cruiser I bought a orange top optima, lasted forever it seemed, but now I am running a red top and I let it discharge and now it seems as if it wont hold a charge for longer than a week, so I have an extra battery plus maintainer plugged in all week to keep it up till I use it on the weekends........looks like a new battery for me and I wont be buying another optima, and I used to swear by them, sigh, no more though

well, the red top gave up the ghost Monday, its been in the single-low teen temps around here and even with the maintainer plugged in I went to get something out of the cruiser and the dome light was flickering along with the open door light on the dash, so yesterday after work I checked again, yep, same thing and tried to start it and it said f**k me.......so I pulled the optima and its in the trunk of my bmw to be traded off today after work, cause we are expecting 10-12" of snow Friday, maybe more......so searching locally I can get a 24F interstate megatron plus for 149.99[Firestone, and that's the only dealer around that I can find] [nothing at my walmart], a diehard gold 24F for 119.99 at Kmart [ apprx 100 less CCA but 6 months more free replacement]
you guys have an opinion on the better of the two ie: interstate megatron plus or the diehard gold]I mean 30 bucks is not gonna break me but I def am NOT going optima again, [buddy was trying to get me to get a yellow top] not at 249.99 no way no how!!!

 

[inkpot]

well, the red top gave up the ghost Monday, its been in the single-low teen temps around here and even with the maintainer plugged in I went to get something out of the cruiser and the dome light was flickering along with the open door light on the dash, so yesterday after work I checked again, yep, same thing and tried to start it and it said f**k me.......so I pulled the optima and its in the trunk of my bmw to be traded off today after work, cause we are expecting 10-12" of snow Friday, maybe more......so searching locally I can get a 24F interstate megatron plus for 149.99[Firestone, and that's the only dealer around that I can find] [nothing at my walmart], a diehard gold 24F for 119.99 at Kmart [ apprx 100 less CCA but 6 months more free replacement]
you guys have an opinion on the better of the two ie: interstate megatron plus or the diehard gold]I mean 30 bucks is not gonna break me but I def am NOT going optima again, [buddy was trying to get me to get a yellow top] not at 249.99 no way no how!!!

Any particular reason for a 24F instead of a 27F which is the original spec?

 

[1973Guppie]

get the interstate megatron, I have one on my work bench, bought it like 4 years ago and it just won't quit.

 

[96Cruiser]

Any particular reason for a 24F instead of a 27F which is the original spec?

as far as the interstate, the dealer didn't have the 27 in stock, and it actually has 100CCA less , just a higher minute reserve, since its 10 degrees here right now I think I want the 800+ CCA's more than the 40 minutes .

get the interstate megatron, I have one on my work bench, bought it like 4 years ago and it just won't quit.

that's what im leading towards, plus I have picked up a screw or nail in the road car[330ci bmw, 110 mile a day commute] and had to add air to my drivers rear tire so I can get that tire repaired this evening at the same shop that is selling the interstates around here, otherwise a trip to the kmart for the diehard gold.

 

[BassDeville]

Hate to . But what everyone else is saying is true. I made the mistake of going through 2 Optima's before finding out they have gone to crap. One of the failures was a shorted cell, but this only happened some of the time. Left me stranded several times. The thing was is it would then take a charge and show no signs of issues for a week or 2. Then it would just kill the engine. It was the hardest "ghost in the machine" that I have ever had to chase. I was so pissed when I found out that it was the battery, such a simple fix. I took the battery in and got another and the brand new battery would not keep a charge. I ended up getting a credit on the optima's and buying an Interstate. No battery issues since.

Steer clear of the Optima's now. Marketing ain't everything.

I have a 2012 Silverado; I also have the battery causing the ghost in the machine; has almost stranded me twice on the expressway; Thought the first time the battery failed it was a fluke; but now with the second battery going south I will only buy an OEM AC Delco to replace it; Total junk; cell goes dead and all kinds of strange things happen to your car /truck. My mechanic alerted me the first time it was probably a dead cell in the battery. Simple fix if you know what it is.

 

[baldilocks]

They are made in Mexico since about 2009. I’ve been running the same two Mexican red top Optima’s in my 2005 Dodge/Cummins for 7 years now. Can’t complain about that.