Worst Battery Ever - Optima

[djawahir]

Now that I'm pissed about spending $200 on an Optima YellowTop battery and having it fail 3 weeks after the 3 year warranty was up, I'm trying to figure out what to do with it.

Optima corporate said they weren't going to do anything for me and their customer service left a lot to be desired.

Anyhow, my Optima D34/78 is sitting in my garage and I have a question about it. Before I toss it in the trash I was wondering if I could use it in the second battery tray of my dual battery system at all. (It's currently empty.)

It doesn't hold a charge for longer than a day. After that, voltage drops to 11.4V and can sit there for a few weeks.

Is the battery useful for emergency purposes in my second battery tray?

For instance, if my primary battery drains after the lights being left on all night. Could I use any of the Optima battery capacity to help crank the engine?

 

[Firephil]

One question for you: do want to rely on a dead battery in an emergency setting?

Batteries are prob top 5 most important things in your truck. Do research and don't skimp on them

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I feel your same pain with my DieHard Platinum Marine but mine was only a couple days after 3 years period.

Now I buy Optima blems for 1/3 of the price of new and its 2 years old and still rocking!

 

[lightwriter]

I had a similar issue and bought a battery charger compatible with the optima to condition it and it worked great. The charger was about $110 but I did not have a charger of any kind, also had 3 optimas at the time plus it also works on all battery types.

Phil, where you get the blems?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Phil, where you get the blems?

The Interstate Warehouse

 

[darwink1]

Just had a red top fail in my power wagon, about 5 days before my 3 month wallmart warranty ended (didnt get hassled while trying to return it). Battery would hold a charge for a week then spontaneously drain and in the end just plain died.

I know Im an idiot for setting foot in wally world but it is the only thing Ive bought there... ever really. At least I didnt get hassled when returning it. If/when this one dies Im going to a proper battery store.

D

PS I also have a red top in the sixty which hasnt let me down once.

 

[Tapage]

So far the only Battery that keeps me happy are Interstate .. and actually isn't the battery itself .. it's the amazing Interstate warranty ..

 

[gregnash]

Yeah there are multiple reviews on the internet now that show that the QC has gone way down across the board on the Optima batteries and if you happen to have one of the ones mfg in Mexico then the quality is even worse.

It is hard to tell with batteries as I have yet to come across a company that has never had a quality issue within the last 20yrs. I think it comes down to person preference (like much) but from what I have been reading, the Interstate brand has been doing much better lately and starting to make a name for themselves.

 

[inv3ctiv3]

Interesting, I'm in the market for a new battery and want to get the most reliable one possible as I don't wanna be stuck on the trail and not able to start my truck....

 

[IDAHOLANDCRUSHER]

if it stays at over 11 volts i can be saved, get a charger set up for agm batterys and even better if it has a de sulfate mode like a c-tek charger... there are alot of viedos on you tube on how to save your agm battery with a standard battery charger. your problem could also be in you chraging system in your cruiser, yellow tops arent really ment to be used as starting batteries, they are deep cycle .... the best bet is to get a red top for you main starting battery and use the yellow top for accesories

 

[lightwriter]

C-tek!!! That's the charger I bought that saved mine.

Growing up, my dad would only use interstate. Absolutely swore by them. But then again he drank pearl in a can and jack daniel's black.

Glad to hear they are still doing well. They definitely have a following with the older generation.

 

[FJ60Seth]

I swear by Interstate wet cell. I've had them last for 10 years.

 

[Elbert]

YOu don't want to add a bad battery to your dual battery setup. ON a dual battery setup you should have identical batteries of the same CCA / capacity.

 

[Methusalem]

Ten years ago the best batteries you could get in this country (Suriname, South America), were Cats and ACDelco's from the US. But the last few years the quality of the ACDelco's has been going down the drain. Everybody is complaining about them, and I personally have had problems with them two times. 1.5 years old and totally gone. I had two exactly the same 85 Amp ACDelco's for my 24 volt set up. And now a friend of mine, who is traveling South America with a 24 volt TLC 45 (MUD-member Mailking) has also bought two exactly the same ACDelco's, one year ago. They are in North Brazil now, and they simply blew one of their batteries. Totally dead!
For Europeans the United States has never been a real quality products country, but this is bordering Chinese Quality...

 

[dbleon]

I've had bad luck with Optima in the past....

 

[Captain Caveman]

My two blue top made in Mexico 9/09 have been great. Make sure they are getting a proper charge before writing them off.

 

[lcwizard]

Best battery I ever had was the Yuasa that came stock in the Toyota. I bought my 40 in 1978. I replaced the battery seven years later. That's seven Arizona summers.

 

[Haggis]

Gave up on Optima this past summer and installed a Diehard Platinum. $220.00, hopefully it live up to the reviews.

 

[RDC76]

My favorite battery brand

Haven't heard any mention of Braille batteries on here but that's what I've been running for a while and have been very happy and would recommend them highly. They have a great selection to meet many needs. I have one in my Boxster S that has 650 cca and only weighs a little over 12 pounds. And the one in Ingrid is a beast! Will smoke a yellow or red top. It has 1650 cca and 950 ca at 0 degrees f. And weighs less than most batteries. I have left the lights on by accident for about 6 hours and the truck still fired right up. And the cost is less than a yellow top or maybe close I haven't priced one in a few years. The one in the 60 is from my last yota.
They have a lot to look at but start with the endurance series. I just looked and they have more now than when I bought mine.

Rich

 

[keving]

The old made in Colorado Optimas were great. I have 3 of them inservice today, they must be at least 6 years old, have been run dry a couple times and subject to extreme weather changes. And they are in diesels. I have NEVER done anything to them...

but the new ones suck, just like a lot of new stuff. If I were to buy new, interstate is what I would buy I think. Then again, haven't done mach battery research for a while