I purchased an Optima Red Top about a month ago, I figured it would be money well spent since they are a "sealed battery" and I had completely redone my car from the frame up and didn't want to take a chance on anything corroding my engine bay. Well, two weeks later I go to start my car and it's "dead as a door nail." I go and take a look at the battery and there is a water looking liquid running out of it and down onto my battery tray and frame, it's freaking battery acid, and it's already damaged my battery tray and radiator support. So I remove it and take it back to AutoZone where I purchased it they gave me another one so I bring it back and everything works fine for about a week, well tonight I go to start my car up and the same thing "dead"!!! I take it back to Autozone and they tested it and it came back "Bad Battery". Needless to say, I'm DONE with Optima Batteries!!!!! Don't waste your money on these pieces of crap!!!! :nono:
I am on my third Optima battery since I started my project 34 and my car has really not even been on the street much yet. All have been replaced on warranty, but I will not buy another one that's for sure.
I'm amazed. Been using Red Tops for at least 5 years. Still running one that broke its mount & bounced into the engine fan a few years ago. Has a 6" long gash that you can see metal thru & has worked perfect the whole time. I run a dozen shop project rigs off 3 Red Tops. They've seen nothing but the harshest of use & abuse and have been flawless.
Only thing I'm not happy with is the way demand (European, as of late) has spiked the retail on these bad boys...
The company I worked for tried them on the fleet trucks here in AZ they crapped out in a hurry,overpriced and not worth it, in therory they look good,"but if it looks to good to be true"you know the rest!
My step dad had the same bad experience with these batteries. They don't seem to hold a charge for any period of time (in or out the car). After the 3rd or so replacement he put a trickle charge on it everynight work fine for a while then.
I have been considering one of these for my project. Specifically for the sealed feature. This has me considering something else, but I am considering a trunk mount and want something clean and no fuss. Are there any other batteries with similar features?
I also just noticed they are not in the company review section.
If you let them go flat, they are trash. If you overcharge them, even with a trickle charger, they will leak out whatever acidic goo that lives inside, and then be junk.
I have a friend who put one of those Snap on battery tender trickle chargers (s'posed to be a good one..right? ),on an optima in one of his less used cars and it melted the bottom of the battery case, the stuff seeped through a screw hole in the bottom of his *****in products aluminum battery case, then ate the floor and paint off the frame....
I remember when those first came out ,they were the same then as they are now. We went through 5 of those things in a matter of 2 years in a 34 coupe. I remember wheeling 3 of those pieces of crap on a hand truck into the optima booth at one of the Goodguys shows at Pleasanton and it only took about 30 seconds of my ranting before they gave me 3 new ones.(and asked me to leave)
I sold, and used Optima Battery's for years. I had a red top in my 56 Belair for 4 years. I put air bags on it with 3 compressors. So I went with a yellow top, and a 140 amp alternator. The red top was going dead when the compressors were on and engine not running. The yellow top cured the problem. I thought the red top was going bad after 4 years. The yellow top is still going, almost 7 years now. The red top I kept for 12 volt testing. It sat for years charging once in a while. I then restored a 68 Bug to sell. Instead of buying another battery for it. I put that red top on it. Guess what it charged up ok, and never misted a beat. When ever someone would come to look at it, it started up every time. For the 2 months it took to sell it. That battery was almost 9 years old. I have had good luck with them. Hardly any warranty problems when I sold them from my shop too. The yellow top was a better battery though. :thumbup:
Maybe a couple of you guys have had good luck with these P's OS but I have to agree with the majority-they are JUNK! I will never buy another one! Maybe a couple of you guys have had good luck with them but the track record is so poor you must be the exception to a growing number of very dis-satisfied owners.
I have used optima batteries in my last few projects,most recently a 37 ford coupe with a zz4 350 chevy engine. I purchased the battery 3years ago, it sat on the shelf for 1 year, and I have had no problems with it. I killed the charge by leaving the stereo amp on for a 2day peroid, but it recharged fine. I have a bolted in lead for my trickle charger, and have used it from time to time to maintain the battery during the winter time so my clock,ect. will not kill it, and never had a heating issue in the battery when using the trickle-charger. The whole story is, not every product works for everyone. I have yet to get an aftermarket part for a streetrod that "bolted right on"everytime!!
Anyone have a viable alternative that also uses the gel cell design? I have an Optima - and it is to be mounted in the trunk. Do I scrap that idea and go with my "surplus" totally enclosed Summit battery box and conventional battery with an overboard vent system, or use the Optima 'til it dies then change? Dang it - I thought I was getting the best available tecnology for long life and safety!!! ain:
Anyone have a viable alternative that also uses the gel cell design? I have an Optima - and it is to be mounted in the trunk. Do I scrap that idea and go with my "surplus" totally enclosed Summit battery box and conventional battery with an overboard vent system, or use the Optima 'til it dies then change? Dang it - I thought I was getting the best available tecnology for long life and safety!!! ain:
I say use it until it dies ( like I am going to do) then buy something else. There is another brand of Optima like battery, but I can't recall the name at the moment.
All I can say is that the red top Optima in my crewcab dually has given me absolutely no problems for the two years it's been installed. I pulled mine off the rack at the local Costco and dropped it in. I'll certainly get another when I need one.
Anyone have a viable alternative that also uses the gel cell design? I have an Optima - and it is to be mounted in the trunk. Do I scrap that idea and go with my "surplus" totally enclosed Summit battery box and conventional battery with an overboard vent system, or use the Optima 'til it dies then change? Dang it - I thought I was getting the best available tecnology for long life and safety!!! ain:
I've had three Optima red top batteries and one is in my '58 Impala with no problems what so ever. I do not keep a trickle charger connected but I'm aware of any onboard equipment that may be a battery drain, clock, stereo, etc. Connect an amp meter in series with the battery B+ to see how much drain that might be. From time to time if I judge the battery may need charging, I connect my 15 amp constant current charger. If the needle pegs then I know the curcuit breaker will trip, the battery is too low. This is the one thing that makes these batteries different from the typical wet cell or gel cell...........if it gets too low you will need to roll out the big charger. The trick is not to let them get too low to begin with and they will charge like an ordinary battery, wet or gel. My Wife has a similar problem with our computer............she want it to work the way she wants it. I keep telling her she has to learn how the computer want to work and stop clicking on everything in sight until it's totally screwed up, then she complains when the thing doesn't work. She still want's it to work like Windows 98. Nothing wrong with that but it just ain't gonna happen.
You seem to be having as many issues as I have had (and am having)
MOTORCRAFT----just changed the ORIGINAL battery in my 97 'Bird this past spring. Never in my wildest hallucinations, did I ever think a battery would last that long----here in So. Tex.
When I lived in Phoenix---every car---every battery---every 2 yrs
just like clockwork. Brand, rating, warranty----no matter--2 yrs
Bryan
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Hot Rod Forum
2.2M posts
175.7K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to hot rod owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about restoration, builds, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!