Optima Redtop

[tbone]

So I bought an Optima Redtop battery on 12/4/14. I went to pop the gas lid (300A) and it made a weak click. Thinking I had an issue with the release mechanism, I asked my wife to come out and push the release button while I jostled the lid. No go. Then the relay starts clicking continuously....So I grab the key and put the ignition in start position and realize all the dummy lights are very dim.
Long story short my 3 year old Optima Redtop battery is already shot even though I keep it on a battery tender. Anybody have a similar issue with these batteries? Pretty disappointed since I paid quite a bit and the prices have gone up a lot.

[martyo]

These batteries aren’t as good as they used to be.

[justbob]

These batteries aren’t as good as they used to be.



I’ve heard the same. Mine is doing good but only two years old.


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[Ambitious1]

These batteries aren’t as good as they used to be.

Yes, Optima used to be a good quality battery. However it seems that's not the case anymore. Especially since Optima stopped being made in the U.S.A. in 2008, the lifespan of the battery has decreased substantially.

http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=35724

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/sort-of-o-t-optima-batteries-not-made-in-usa.270258/

https://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=103120

If you're looking for a new battery, I would go with Motorcraft or DieHard.

[tbone]

I went with the Optima because after the supercharger install, it is the most powerful battery that fits in the battery tray and space for it. I still had to hammer the hood a bit to clear the positive terminal. I was having issues with the old, brand new standard battery not providing powerful enough cranks plus the dimensions and superior CCA of the Optima was the best I could find in my research.

I found a new identical Optima on ebay for $200 shipped. I paid $150 3 years ago. Most places want around $230.

[fastblackmerc]

Copied from this post: https://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=72318&highlight=battery

My Optima Red Top just died after 4 years and 1 month.... not bad for a 36 month warranty. That battery has been brought back from the dead more times than I can remember.

Looking for another battery I thought I'd go with a Sears DieHard. Found this:

The P-2 Platinum Automotive Battery from DieHard features 135 minutes of reserve capacity and 930 cold cranking amps. Its corrosion-resistant high quality tin-coated brass terminals provide reliable starting power in all weather conditions. Its rugged, military-grade construction features robust casing for increased compression and offers superior vibration resistance, making it ideal for off-road applications.

* Longer off-season storage time - show cars & classic cars
* Ideal for luxury vehicles with multiple electronic accessories
* Plates made of 99.99% pure virgin lead
* High purity grade acid held safely in place by glass mats; non-spillable design
* Absorbed Glass Mat construction provides mounting flexibility & guarantees longer service life
* 4-Year Free Replacement; 100-Month Prorated Limited Warranty

Dimensions:
Height: 7-2/5 in.
Length: 11-4/5 in.
Width (in.): 7-1/5 in.
Product Overview:
Item Weight (lbs.): 60.0 lbs.
Battery Type:
Group Size: 65
Temperate Zone: North or South
Transportation Type: Passenger car and light commercial
Power Configuration:
Voltage: 12.0
Power Ratings:
Amp Hours at 20 Hour Rate: 75
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA at 0 deg.F): 930
Reserve Capacity (RC): 135 min.
Design & Construction:
Container Material: Polycarbonate/polyester
Warranties & Coverage:
Months in Use Free Replacement: 48
Months in Use Pro Rated Replacement: 100

930 CCA!

4 year free replacement!

After the first 4 years... an additional 52 months prorated replacement!

Of course all that comes at a cost......

http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinum-automotive-battery-group-size-65-price/p-02851065000P

[RubberCtyRauder]

Die hard Platinum group 65 size is "presently unavailable"

[fastblackmerc]

Die hard Platinum group 65 size is "presently unavailable"
Might just be online.

[tbone]

The length 11 4/5" won't fit in the battery tray. Nice specs though.

[crownvic05]

interstate batteries for a CV PI is an excellent strong battery. Mine is still going strong into 3 years now with a 3k watts rms stereo and everything else.

[GoldPanther]

I read online that the red optima is never worth buying. Supposedly if you're buying an optima you should get the yellow one.

I've always bought duralast gold and so far I've had good luck with them, they last about 4 years.

[RubberCtyRauder]

I like my Interstate Mega-tron Plus..MTP-65, 850 cca, 1000ca and no it's not a ugly green top..it's a black top

[crownvic05]

I like my Interstate Mega-tron Plus..MTP-65, 850 cca, 1000ca and no it's not a ugly green top..it's a black top

This is the one in my car. Love this battery.

[Bradley G]

The length 11 4/5" won't fit in the battery tray. Nice specs though.Sounds like you have no choices if you want to stay small and mighty.
You could trunk mount a full size !

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[tbone]

I wish the Optima was black. Oh well.

[Svashtar]

There’s a Batteries + store in town, all he sells are batteries of all sizes. He tells me that Optima and Interstate are now made by the same company.

I agree that Optima has gone downhill. Their Blue Top deep cycle batteries also have a decreased life over the ones made 10-12 years ago, and that’s keeping them maintained with an Optima 4 (amp) charger that can recondition almost anything.

Last I bought for the car was a Duralast Gold from Autozone which has held up well (as long as I use a battery tender if I have several short trips), but I’m going to try a DieHard next time.


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[Turbov6Bryan]

Back to the first post...

How long did your car sit without being started or used?

SOME battery tenders/chargers once they charge the battery to full capacity, they DO NOT COME BACK ON :) Some chargers just tend it once, and the car will eat on the battery voltage until it's fully drained. Been there!

So charge it back up with a agm setting and see if it comes back to life...

I can only assume the car has set long enough to drain the battery

My black at a battery 6 months ago and the battery was only 6 months old, it had a bad cell and always showed low volts. It's a napa battery

[Bradley G]

I wish the Optima was black. Oh well.Krylon flat black

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[tbone]

Back to the first post...

How long did your car sit without being started or used?

SOME battery tenders/chargers once they charge the battery to full capacity, they DO NOT COME BACK ON :) Some chargers just tend it once, and the car will eat on the battery voltage until it's fully drained. Been there!

So charge it back up with a agm setting and see if it comes back to life...

I can only assume the car has set long enough to drain the battery

My black at a battery 6 months ago and the battery was only 6 months old, it had a bad cell and always showed low volts. It's a napa battery

I've been using Schumacher chargers for years with no issues at all. I started the car maybe a month ago. I did notice it wasn't turning over with the same authority it was before. The battery simply crapped out. My voltmeter always showed a little under 13 volts. I figured it was just a calibration issue. We'll see.

[Zack]

I buy the gold batteries from Advance. Never a single problem in multiple cars. I replace them at the 5 year mark regardless

[Joe Walsh]

I've bought LOTS of batteries for LOTS of cars over the years....

Motorcraft last the longest....though they are NOT the least expensive.

DieHard used to be a close 2nd.

[tbone]

I ordered the Optima 400 4 amp max auto charger so I hope this battery lasts longer than 3 years. Hell, maybe it will fix the old one.

[Bradley G]

I ordered the Optima 400 4 amp max auto charger so I hope this battery lasts longer than 3 years. Hell, maybe it will fix the old one.Curious what the latest and the greatest ,
Red top and corresponding maintenance equipment
Was in costs ?
The only weight reduction I may receive,
Is if I go on a diet !
Spare tire reduction used to be taking it out of the trunk !


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[Lowndex]

Have you tried this:
https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/support/charging/resuscitate-deeply-discharged-battery

[Lowndex]

Most battery chargers have built-in safety features that may prevent chargers from recharging deeply discharged batteries. A traditional battery that's at 10.5 volts or less is seen as defective, having either a short, a bad cell or some other defect. Most analog chargers are binary and are either on or off. If they don’t come on, it may be because the charger thinks the battery is “bad.” Turning on to charge a “bad” battery could create an unsafe scenario. But the fact is that the AGM battery may be just fine; it has simply slipped below the minimum voltage threshold of the charger to turn on, and the charger doesn't know what to do with the battery, so it does nothing.

The best method for recharging a deeply discharged AGM battery is to purchase a modern charger that has kept up with battery technology.

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/battery-charger

[Svashtar]

Have you tried this:

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/support/charging/resuscitate-deeply-discharged-battery


That’s what he mentioned he bought in post #22, so you guys were on the same page! Good charger.



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[Svashtar]

I ordered the Optima 400 4 amp max auto charger so I hope this battery lasts longer than 3 years. Hell, maybe it will fix the old one.


That’s an excellent charger. (Charges at 4V, not amps). If anything can bring back a dead or near dead Optima AGM that’s the one. I made a shortened hand truck for an Optima Bluetop, and wired it in to that charger with a fixed terminal harness, then mounted the charger bracket to the hand truck. Every couple of weeks I plug it in to keep the battery at full strength.

Check the Optima site for voltage / percentage figures. They should also come with the charger. My Bluetop was at only 11 Volts output, which meant that it was like 50% depleted. The 4V charger brought it up to 13.2 Volts in a day or so. There are 4 quadrants on the charger corresponding to different battery types, just be sure to select the right one.

I almost wish I had paid the extra for the 12V model, but the smaller Optima 400 actually got better reviews, just takes longer. If the 400 can’t restore it, you need a new battery.


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[Mr. Man]

In case anyone else was wondering.

AGM
Sealed Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries like OPTIMA® Batteries do not spill, sulfate or degrade like flooded batteries do. AGM design holds the electrolyte in suspension while keeping it in constant contact with the active lead material on the plates. This results in higher efficiency when both discharging and recharging.

AGM design offers lower internal resistance and greater plate area, which provides superior starting power, the ability to recharge much faster and higher voltage characteristics during discharge.
KEY BENEFITS:
Impressively high cranking characteristics in a small battery
Higher charge acceptance during AGM battery-charging
Sealed maintenance-free design
Virtually spill-proof
Shock and vibration-resistant
More power per pound as compared to standard batteries
Long service life
OPTIMA Battery

[tbone]

That’s an excellent charger. (Charges at 4V, not amps).


No, it's 4 amps.

The Digital 400 charges at a maximum rate of four amps, while the Digital 1200 can charge at a maximum rate of 12 amps. Both will work fine on all OPTIMA batteries, but the Digital 1200 can recharge batteries faster.

[Svashtar]

No, it's 4 amps.



The Digital 400 charges at a maximum rate of four amps, while the Digital 1200 can charge at a maximum rate of 12 amps. Both will work fine on all OPTIMA batteries, but the Digital 1200 can recharge batteries faster.


You’re absolutely right, my bad. Of course they’re both 12V chargers, but one charges 3x faster than the other.

The 1200 is nice, but a lot more money, and I just wanted a charger to maintain and / or refurb new and older batteries.

By the way, I bought mine exactly 2 years ago on Amazon, and the best price I could find at the time was $109.99. Two years later it’s exactly $20 less. Figures! The 1200 12 AMP is unchanged at $199.


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[tbone]

The charger is arriving today. I'm going to see if it fixes the old battery. I paid $100 with shipping, so don't feel too bad.

The new Optima battery....who knows? Best price on ebay and of course I can't get an answer on when it will ship. I should have spent the extra coin and ordered on Amazon Prime.

[Bradley G]

The charger is arriving today. I'm going to see if it fixes the old battery. I paid $100 with shipping, so don't feel too bad.

The new Optima battery....who knows? Best price on ebay and of course I can't get an answer on when it will ship. I should have spent the extra coin and ordered on Amazon Prime.Glad to learn the purchase was not too painful !
I hate when the money is spent , and no idea when the prize arrives.

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[ByronRACE]

This one should work pretty good. 20lbs and 2000+ CCA. I'd buy two, but it doesn't have a black top. :)
https://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/braille/product_batteries/i65s

[tbone]

This one should work pretty good. 20lbs and 2000+ CCA. I'd buy two, but it doesn't have a black top. :)
https://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/braille/product_batteries/i65s

$2500! :bs:

It can't be over 10" wide.

[tbone]

The Optima charger seems like one high quality piece. Backlit display, lcd messages, lots of features to restore and maintain a battery, etc. It gives you the starting condition of the battery, in my case completely discharged even though my cheapo charger said it was full, and then gives the the current charge condition live. I'm going to buy one for my bike as well.

[Joe Walsh]

This one should work pretty good. 20lbs and 2000+ CCA. I'd buy two, but it doesn't have a black top. :)
https://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/braille/product_batteries/i65s


$2500! :bs:


2.5K for a car battery!?

:eek:

Does it power your entire house during blackouts???

You'd have to be rich and blind to buy that braille battery!......;)

[tbone]

Optima 400 charger fixed the battery. Hard to say if it was the charger that fixed it or my old charger was bad. Regardless, really nice unit and I will be buying more.

[tbone]

Does anyone know the part number of the retainers that hold the shroud down over the radiator? I lost one.

[RubberCtyRauder]

https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-sight-shield-clip-w706519s300/?c=Zz1ib2R5JnM9cmFkaWF0b3Itc3V wcG9ydCZpPUxBMDMwMjU1JnI9OSZhP W1lcmN1cnkmbz1tYXJhdWRlciZ5PTI wMDQmdD1iYXNlJmU9NC02bC12OC1nY XM%3D

[Lowndex]

2.5K for a car battery!?

:eek:

Does it power your entire house during blackouts???

You'd have to be rich and blind to buy that braille battery!......;)

Even I think a $2500 battery is ridiculous! Hell, a battery costing over $150 seems wacked. :shake:

[Lowndex]

Optima 400 charger fixed the battery. Hard to say if it was the charger that fixed it or my old charger was bad. Regardless, really nice unit and I will be buying more.

It was the charger. Before I learned Optima batteries test bad on standard chargers, I threw away three of them! BRG Racing told me to stop it and buy the Optima charger. Me thinks Optima like people not knowing this little jewel of information. :mad2:

[fastblackmerc]

Does anyone know the part number of the retainers that hold the shroud down over the radiator? I lost one.

PM me your address.

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Does anyone know the part number of the retainers that hold the shroud down over the radiator? I lost one.Here's the part number

w706519-s300

[RubberCtyRauder]

see post 39

[Turbov6Bryan]

Glad you figured it out. I totally nailed it in post #17..... ;)

I would charge it to full capacity,use it some, charge it again,... and then just pull the battery cables off the battery for the winter... I do this too on a regal I have that sits outside for the winter..

[Svashtar]

It was the charger. Before I learned Optima batteries test bad on standard chargers, I threw away three of them! BRG Racing told me to stop it and buy the Optima charger. Me thinks Optima like people not knowing this little jewel of information. :mad2:


Optima charger reviews online are full of stories of thought to be dead batteries being brought back to life by the charger. I figure my AGM Bluetop should have been totally dead by now, but it’s still going strong.

Hopefully the Optima 400 will work just as well on a non-Optima deep cycle battery when I get one of those.



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[tbone]

I just did my deep cycle back up sump battery and all is well with the charger. It has settings for charging them.

[tbone]

https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-sight-shield-clip-w706519s300/?c=Zz1ib2R5JnM9cmFkaWF0b3Itc3V wcG9ydCZpPUxBMDMwMjU1JnI9OSZhP W1lcmN1cnkmbz1tYXJhdWRlciZ5PTI wMDQmdD1iYXNlJmU9NC02bC12OC1nY XM%3D

Thank you>>>>>>>>>>>>

[tbone]

Glad you figured it out. I totally nailed it in post #17..... ;)

I would charge it to full capacity,use it some, charge it again,... and then just pull the battery cables off the battery for the winter... I do this too on a regal I have that sits outside for the winter..


I never had an issue until recently, so not too sure about your analysis in post 17....;)

This new charger reconditions the battery every 30 days in storage so it is purposely meant to be left on indefinitely.

[MyBlackBeasts]

2.5K for a car battery!?

:eek:

Does it power your entire house during blackouts???

You'd have to be rich and blind to buy that braille battery!......;)

It's a lithium ION battery, not lead acid.

Have no idea who would want one, would love to know the avg life span at $2500.

[justbob]

It's a lithium ION battery, not lead acid.

Have no idea who would want one, would love to know the avg life span at $2500.



Over 9,000 [emoji1303]


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[Marauderjack]

It's a lithium ION battery, not lead acid.

Have no idea who would want one, would love to know the avg life span at $2500.

One NASCAR race!!:confused:

[MyBlackBeasts]

One NASCAR race!!:confused:

Hahahaha!!!!