optima red top

[loud2004marquis]

Does anyone have any experience with the optima redtop batteries?

Any reviews or feedback?

[tbone]

Good batteries? Yes.

Ugly? You betcha!

[jinxed]

They are great... have one in GM...been in over 7 yrs...

[RR|Suki]

Does anyone have any experience with the optima redtop batteries?

Any reviews or feedback?

I like mine, the high CCA is very nice. The one thing I would say is don't let it die on you, once they die they are done as far as I'm concerned. I think there is a special type of charger you can buy to recover them, but I just have a tender. I had one die on me, and after that if the car sat for a week the battery would be dead again.

Other than that I love mine.

[JoeBoomz]

3 in our house. Two of them are over 5 years old (maybe even 10 - I can't remember). I am buying a fourth next year when I drive down to the US in the summer again.

In my experience, you can drain them completely (oops!), then charge them up, and they still crank strong and work like new.


The one thing I would say is don't let it die on you, once they die they are done as far as I'm concerned. I think there is a special type of charger you can buy to recover them, but I just have a tender. I had one die on me, and after that if the car sat for a week the battery would be dead again.

Suki, did the battery FREEZE when it was dead? This would kill it good. I use a normal 2A trickle charger on mine, with no issues. Didn't know about any special type of charger. It's not like we have special types of alternators.

[RR|Suki]

3 in our house. Two of them are over 5 years old (maybe even 10 - I can't remember). I am buying a fourth next year when I drive down to the US in the summer again.

In my experience, you can drain them completely (oops!), then charge them up, and they still crank strong and work like new.



Suki, did the battery FREEZE when it was dead? This would kill it good. I use a normal 2A trickle charger on mine, with no issues. Didn't know about any special type of charger. It's not like we have special types of alternators.

I don't think so, it was in the Summer while I was studying for the bar if I remember correctly. This was at least 5 years ago so I don't 100% remember.

Either way, I let the car sit for like 3 months and killed the battery. Put it on my 2A battery tender and it charged back up fine. But after that if I let the car sit for more than a week the battery would die on me, which prob didn't help the situation.

I know a few people who have had similar troubles with them, I will say they did replace it under warranty though, so there's that. (This was back when the warranty was awesome)

[martyo]

We have had nothing but problems with them at the shop.

[Baconbit]

I was told that the red tops were not a deep cycle gel cell battery and that if you want that you should get the yellow top. I had issues with my old red top dying then I went with a yellow top in my old car with a large stereo system and it was fine.

[1BadAssMarauder]

I don't know if they are made by the same company anymore. I had two yellow top optima's in my 2001 7.3 diesel. They lasted over seven years. I had a red top in my vic and it's only a couple of years old and it's on it's way out. Maybe it's just hit or miss. Just sucks there aren't many other choices for gel batteries.

[fastblackmerc]

Had a red top in my MM for over 7 years. Now running a Diehard Advanced Gold AGM.

BTW..... No special charger need for a red top or any other automotive type battery.

[RF Overlord]

I don't know if they are made by the same company anymore. I heard that, too, but I can't remember when it supposedly changed. I also heard they were not as good any more.
In addition they're really pricey. I think the best value-for-money is Motorcraft.

[8UWITH6]

I have an old Optima Red Top in the GN that I bought for 4.00 out of the core pile at work about 11 years ago. Although its reserve capacity is dissipating it still serves its purpose in a car that is driven very seldom.

I also just "received" another newer style Optima Red Top and put it in the DBP and it seems to work fine. After a week in the cold it starts a little slow. But name me one battery out there that wouldnt.

Last I heard Interstate bought Optima. Might be wrong though.

[clintons4]

How about a dry cell battery? Thoughts on that?

[boatmangc]

I prefer an AGM, 1/2 the costs and properly maintained 4-5 years isn't a stretch.
If an AGM or Gel battery becomes completely discharged the best way to charge them it to connect it to a charger (especially one with a Gel/AGM setting) paralleled with another charged battery, then hit them with high amps for about 12 hours. Then top them off at 2-4 amps. Otherwise they take basically what is called a surface charge.

I have clients that use Optimas exclusively in their boats with 5-7 years life being the norm.
I just can't bring myself to spend that much more on the Gels.


I have the AGMs in all of my work trucks my boat and the MM, I keep the boat and theMM on a solar panel to keep un exercised batteries fully charged.

[MOTOWN]

I've been using Optima batteries for 10 years with excellent results, yes they are a bit pricey!