Opitma battery issues/options?

[Chemicalblue]

I'm in the process of changing my 5th Optima battery. IMO they are a lifetime guaranteed piece of junk. I have tried everything to keep them alive for any real length of time and they all usually fail in about 1-2 yrs. I should have known after the first one went bad and the authorized dealer wouldn't take it back. So now I'm in the market for the next best thing as far as a battery gos. Surely someone has come up with something better in 10yrs;

 

Maybe a battery that has the same design as a optima but actually holds a charge and doesn't dead cell all the time.

 

This one looks cool

http://www.bsrproducts.com/product_info.php?cPath=3&products_id=2551

[Hybrid240z]

Which Optima were you using...red, yellow, or blue. I bought two yellows off of Ebay and haven't had any problems with them. I've had them at least 3-4 years. I also have a blue one that I kept from a truck that I sold. I didn't buy the red because it is sealed like the yellow and blue but is not a deep cycle battery and will begin to fail, like conventional batteries, if it is drained. The yellow and blue, blue is a marine battery, are supposed to be able to handle repeated deep cycling.

[TrumpetRhapsody]

Is deep cycling necessary for a car? J/w

[RTz]

Tommy,

 

For what its worth, I do some business with the largest battery manufacture in the world (Johnson Controls). They recently acquired the Optima brand. Their warranty room is heavily biased with Optima's. I quizzed the floor manager about it and he said the issue is manufacturing inconsistency... some are quite good and others not so good. The expectation is to turn that around. I've personally owned several with good performance. Guess I've been lucky.

[Evan Purple240zt]

I had a big deep cycle SVR that was a total piece of crap. Optimas are fine as long as they never go dead.

 

I had a yellowtop take a dump after 1.5 years.

[Careless]

Check these... used by the rotary crowd for some time now.

 

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/batteries.htm

[The Chiropractor]

I am really surprised to hear of your misfortune with these batteries. I have had the same red top for 5 years and it has seen some abuse. It even got hooked up on a charger with the poles reversed for about 4 hours on one occasion, and still works like a charm! This is the first I have ever heard of one of these batteries giving anyone any trouble. I think I got mine from a high end auto stereo shop...

[Chemicalblue]

My driving habits are partially to blame, the car stays in the garage (on carpet) most of the time.

 

Ive used all types of chargers, unhooked the battery while not in use, you name it. But it never fails, one day I go out to start it and its dead and wont take a charge. Ive even upgraded to a 96 240sx se alternator.

 

The good battery / bad battery manufacturing issue does seem to explain why I hear 50/50 feedback of the product, I must have bad luck going 0/5 .

 

I'm thinking of returning it for a final time and selling the new one. That way it makes it easy to justify the new carbon fiber battery to the wife:wink:.

[Hey_Allen]

I've had good luck with the Deka battery that I'm currently using, and was referred to them by a friend who also uses them.

 

AGM battery like the Optima, but not in spirals.

 

http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/

[Pop N Wood]

Get one of those computerized battery chargers designed to be installed right on the car. From what I have read a regular lead acid battery will get choked with sulfates in short order if left unused for any period of time. The computerized chargers are supposes to exercise the battery and keep it fresh while in storage.

[75s30]

This is interesting I know some people that have optima's that haven't had a problem for several years now... But there is one thing that I have heard is that if you let the battery sit too long. Like 2 weeks. The battery will be dead. If you drive it on a normal basis it will stay charged. But that's my two cents.

[Mayolives]

I used the small pc680 (??) in a race car application. The first two were purchased on Ebay and lasted about one year. The third and currant one came from a local dealer at a higher cost with warranty and, with fingers crossed, is several months old and still going strong. The dealer told me they are prone to failure in higher vibration situations so I added more soft stuff to the mount. The jury is still out!

[Careless]

I wonder how far away from the car the PC2250 would send the starter.

[S30TRBO]

My red top Optima lasted for 7.5 years I am on my second one now. I guess I have been lucky too.

[Chemicalblue]

My red top Optima lasted for 7.5 years I am on my second one now. I guess I have been lucky too.

 

Is your car a daily driver?

Or how often do your drive your car or charge your optima?

[Chemicalblue]

I wonder how far away from the car the PC2250 would send the starter.

 

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/documents/US-ODY-2250-001_0905.pdf

 

That would end all my troubles for sure.

 

Mounting an 86lb battery in my Z = trip to the butt doctor

[veritech-z]

I've had the same red top in my datsun for the last 3 years, and for the first year of having the car, i was driving around on straight battery (i never drove the car far enough to find out my alternator was toast...). It's been parked since august at my grandfather's house while I'm in grad school, and i started it for the first time like three weeks ago. Fired up with no trouble at all, guess I'm also one of the lucky ones.

[buZy]

I have experimented with these bateries for years now with different end results. Same battery type used in two different cars.

 

Car 1:

The same red top optima in the Z three years now. During winter it's pulled and put on a shelf indoors with no tender ever for 4 months. Spring, a quick charge, goes back in the car enough to get the car up on jacks till usually August. Then about a two months of driving (700 miles average) and the cycle reapeats. Impressive performance. The deep cycle abilitly is remarkable!

 

Car 2:

My 95 year old grandmas (yes she still drives!) 1991 Lexus 250. This car is never driven more than 10 miles a year for the last 5 years now and stored in a unheated garage. This car has required an new red top optima every year and they are not cheap.

 

The difference to me is any battery constantly conneted and not charged will never last. The electrical system in the lexus is much more complex than the Z of course. That being the case the lexus should deplete the battery quicker if tested side by side? It appears it does just that though already. Also the Z car is never left more than a month with termials hooked up to eliminate the chance of fire and stored indoors during winter. Tempreture might be small factor. My thoughts are the odds of electrical resistance difference in each cars particular wiring system is much more of the issue than just getting unlucky during the manufacturing process.

 

(that was too much info, i'll shut up now)

[S30TRBO]

Is your car a daily driver?

Or how often do your drive your car or charge your optima?

 

Not a daily driver. It was down for 2 years without a charge and I began using it again with one charge.

 

Now I drive it when it's a nice day during the work week and weekends. My commute is only 1.9 miles though.

[hoov100]

i have this battery that i use for the winch of my trailer, that rarely gets used, and i only charge it when it goes dead, it has lasted 5 years in the elements snow sun water sand..etc and has yet to let me down, it may be sun faded, but it still takes and holds a full charge.