Optima Batteries wont die

[Ladsm]

This summer I pulled my Blue Tops out of the boat and they had 10/2014 dates on them. They were still working great but I didnt want to chance 10 year old batteries out in the middle of the lake.

My Dodge Diesel truck was having weird CEL and Anti-lock brake lights coming on/off randomly the last 2 weeks. I tested the 2 year old NAPA legend batteries today and one was 10V with 5 bad cells and the other was 11 Volts with 3 bad cells. I grabbed the 10 year old blue tops from the boat garage and threw them in the truck and it fired right up and I drove it around town and the dash Christmas lights went away. Its a mission now to see how long these Optimas will last!!!!

 

[Backlash]

I used to have really good luck with Optimas, but that changed when they updated their products so to speak. After that time, I was only getting 3-4 years out of them. I switched to the Interstate AGMs and have had OK luck with those. I may bounce back to Optima the next go around just to see how they are now.

 

[rightytighty]

I have 2 similar optima stories:


1) built my House Boat in 1997. Put an optima onboard as a house battery. solar panel maintained. All it does is power the HB's stereo with (4) 6 x9's, internal lighting that is used sparingly and a water pump for the sink. Battery finally died in 2021.

2) Buddy's lavey has 2 bluetops from 2016. We had to change his engine this past spring. Thought about changing batteries for similar reasons to you, but then changed mind. Batteries ran flawless all summer. Still in Lavey today.

 

[RitcheyRch]

I used to have really good luck with Optimas, but that changed when they updated their products so to speak. After that time, I was only getting 3-4 years out of them. I switched to the Interstate AGMs and have had OK luck with those. I may bounce back to Optima the next go around just to see how they are now.

Completely agree with the above statement. I bought an Optima Red Top when they first came out from Optima at the LA Auto Show. That battery lasted forever. Every Optima from that point forward has only lasted a few years.

My next AGM will be either X2 or Odyssey.

 

[Pattle]

I've heard the old ones were better. I'm having good luck with the red top in my prerunner. There since 2014 - 10 years now. That truck usually sits in the backyard on a trickle charger, but I've been using it as a daily since my Jeep is currently OOC. I'm carrying a jumper battery just in case, but so far so good!

 

[76 Hondo]

I used to change out the Sears Die Hards before the 3rd year, after one left me in the River and the Wife thought it was funny taking a picture of me being towed in by a jet ski! Switched to Optima's first one lasted 7 years, next one I had problems but the retail place brought it back to life, lasted about 6 years. I bought the next one from Summit and it went south in months, called them had a new one the next day and been good for the last couple of years.

 

[Sharky]

Completely agree with the above statement. I bought an Optima Red Top when they first came out from Optima at the LA Auto Show. That battery lasted forever. Every Optima from that point forward has only lasted a few years.

My next AGM will be either X2 or Odyssey.

Red top Optmas used to be made right here in Denver. Gates Manufacturing on Broadway (Gates Tire & Rubber). Across the street from the tire plant.

Original Gates plant is all torn down. Condos going in.

Gates was the original inventor of the Optima.


Long gone. . .sold to somebody else and probably manufactured it Chyna now.

 

[92562]

Pretty sure I bought the red top in my Chevelle in 98 or 99. Cranks an 11.5:1 406 small block from the trunk like a champ. I don’t even have a tender on it.

 

[Backlash]

The last Optima I bought was from 4Wheel Parts in Riverside. I paid $99 for it. That's how long it's been.

 

[Boat Potato]

Have 2 optima blue tops in my boat. Lasted 12 years! They finally gave up last summer at the river. Had to buy 2 new ones from spanky's at $700! I have a noco on board charger but would only plug it in usually the week before a trip.

 

[BHC Vic]

I just replaced the yellow optima in my truck. It was in there since 2012

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

The last Optima I bought was from 4Wheel Parts in Riverside. I paid $99 for it. That's how long it's been.

I buy our Odyssey batteries from 4WP in Riverside. Great place!

 

[blueflaminhot]

Odyssey is the new Optima now. Expensive but basically the best.

 

[FreeBird236]

It's not just AGM's, I got 10 years out of the Centennials that came in our boat, replaced with same model# and they lasted 2 years. I'm sitting at about 4 years on conventional Deka's, we'll see.

 

[dribble]

I had the same $35.00 Wal Mart power sports battery in my 2005 KTM for 14 years.

 

[Dana757]

I just installed a Blue Top in my Jeep. Hopefully I get some life out of it.

 

[bonesfab]

The Og's were the best. lasted forever. Then corporate greed came in and realized if you made a good battery that lasted, you wouldn't sell as many. almost like health care in this day and age. I believe the optimas are now made in mexico and it is a crap shoot on how long they will last.

 

[Ziggy]

Pardon my ignorance....blue, red, yellow...what's the difference?
.
Generally speaking, I've had pretty good luck with Wallyworld batteries. Even their economy 1yr wrty ones have gone several years.

 

[rivergames]

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Pardon my ignorance....blue, red, yellow...what's the difference?
.
Generally speaking, I've had pretty good luck with Wallyworld batteries. Even their economy 1yr wrty ones have gone several years.

Optima classes their batteries as follows:

Red: starting batteries. High CCA but no deep-cycle.

Yellow; house batteries, not high cca and support deep-cycle.

Blue: Marine batteries that combine red and yellow. They are both starting batteries and also deep/cycle.

 

[rivrrts429]

They hate vibration. Cant get them to live in our compaction equipment.

Had a similar Odyssey in our race car, junk. Nothing worse than having battery issues in a race car.

Have had good luck with Optima’s in my daily. No complaints.

 

[Luv2gofast]

Red top Optmas used to be made right here in Denver. Gates Manufacturing on Broadway (Gates Tire & Rubber). Across the street from the tire plant.

Original Gates plant is all torn down. Condos going in.

Gates was the original inventor of the Optima.


Long gone. . .sold to somebody else and probably manufactured it Chyna now.

My blue tops are 9/21 and one just died. I have maintainers on each of them and have never run them dead. Really disappointed with them. I won't buy them again so looking for recommendations.

Defiantly not the same old Optima's from Gates. I had a red top in my off road car for 10 years. Went dead sitting several times, charged up with an MP AGM charger and it always came back and worked fine. It was in the car when I bought it and still there when I sold it!

 

[RitcheyRch]

Odyssey is the new Optima now. Expensive but basically the best.

I know its overkill but ended up putting Odyssey batteries in all of our vehicles.

 

[Romans9]

They hate vibration. Cant get them to live in our compaction equipment.

Had a similar Odyssey in our race car, junk. Nothing worse than having battery issues in a race car.

Have had good luck with Optima’s in my daily. No complaints.

I quit trying anything else and only use Cat batteries in any equipment. They have been made by a couple different manufacturers over the last thirty years but all have been built to Cat specs. The primary difference is that Cat batteries are double bonded meaning they are bonded to the top and the bottom of the battery case which obviously holds the plates solid rather than just suspending them from the top.

 

[PlanB]

I know its overkill but ended up putting Odyssey batteries in all of our vehicles.

I did the same thing. I have had very good luck with all of them.