WTF with Optima Batteries?

[BIGMONEYDAY]

I've had my red top for about 6 years and it's finally dead, so I go to get another one today cause the test says it has a bad cell. I see they've gone way up...again!! I bought one about a year ago for my other car and I know it was around $150, but I had a rebate for $25 so it was cool. I paid about $125 for my original one, 6 years ago. But now I see they are $170!! Not only that but it only comes with a 3yr warranty, with no prorate period...that's nuts. The one I bought 6yrs ago, had a 6yr prorate plan. Even the cheapest Walmart battery you get even has a prorate warranty period. I guess that's going to be the last Optima I buy. I'll miss the 900 cranking amps, but that's ok. The highest amount of cranking amps that I've been able to find in a standard battery is around 740. Those batteries have a 7yr prorate warranty and only cost around $100. If any of you guys know a better alternative let me know.

[Joshua42007]

Yeah my yellow top cost 185$ from o`reilys auto parts about a year ago. That extra 160 amps and +4 year prorate warranty cost an additional 50-80$ lol

[Reelax]

i just bought another bluetop D34M from COSTCO for $150 - $10 core exchange (any old battery). if you guys have COSTCO out there, i'm sure the red top would be even less.

[tamim13]

I bought the red top from NAPA for ~$138 after the core exchange. I got it at that price because of my AAA discount. So if you have an AAA card, you should be able to get it for that price.

[BIGMONEYDAY]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check Costco the next time I hit ATL, or check the local Sam's Club. (Hate to have to renew my membership.) I've always thought I was going to run a 2 Optima battery setup when I put my audio system back in. But now I think I may only run an Optima and a regular battery, or an Optima and a small audio battery (Kinetik or Shuriken).

Joshua- Thanks for that info on yellow tops. I didn't know their cranking amps were that much higher than the reds. I think I may switch to those.

[Prophet]

Yellow tops have more deeper cycle... the red top has more CCA...

[SPD_FRK]

I remember when a buddy and I bought one for my eclipse, and one for his neon we both paid about $190 each for them. We sell and install these batteries all the time at my work for customers. For the last 2 years we have only had to exchange/replace one of the red top batteries just this past winter. My Optima battery lasted until my car was totalled, and my buddy's neon is still running off the exact same yellow top battery he had bought back in 2002.

If you guys are "killing" these high end type batteries then switch back to a simple replacement, and check your power distribution system for something draining the battery...there is no reason one of these batteries should be dead.

On a note of warranty I don't remember what Optima had when we bought ours, but this is direct from their website.

Purchased Pre Feb 09;
http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/warranty/preFeb.php

Purchased After Feb 09;
http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/warranty/postFeb.php


As for the "regular" batteries, when I bought one last summer for the Galant and Lancer, none of them had anything longer than a 1year warranty if I remember correctly. Even then these batteries were $50-60.

[BIGMONEYDAY]

Yellow tops have more deeper cycle... the red top has more CCA...

I double checked. Looks like I was comparing 2 different models of yellow and red tops. I thought they all had the same specs. But you're right, if you look at the same model type between the 2 color groups, the red will have the higher cranking amps.

As far as "regular" batteries go, if you get the higher end batteries the usually carry a 3 year free replacement warranty and a 5-7 year prorated warranty. (depending on the brand) Just went to Walmart and saw that they had a 930 cranking amp battery for $77. I need to see how long their prorated warranty goes. Other than that one, I was looking at the Duralast Gold series at Autozone that had an 8 year prorated warranty. That battery has 750 cranking amps.

[dcamacho210]

I saw auotozone has a duralast gold and i think they are about the same cranking amps.

[kolio]

i had a red top in my jeep. died 4 years later. mid way through the warranty i had to get a new one. a cell went bad in both batteries. now i have some $80 dollar battery for about the same time and its still strong. and nothing was wrong with the car.

the red top cost $150

[BIGMONEYDAY]

i had a red top in my jeep. died 4 years later. mid way through the warranty i had to get a new one. a cell went bad in both batteries. now i have some $80 dollar battery for about the same time and its still strong. and nothing was wrong with the car.

the red top cost $150

Had the same problem. The red top I have now is a replacement for one the had a bad cell 4 years ago. Now I have the same problem with my current one. It's crazy cause it was fine before I stopped driving that car about 6 weeks ago. It went dead while sitting in the yard. I wonder if trying to jump start it damaged the cell.

[pinoyesv6]

Had the same problem. The red top I have now is a replacement for one the had a bad cell 4 years ago. Now I have the same problem with my current one. It's crazy cause it was fine before I stopped driving that car about 6 weeks ago. It went dead while sitting in the yard. I wonder if trying to jump start it damaged the cell.

thats your problem, you let it go dead. I killed my 7 year old optima like that. now I have a new optima and a battery minder to make sure it doesn't go dead.

[BIGMONEYDAY]

Was kicking around the idea of getting a battery minder to keep my charge up on the car I'm not driving. Guess its a definite buy now.

[peanotation]

dammn, my yellowtop cost $120 5 years ago...still going strong (knock on wood)

[BIGMONEYDAY]

Well fellas, everything worked out. Took my battery back to AutoZone to get another. Since it was near the end of the original warranty period, they only prorated $12 off a new battery. But I guess someone was watching out for me. The new red top rang up less in the system than what it was marked on the shelf. The cashier said that sometimes sales go on that they don't even know about until they ring an item up. Anyway, I wound up getting my new battery for $112 out the door with the current 3 year replacement warranty. So I'm good to go again. Guess I better invest in that battery minder to keep my voltage up.

[glantv699]

My battery is only putting out 334 cold crank amps, so I just ordered a new Red Top direct from the site for $170 shipped - I think the little extra for quality and performance is well worth it, especially since I am running one sub which puts some extra strain on the system. Now....time to get an alternator.