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Skeet Creekmore (aka flagator79) [ View ] [ corvette@jam.rr.com ] [ Car Ads ] [ Blogs ] West Monroe, Louisianna (318) 396-7010  If the world was fair, the worm would eat the bird half the time

I purchased a red top Optima battery for my 36 Ford coupe. It was not put in the car for several months but when it was, charge was low. Charged it and it held a charge. Tried to charge it completely, and it wouldn't take a charge. Replaced it with another red top and when trying to crank the car yesterday, dead as a door knob. Hooked it up to the charger and the charger kicked off several times and finally started to charge. (The battery was outside the car) Middle of the battery got hot during charging. After an adequate amount of time, no charge on this battery either. What is the likelihood that I have gotten 2 bad Optima batteries in a row? I have a kill switch that blocks any drain from the battery. The car has been completely rewired - Painless - recently. Any thoughts from any of you guys? I have read that some of you are not impressed with these batteries. Appreciate your advice on this one. Thanks in advance. Skeet

Comments

Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  08/17/2008 06:43 PM red tops are junk. dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003   Posted by ol bear  -  08/17/2008 06:51 PM MINE WORKS ,,,,,,,,,,, I GUESS YA COULD HAVE 2 BAD ONES,, OL BEAR LUCKY THEY DONT ADVERTISE HERE !!!! OL BEAR [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] crown point, Indiana   Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  08/17/2008 06:58 PM i had them in everything here. then all of a sudden the new ones went south. only get one shot a starting. htere was a ton of them go bad over the last few years. the marine yellow top is better. dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003   Posted by oilmanpat  -  08/17/2008 07:03 PM I too had my first one go bad. Got it replaced free 2 years ago with no further trouble. Owner of local O"reillys said they had been getting bad ones every now and then. oilmanpat [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Warsaw, Illinois Charter Member since August 2007   Posted by da34guy  -  08/17/2008 07:10 PM Since Interstate bought them out (4 yrs ago) You couldn't give me 1 Don [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Prescott, Arizona Charter Member since October 2001   Posted by ol bear  -  08/17/2008 08:08 PM HEY DON IS THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE INTERSTATES STILL THE DEALERS COST ? OL BEAR OL BEAR [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] crown point, Indiana   Posted by ronhotrod  -  08/17/2008 08:20 PM can't charge an Optima battery the same way as a wet cell unit. there is a way to do it and I have it written some where. I'll try to find the method and post it here soon ronhotrod [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Mount washington, Kentucky Charter Member since July 2001   Posted by blade58  -  08/17/2008 08:29 PM They are good boat anchors, every one that i know who bought them thought they had best thing ,they found out quick ,sure they got free replacements ,once the warranty ran out they went to regular batteries, a fork lift company started to out fit his fleet with them now he is back to the regular heavy duty batteries ,when you have a battery in the cab they reccomand this type battery because of the fumes regular battery generates, a good marine battery box and proper ventilation to the out side should be good. blade58 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] apopka, Florida Charter Member since January 2008   Posted by flagator79  -  08/17/2008 08:57 PM Interesting u guys mention Interstate - since thats who I bought this one (these from -actually didn't buy the second one - they replaced it) I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.Damn, try to do something that will last a while and this happens. Every turn there seems to be a monster. Thanks for the info. I will see what they are going to do with this second piece of #*&$#. If the world was fair, the worm would eat the bird half the time [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] West Monroe, Louisianna Charter Member since December 2005   Posted by CK  -  08/17/2008 08:59 PM Ronhotrod is right, Optimas need to be charged at slow charge rate and I think it was not to go above 13.8 volts or somewhere around there. Also no 110 amp jump start from a charger. Too much voltage and your Optima is shot. I got two of them and they both dont hold charges very long. Always need to be charged. Ken CK [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] mililani, Hawaii   Posted by JoeP  -  08/17/2008 09:03 PM Had one managed to get 15 months out of it before it shorted out. Have a Odyssey ( no room) in the roadster, and a Pep Boys battery in the model A. No problems with either one. Joe [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Somerset, New Jersey   Posted by SAM1951  -  08/17/2008 09:06 PM nothing but trouble too! SAM1951 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] MIDDLESVILLE, Alabama   Posted by cutitup  -  08/17/2008 09:11 PM you dont charge a optima with a regular charger you use a deep cell charger just like a boat battery i had two optimas go bad third ones working fine not happy with them at all cutitup [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] lincoln, Delaware   Posted by joevol  -  08/17/2008 10:21 PM A friend of mine, who knows alot more than I told me that an Optima will not take a RAPID charge but must be slow charged. I'm building a 36 Ford and also have a red top in the garage awaiting final installation. I check it every now and then and so far so good. joevol [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] nashville, Tennessee   Posted by driver48  -  08/17/2008 11:48 PM I have used red tops for years, slow charge is better (trickle charger). Your problem might be in your switch, use your meter to make sure there isn't a pull on the battery when the switch is off. You might be switching it off and a little draw could still be present causing your batteries to go bad. I have had alot of experience with these batteries, you probably have a problem somewhere else causing this problem. driver48 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] whiteland, Indiana   Posted by APLUS  -  08/18/2008 11:29 AM Skeet, I went thru two red tops before getting the yellow top one. My yellow top is over three years old and still going strong. I use a Battery Minder Plus to charge, maintain and condition the yellow top. I believe there's serveral brands of this type of charger, I think there's one called Battery Tender also. They do need to be charged by a slow rate method IMHO. Anyway that's what works for me. APLUS [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Austin, Texas   Posted by grant6s  -  08/18/2008 11:40 AM They are not what they used to be. Odyssey are better for sure. grant6s [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Washington, New Jersey   Posted by MOREorless  -  08/18/2008 02:53 PM I had a six volt Optima last seven years four months. Another guy I know had one last nine years. I use a battery minder. Have had my present six volt Optima three or four years. I did not know Interstate had bought them out. Everytime there is something good someone screws it up! MOREorless [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] DEARBORN, Michigan   Posted by ricko  -  08/18/2008 03:45 PM Hey Skeet now that you mention it I have a red top and I'am constantly charging it. What does that odessy run for? ricko [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] ElCajon, California   Posted by dixie  -  08/18/2008 05:04 PM Took me 1wk on 2 amp charge to get red top back up, wally worlds are good as any now. jim grace [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] dade city, Florida Charter Member since January 2006   Posted by 29robert  -  08/18/2008 05:11 PM From what I'm hearing, it sounds like folks are having better luck with the yellow tops rather than the red tops. How can that be? Aren't they both made at the same place? 29robert [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] La Verne, California Charter Member since November 2004   Posted by cutitup  -  08/19/2008 06:42 AM ive had a lot of friends with optima batteries lots of problems there not the same battery they were the qualitys not there cutitup [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] lincoln, Delaware   Posted by prorod  -  08/19/2008 09:04 PM Bought 3 red tops in as many months, all are junk. Will never buy another one. Bought 2 interstates still good after a year plus no matter how long cars sit. Buddy had yellow top in his 69 Camaro, guess its still there prorod [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] orlando, Florida   Posted by 4TFORD  -  08/20/2008 04:57 AM I have had a red top in my 40 ford for the last ten months and no problem. Optima and interstate are made by the same company, Johnson Controls they make most of the batteries on the market today. 4TFORD [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Chambersburg, Pennsylvannia   Posted by jimmothershead  -  08/20/2008 09:23 AM Skeet...I had the identical problem on the '37 Convert. 3 year even exchange. That was 3 years ago....no problem since. The Optima in our '33 is 12 years old......never a problem. I have used Optimas for many years with only that one defect. Keep kroozen, Jim Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland   Posted by hotrodgene  -  08/20/2008 09:35 AM Unless you have a special need for this batt.like mounting or other wise I could never see need to pay two to three time amount for this battery.To me a good quality batt.does everthing I need to have done. Gene Riffe [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Saint Petersburg, Florida   Posted by TYCHOOCHOO  -  08/20/2008 09:59 AM I have a friend that tried a couple of them. He loved them so much he collected a couple of them from other people and now uses them as tent ancors at car shows. He loves to show them off. Tommy choo choo [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] MT. SINAI, New York Charter Member since June 2007   Posted by JAWS  -  08/20/2008 06:27 PM Hmmmmmm Seen this one before and asked the guys who build them why they go south. Still haven't got a good answer except they say "installed wrong".......how's that? An electrical headache can make a great car a pain [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Boise, Idaho Charter Member since August 2004   Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  08/20/2008 07:06 PM well i had them in tractors, my 1ton and several others. driven daily so my truck does not trickle charge. they just went south. they just had a couple years of piss poor quality control and flooded the market with bad batteries . the marine " yellow top " will discharge and charge back on any 10amp charger. dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003   Posted by 29robert  -  08/20/2008 09:28 PM Is there any reason why one can't use the yellow tops in a car? I'm lookin for something I can lay flat to take up less room under my rear seat. 29robert [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] La Verne, California Charter Member since November 2004   Posted by flagator79  -  08/20/2008 10:05 PM Shine, I am now confused even more. Some who posted on this thread said that the optima batteries had to be slow charged and you have said that the yellow can be charged "on any 10 amp charger". Is the yellow a different kind of battery than the other two? Like to know. If the world was fair, the worm would eat the bird half the time [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] West Monroe, Louisianna Charter Member since December 2005   Posted by APLUS  -  08/20/2008 11:50 PM Skeet, the yellow top battery is a starting/deep cycle type, whereas the red top is starting only. I believe that in the technicial specs it says you can charge with a MAXIMUM of a 10 amp charger. That's what I used on my red tops that went south. On the yellow top one I use a maintenance type charger (battery minder plus). I don't know if using this type charger is the reason the yellow top has lasted so long (over 3 years) or not. There might of been a bad batch of red tops as some have suggested. Anyway this is what has worked for me so that's the way I'll continue. Also I have a fairly large accessory load (air ride compressor, computer etc.) and felt that the yellow top was a better selection for my applicaton. Oh, it's also located between the trunk bulkhead and a special cover inside the car so that's another reason I went with this type of battery instead of a regular battery. Robert, There's no reason that I know of why a yellow top can't be used in "car". It's rated as a starting battery which is what you want it to do and can be layed on it's side if that's what one would want to do. Actually the Optima "marine" battery is a blue top one....... APLUS [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Austin, Texas   Posted by cutitup  -  08/21/2008 06:35 AM i have a friend of mine who i bilt a 1960 chevy impala for we put two red tops in had alot of problems with them so we put yellow tops five years ago seem two be working fine no problems that i no of cutitup [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] lincoln, Delaware   Posted by debus  -  08/23/2008 10:13 PM Here's my two cents for what it's worth.....I have had excellent results using the "best" battery that Auto Zone sells and it is priced way below a yellow or red or whatever color Optima. Have no idea who makes it but it will hold a charge with long periods between start ups with no trickle charge. Most important, my local Auto Zone store is a great place to do business and no, I don't work for them. debus [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Titusville, Florida   Posted by jimmothershead  -  08/24/2008 10:30 AM Skeet......bought 2 Red Tops last night from Advanced Auto. On sale this month. $100 with rebate. Jim Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland

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