Optima Red Top?

[Lance T]

I can get them for $129.95...has anyone seen them for a better price?

I may be able to get them for a little lower price if I have some more people that want one too.

[Eric P]

Sam's Club had the Exide equivalent for $99. Doesn't Exide make the Optima?

[Lance T]

Interstate owns Optima...the Optima is made in Aurora.

[ChefTyler]

I've heard bad things about Optima recently...There is another brand (actually R&Dd by the guy that used to do Optimas) that hasn't been having the issues...it's on XOC somewhere I'll have to try to find it.

[Lance T]

Interesting, I've had them in most of my trucks. They were all pre-Interstate owned but I never had a problem before. They were the only battery that wouldn't vibrate apart at high speeds.

What kind of issues are they having now? Thanks, Tyler...

[ChefTyler]

Interesting, I've had them in most of my trucks. They were all pre-Interstate owned but I never had a problem before. They were the only battery that wouldn't vibrate apart at high speeds.

What kind of issues are they having now? Thanks, Tyler...

The issues I've heard about are large numbers of them not holding a charge when brand new. I read somewhere that at least one place that sold them had a pallet in back that was just to send the bad optimas back. Still looking on XOC for the original post(s)

[ChefTyler]

Exide Orbital is the one that's designed by the former Optima designer...
Optima/Exide thread on XOC (http://www.xterraownersclub.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=38;t=003137#000001)

[Eric P]

Didn't someone's new optima die on Green Ridge last year? Same run my alternator crapped out on.

[Alex Topousis]

I actually went through three red tops in 2 weeks when i first got it. they kept lossing their charge and I kept bringing them back to the place I bought it at. everytime the place tested the battery it failed the first test. The one I have now has lasted a little over 6 months and i have had no issues with it.

[Lance T]

Thanks, for the responses; I'm going with Oddessy.

$109.95 Odyssey Batteries - 925MJT 12 volt Dry Cell Battery w/Metal Jacket - 925 Cranking Amps
$145.95 Odyssey Batteries - 1200MJT 12 volt Dry Cell Battery w/Metal Jacket - 1200 Cranking Amps

Somebody makes a sweet dimple die mount for them too.

[Murfman]

Unfortunately, most batteries are made, like computers, by a few of the same companies and just put different badging on the cases. The problems with the Optimas was that they had a bad batch of electrolite gel and that was keeping them from charging correctly.

ProComp has a gel cel that is just as good as anything out there but costs less.

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/batbrand.htm

[JayRyan]

Well, I need a new battery here shortly...

[ChefTyler]

Me too, come to think of it :D

[ChefTyler]

Ok, I need a new battery, I'm tired of seeing more and more corrosion on my battery every time I pop the hood of the X, so I need a new battery. Anyone know a good place (good prices) to get a new battery for the X? I'm looking at either the Optima Red Top or an Exide Orbital. I couldn't find a link to a site that had prices on the Exides, and my searches through both Costco and Sam's Club got me no prices.
Any help?

[Lance T]

<<<Optima>>> (http://www.bajaconcepts.com/bajaracingproducts/index.cfm?go=electrical.cfm)
another...
<<<Odyssey and Optima>>> (http://www.kartek.com/products/all/electrical/electrical.htm)

[CurleyMan]

Optima's rock.... rumors suck...

[ChefTyler]

I went and picked up a Red Top from Costco today and ran into a little problem when installing it, well two.

First, my battery had leaked/corroded so much that the front J-bolt tightens the tie down snapped with two turns of the wrench...time to pick up a new one I guess.

Second, the positive battery cable attaches parallel to the top of the battery and takes a 90 degree turn towards the ground which hits the side/back battery terminal making a connection impossible given the lack of slack on the battery cable. Solution? bend the 90 degree terminal gently so that it begins to straighten out. Be careful as there are two connections in the plastic bend that you don't want to break.

[southernx]

Don't you just love that Nissan positive battery clamp:rolleyes: Had the same type issues when I installed my Red Top about 4 years ago. I did notice that there were instances where I would go to start the truck at first and it would just go <click> would have to go and toggle the positive cable (even though it was tight).

[ChefTyler]

Makes it interesting, no? Anyone have any experience running a winch off the side posts? I've read on Colorado 4x4 that Optima won't warranty the battery if you winch from the side posts, something about not enough current flow, but I am looking for specific experience from people I know, or sorta know :D

[southernx]

I've been using the wires for my Warn on the top posts with everything else for 3 years, as that's how long i've had the winch. I've had the battery for 4 and no issues and it's a Red Top and not Yellow or Blue. Matter of fact I've posted pics from yesterday's trip to Ocala National Forest where I winched out one of my buds.:D It's held a good charge over the years and I've used the winch a lot.....Hell even pulled all the hedges from the front yard with it.:D Haven't had no overheating at the posts or cables or loss of power to the winch or electrical system.

[DamnHippie]

You can take off a heavy cable for winching from the stock battery connector if you want. I have a 1ga wire piggybacked to the bolt on top of my stock connector, I only had to cut a little notch in the side of the red plastic cover for the wire to exit. I'll try to remember to take a pic of it when I get home.

[ChefTyler]

Cool, thanks Brad and Ian. I figured that it'd be ok, and that's how I had it running off my stock battery (and the red top now) just wondering if anyone had availed themselves of the side posts so far.

[DamnHippie]

Here's the promised pics...

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2572/0000097ep7.jpg

http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/8580/0000098cb4.jpg

You can easily come out either side of the plastic cover.

BTW, if you need to buy heavy guage wire you can't go wrong with these guys:

http://store.solar-electric.com/hardware---wire.html

When I searched various car audio sites I kept finding things like 8ga and 4ga at $6 a foot. These guys have 0, 1, 2ga down in the $2/ft price range. It's plain black or red, not that blingified stuff on the audio sites, but you can't beat the price. Make sure you get the welding wire, the other stuff is low-strand-count for underground and in-wall use.

[CurleyMan]

In response to your question tyler I bought an Optima Blue top which has posts for winches and other accessories. The posts are no less powerfull then the main battery posts because they are directly linked.

http://www.batterymart.com/images/products/full/optima-blue-top.jpg
I have killed my alternator winching but never my battery!!!

[ChefTyler]

My only qualm with a blue top is that it's designed for a marine type deep cycle, where you are running something with a low draw like a trolling motor, not something high draw like a winch. Not that I would ever winch without the motor running if I can help it. I do like the extra top posts on the blue top though, very handy.

[CurleyMan]

It's two years old and i havent had any trouble engine running or not. That is a good point i didn't know the battery was setup different.

[ChefTyler]

I'll take your two years experience over what I've read elsewhere any day, Ben :D

[CurleyMan]

are you sure you don't want to argue?
:poke: :poke: :poke: :poke: :poke: :poke: :poke: :poke: :poke: :poke:

[ChefTyler]

Oh, I'll argue if ya wanna :D I'm great at arguing semantics :D

[CurleyMan]

:errr: :rrun: :bowdown: