Optima batteries

[Joe473]

Any feedback on whether the optima yellow or red top actually hold up better and worth the investment? Current battery appears to be going bad and looking at options.

Curious if the 3578 fit the standard bronco tray and hold down or if I need to stick with 24F. Also looking for part number that reverses the ford reverse post to avoid pos terminal right next to the fender and includes side post for possible 1 wire alt connection.

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[Broncobowsher]

First off, the Optima has 2 cores (starting in the dark case, deep cycle in the light gray case). There are 3 tops. Red is the SAE standard top post, Blue is SAE + stud, Yellow is stud only. The starting battery can be had in red or blue top. The deep cycle can be had in blue or yellow top. This was after a good talk with Optima at SEMA and not folk lore.

Next is most people have moved on from Optima. Oddessey has been a solid battery for years. I have one that is 11 years old and right now is just used as a battery for the ARB fridge. I don't trust it as a starting battery simply due to age. It still works so I keep it, doesn't leak.

I have had a yellow top leak. It was an old boat battery (deep cycle but used as a starting battery).

The latest one that is on par with the Oddessey is Northstar batteries. Made in USA (Springfield, MO) and have a solid telecommunications history. Branched into the auto industry several years back and have shown to be a real solid battery. Everything AGM. We were having battery issues at work, the fix was to order a batch of NorthStar batteries. The "screw it, just get something that works" solution.

 

[SteveL]

When I first started running optimas they were great. With the newer ones I've found they dont like to sit in a non daily driver. If you run the newer ones down they dont seem to be as trustworthy as they were before. My experience is with the red tops.

 

[pbwcr]

Group 34 for an EB. Group 65 will fit with the Ford tray and costs more for more poop.
Testing done by Consumer reports
Best battery these days are Odyseey, or Northstar, Super start (only sold by oreilly). Yellow Optima tested lower than above.
Obviously these batteries come in different quality -always choose the highest quality and most costly.
Choice depends on whether you choose 34 or 65. Study the specs.

 

[jamesroney]

Same experience as above.
I’ve bought at least 10 red tops, and 2 blue tops.

Seems like the new ones do not like to sit, and then will not recover. So I’m moving on to something else.

My Bronco sits a lot...

 

[Wrightracing]

Like others have said, Optima use to be a good battery at one time. But the moment you run it down, they no longer want to hold charges very well any longer. For the price this is unacceptable. Also, they discharge on their own, even with a battery disconnected. The original Optima Redtops and Yellow Tops use to last a year without discharging. But not anymore. I just had two Optima Redtops go bad in my F350 after it sat for two weeks with a drain on the electrical system. I am now done with Optima on the F350 and just running InterState on it.

On the Bronco, I will be going with Odyssey batteries we ran them in our Class 1600 Buggy and Class 8 trucks that I worked on. We never had one go bad.

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[Timmy390]

There was a discussion on them earlier this year or maybe last year. Seems production was moved to Mexico and in doing do less pure lead was/is being used and that's hurt the quality of these batteries.

I do not own one.....
I am however researching AGM batteries both starting and deepcycle. East Penn Manufacturing makes Deka batteries which have a very good reputation. The same battery is rebranded for NAPA and many other resellers. They even carry the same model numbers. Of note Sams Club has a contract with East Penn and sells the Duracel brand name. Great price and a great battery IMO. Plan to put them on my boat and Samurai this spring......

Tim

 

[ngsd]

I have a yellow top with Posts and studs

 

[Apogee]

East Penn Manufacturing (DEKA) makes batteries for just about everybody the last time I was in their plant in Lyons, PA, including many of the OEM's. I actively avoid Intersate batteries, as the last time I checked, they were almost solely manufactured by Exide, and of the three major US battery manufacturers, East Penn Mfg, JCI and Exide, Exide has been the worst option by far over the past 30 years with the worst warranty rates of anybody.

Best bang for the buck IMO would be the DEKA Intimidator AGM options. If money is no object, then Hawker Odyssey or Northstar.

 

[Timmy390]

East Penn Manufacturing (DEKA) makes batteries for just about everybody the last time I was in their plant in Lyons, PA, including many of the OEM's. I actively avoid Intersate batteries, as the last time I checked, they were almost solely manufactured by Exide, and of the three major US battery manufacturers, East Penn Mfg, JCI and Exide, Exide has been the worst option by far over the past 30 years with the worst warranty rates of anybody.

Best bang for the buck IMO would be the DEKA Intimidator AGM options. If money is no object, then Hawker Odyssey or Northstar.

NorthStar is top of the line..............Very heavy lots of lead

Tim

 

[johnbeck]

pbwcr stated to use the group 34, or 65 if more capacity needed. How does the 34 fit compared to the group 24, and doe it have the positive post away from the right fender? Having both the top post and the side stud for accesories seems pretty ideal - any down sides to that configuration? AND where on the plant do you buy top quality battery cables? Thanks. John B

 

[jamesroney]

So I'm trying to understand the whole battery product life cycle and marketing strategy. So far, it seems to be nonsense.

Autozone carries the Optima red top for about $240. It never goes on sale. Wal Mart, Oreilly and 4WP all seem to hold the price at about $240. I bought two at Summit and they did a really good job on the warranty. But Summit gave me full credit for a 2 year old battery without even looking at the failed one...so you know there is a quality problem.

I've bought the special AGM Optima charger that is supposed to restore "dead" batteries. It has successfully recovered one Red top for me.

But it seems to me that the cheapest battery at Autozone is about $135. (36 month warranty) But the cheapest group 24 battery (AC Delco) at my local parts house is about $70. (18 months warranty) I feel like I am buying warranty, and not really buying a better battery. They weigh about the same amount, and I've had REALLY good luck with the AC Delco battery. So something doesn't add up.

Of course I like the fact that the optima doesn't spill, or leak, or melt my battery tray...but as long as I keep my car "shiny side up" I am really starting to question the VALUE of the Optima.

At $250 a pop, I can buy 3 AC Delco lead-acid batteries...but the cheap battery seems to last LONGER??? Can somebody that knows battery manufacturing please explain this? I'm starting to think that the battery is $70, and you are paying double for the label.

 

[Timmy390]

Johnson Controls manufactures Duralast, Varta, AC Delco, as well as 20 other brands.

The Power Solutions business unit designs and manufactures automotive batteries for passenger cars, heavy and light duty trucks, utility vehicles, motorcycles, golf carts and boats. It supplies more than one third of the world's lead-acid batteries to automakers and aftermarket retailers including Wal-Mart, Sears, Toyota, and BMW. Lead acid battery brands produced under this business unit include Continental, OPTIMA, Heliar, LTH, Delkor and VARTA automotive batteries. This part of the company also manufactures Lithium-ion cells and complete battery systems to power hybrid and electric vehicles such as the Ford Fusion and Daimler's S-Class 400. Additionally, it manufactures Absorbent Glass Matt (AGM) and Enhanced Flooded Batteries (EFB) batteries to power Start-Stop vehicles such as the Chevy Malibu and Ford Fusion. As of 2012, the business unit operated from 60 locations worldwide.[24] On November 13, 2018 Johnson Controls agrees to sell its Power Solutions Division to Brookfield Business Partners.

But again, Optima is made in Mexico now. They started having issues right after the move. Maybe it's better now......

I've always had great luck out of the Wal Mart brand batteries. Got them in everything I own but am switching over to Duracell as I want AGM's in everything. No more acid fumes venting or sloshing out the vent when off road.

Tim

 

[Broncobowsher]

Hard to compare AGM to flooded cell batteries. If you are after the cheapest battery to start a vehicle, flooded wins. But you have corrosion issues with battery terminals and the battery tray if not the inner fender. I hate flooded cell batteries. An AGM will not only last a lot longer, but not rot out the terminals, cables, tray and inner fender.

You can buy 3 flooded cell batteries for the cost of an AGM, but you have 2 dead batteries to replace in that time. What is it worth to be saved from a dead battery, twice?

 

[DirtDonk]

And on a slight tangent, a while back we were discussing chargers and dead Optimas.
I had two Blue Tops that never got used, but sat in my garage for years without me charging or maintaining them unfortunately. Stupid me this time.
Anyway, fast forward probably many years and they're both dead as door nails naturally.
I tried my old charger with no luck. Tried a new smart charger with no luck. Tried a borrowed Optima charger (I think that was yours James?), with only partial luck. One battery would drop quickly to below 11v while the other would drop quickly but stop at about 11.3v or so. Figured they were goners, so turned the worst one in for a core towards a new monster AGM and kept the old one. (even used it once to jump-start a pickup truck right after a re-charge)

Fast forward, what, another five years maybe? And from a member's experience here I bought a NOCO Genius 5 charger and on a lark, decided to try one more time. Well whaddya know... Now the old Optima will hold 12.4v indefinitely! I know it's not 100% full, but it takes a couple of weeks to drop to that level, so it's notably better than before.
We will see if it stands the test of time under use, but for now I'm pretty impressed with the NOCO Genius series and their "fix it" settings.

Could it have been the multiple charges with different types of charger? Including multiple attempts with the Optima charger? I don't know, but the bottom line is that it's holding a lot more charge than it used to, and is also several years older.
I'll have to go back and look at my receipt if I can find it, but my guess is I got them in maybe 2003? I might try to find the original discussion and see what I said about when I bought them. But for now, I might just have a "new" battery due to the NOCO Genius.

Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion.

Paul

 

[jamesroney]

You might have missed the part where I’ve bought over a dozen Optimas in the past 5 years. I’m contrast, I bought these RayOVac batteries in my pickup USED in 2013. Now 7 years later, and still strong. But my brand new Optima is sitting under my bandsaw...dead as a brick. I’m really done with them.

 

[Rustytruck]

I use one of these CTEC battery maintainers and they work wonders on the stress involved trying to keep up with battery's.

https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-40-206-...ocphy=1013567&hvtargid=pla-461267516060&psc=1

 

[73azbronco]

8 years of build went through 3 optimas, and they were all on the high buck optima charger. Current one is holding and working still after 1 year.

Decided to try a recommendation of the Ford motorcraft max battery, installed in ranger 8 years ago, still going strong when average useful time in AZ is 2-3 years. It will be the next EB battery. BTW the company that makes the motorcraft makes the walmart maxx battery.

 

[Joe473]

Wow, lots of good responses everyone. Appreciate it. I'm leaning towards AGM as the issue is my current batteries is leaking. I think my new higher 10.4:1 compression ratio has stressed it.

For size going with the 34-78 with dual style posts for charging/accessories via the side post. Need to confirm this will work with stock bronco tray and hold down?? Anyone do this?

For vendor looking at Odyssey based on above and curious of the walmart/costco brands if they are AGM. I have had great luck with motorcravt but not sure there is AGM line there.




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[jamesroney]

the group 34/78 is dimensionally different than your group 24F.

Even with the base riser in the battery kit...the Optima 34/78 did not match the battery tray, or the hold down bracket.

The good thing about the AGM battery is that you can use pretty much any material to make a base riser. All you need is a piece of wood, and a router.

I have found that with 5/4 thick plywood...you can route out the shape of the battery and make the depth of the pocket to match the same height as your factory battery. I also really like using the GM style secondary posts for attaching the winch cables.