Problems with Red Top
Problems with Red Top Tim and I both bought a Optima Red Top this June. Car ran fine this summer but Tim's Z28 was dead a couple months ago and he figured it was something else going on with the car. So anyway my car has been sitting now for a couple weeks and I went to start it this morning...completely dead. We jumped it but then it stalled and it wouldnt start. We jumped it again....it hesitated to start but did then stalled and wouldnt starte. I was already late so I had to leave it sitting in the driveway.
So we're thinking that both of these batteries are bad and I wanted to see if anyone else had this problem. I mean there's no way that a 4 month old battery..both of them should be bad. We're going to take them back where we got them on Friday. I just wonder if they had a bad batch???
So we're thinking that both of these batteries are bad and I wanted to see if anyone else had this problem. I mean there's no way that a 4 month old battery..both of them should be bad. We're going to take them back where we got them on Friday. I just wonder if they had a bad batch???
Tim and I both bought a Optima Red Top this June. Car ran fine this summer but Tim's Z28 was dead a couple months ago and he figured it was something else going on with the car. So anyway my car has been sitting now for a couple weeks and I went to start it this morning...completely dead. We jumped it but then it stalled and it wouldnt start. We jumped it again....it hesitated to start but did then stalled and wouldnt starte. I was already late so I had to leave it sitting in the driveway.
So we're thinking that both of these batteries are bad and I wanted to see if anyone else had this problem. I mean there's no way that a 4 month old battery..both of them should be bad. We're going to take them back where we got them on Friday. I just wonder if they had a bad batch???
So we're thinking that both of these batteries are bad and I wanted to see if anyone else had this problem. I mean there's no way that a 4 month old battery..both of them should be bad. We're going to take them back where we got them on Friday. I just wonder if they had a bad batch???
Get the cheapest piece oh crap wet cell you can find and it will be better than an Optima.
Its because there not made by the same company, Thats what the guy at the battery store told me. Same thing happend to my bro's stang this spring. And when I jumped it I let it idle for an hour and it still wouldnt start. Thats after we pulled it out from storage. Mine dont feel as strong after sitting for a while and I got mine this spring. The one I have in my 98 wrangler that I put in it in 02 is incredible though. Starts the same in below 0* as it does 80* weather.
I got my red top Optima back in the summer, and it has been fine, but I did have a dead battery the other day, but then again, I hadn't started the car in almost a month after having left my HPtuner box and Ipod connected. Both of which drain the battery.
I jump started the car, and it was fine and drove it to work and it charged fine afterwards. I bought a battery tender to plug into it while the car is in hibernation for the winter. The nice thing is it only applies a charge when it senses the battery at less than 12.5 volts, and then shuts off when it reaches 13 volts. So it never cooks the battery or lets it drop to low.
I jump started the car, and it was fine and drove it to work and it charged fine afterwards. I bought a battery tender to plug into it while the car is in hibernation for the winter. The nice thing is it only applies a charge when it senses the battery at less than 12.5 volts, and then shuts off when it reaches 13 volts. So it never cooks the battery or lets it drop to low.
But the whole big thing with the Optimas was that you could even drain it down to nothing and it would start right up and be fine. It shouldn't be dead after my car only sitting 2 weeks in the garage.
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Verdad Gallardo Yeah!! I paid $70 something for one at Autozone and it lasted 3 yrs. Even Tim's other car ...his G6....I didnt realize his Sirius radio didnt turn off while plugged in and it sat on for 5 days while he was away for work! It was dead but I jumped it with the Honda and it's been fine ever since. Same thing with the Honda. I just hope we can get our money back from Autozone and Advanced
Well this sucks, I bought one for the truck not long ago. Guess I better start it at least every other week.
Pulled the one from my Z28 today to stick in my stepdads car. I've had that one over 3 years, no problems.
Pulled the one from my Z28 today to stick in my stepdads car. I've had that one over 3 years, no problems.
Well we took our batteries back to the store yesterday. Autozone for me and Advanced for Tim's and left them there for them to test them. The old man at Autozone was so sure that we certainly didnt have a bad Optima and kept insisting that I must have a power drain in my car. No matter what we told me he was adamant it could'nt possibly be a bad battery. We even told them about Tim's being dead too...not a coincedence for sure. We got a call hours later from each store and guess what? Both were BAD!! Turns out Tim's even start to smoke and exploded while it was on the tester!! The guys at Advanced said they'd never seen an Optima do that and the guy almost got some of the gel in his eye. Both stores gave us a brand new Optima so I hope these dont end up going bad too 
I thought it was just me. . . . I had a Optima in my last car, I killed it in 2 months. Yet the POS wet cell I had sitting for the 2 months, worked fine for the next 3 years. WTF? That's lame. . . . . .
My POS wet cell dies after sitting in my car with no starting for 3 weeks at a time.
My POS wet cell dies after sitting in my car with no starting for 3 weeks at a time.
Like someone said earlier...optimas arent made by the same company anymore so I guess they are like everything else now....quality down the tubes. On the contrary Optima states that you should be able to have their batteries drain to nothing, jump it and it still run fine and hold up.
NO battery has lifetime warranty. Know any light bulbs with lifetime warranties? Come on...
Check the following:
Parasitic draws on the system (BCM, stereo, nav, shorted light, etc)
Weak alternator, starter crapping out, etc (battery has to compensate - kills it)
Corroded cables INSIDE the cable insulation (VERY common with the POS Delco crap leaky battery)
Bad ground (due to above or all on its own)
Most people have the above problems and wrongly attribute it to the battery. Even the new, lower quality Optimas are twice as good as any junk wet cell "premium" battery.
Optimas are the only batteries out there that are designed to sit for weeks dormant and still (probably) work. I had one sitting in my garage six months, after being told it was bad by another shop. Started my buddy's Inifiti right up like a champ. Don't believe the hype, do all the checks and then check for yourself. I did have one Optima crap out early, AZone replaced it, no problems and no problems since.
Check the following:
Parasitic draws on the system (BCM, stereo, nav, shorted light, etc)
Weak alternator, starter crapping out, etc (battery has to compensate - kills it)
Corroded cables INSIDE the cable insulation (VERY common with the POS Delco crap leaky battery)
Bad ground (due to above or all on its own)
Most people have the above problems and wrongly attribute it to the battery. Even the new, lower quality Optimas are twice as good as any junk wet cell "premium" battery.
Optimas are the only batteries out there that are designed to sit for weeks dormant and still (probably) work. I had one sitting in my garage six months, after being told it was bad by another shop. Started my buddy's Inifiti right up like a champ. Don't believe the hype, do all the checks and then check for yourself. I did have one Optima crap out early, AZone replaced it, no problems and no problems since.