Optimas are gel cell batteries......

 

This is sort of wrong and or mis-leading. All optima batteries can still vent gas unless you get one of the externally vented models. Any battery that is inside of the passenger compartment is required to have a externally vented tube to the outside of the vehicle.

I have a G8 and the battery is in the trunk, so I have been down this road already.

Also if you want a true AGM then look into Odyssey batteries, they have more CCA but the downside is they are very pricey. In the $250 range shipped.

 

From Optima's website:

"An OPTIMA battery is not a "gel" battery or regular flooded acid battery. An OPTIMA is a Spiralcell AGM battery."

 

I have a 9 yr old interstate megatron mt-75 in my car, this winter was really cold for nc and i was getting the low voltage gauge sweep but its back in the 70s now, no gauge sweeps and its still running strong. Needless to say Im getting another interstate mt-75 when mine goes.

 

Anyone pick a battery based on it's weight?
Or are you guys all looking for something reliable?

 

ive had great luck with interstate batteries.



i really dont see any point spending big money on batteries unless you need to.

 

Hello, I noticed your conversation regarding our batteries and wanted to offer some assistance and clarity. lusting4ls1, there is generally a trade-off inn like-sized batteries, between cranking amps and reserve capacity- more of one will often result in less of the other. You should be fine as long as the cranking amps of a battery meets or exceeds your engine's requirements. Physically smaller batteries will generally offer less cranking amps, less reserve capacity and lower resilience to extreme temperatures, than physically larger batteries. AGM batteries also offer the additional benefit of increased vibration resistance and minimized risk of acid damage.

Since '99CajunFirehawk157 & parks450 mentioned the “g” word, I should clarify that loyolacub68 is correct- Optima batteries are not “gel” batteries, but AGM (absorbed glass mat), lead-acid batteries in a spiralcell design. Most chargers will work just fine on our batteries, but “gel” or “gel/AGM” charger settings should be avoided, as they will not fully-charge our batteries and could damage them over time.

The key to long battery life (regardless of brand) is proper voltage maintenance. When batteries are discharged below 12.4 volts and allowed to sit for extended periods of time, sulfation will diminish both capacity and lifespan. That makes a quality battery tender or maintainer an excellent investment for any vehicle that doesn't see regular use. I know a lot of folks like to periodically start their stored cars and while I can't say what mechanical benefits this might offer, I can say that it may do more harm than good to a battery, if the alternator is not given enough time to replace the energy lost during storage and starting.

Since Swiat34 mentioned battery relocation, I should clarify that although our batteries and many others (both AGM & flooded) are considered “sealed” batteries, all lead-acid automotive batteries can vent gas in extreme situations, as Sneakyws6 indicated. For that reason, we always recommend that any battery installed in an enclosed location be properly-vented to the outside. Our group 27, 51, 34C, 78 and 31 batteries all have ports for connecting a vent hose. Although people do it anyway, we would never recommend installing an unvented battery in any enclosed space, because there's a legitimate, albeit unlikely, safety risk involved.

For example, IF there is a voltage regulator failure, and IF the battery is severely overcharged, and IF this goes unnoticed, and IF the battery vents because the internal pressure exceeds the release pressure of the vents, the gasses are both flammable and toxic. This may sound like a lot of “ifs,” but attorneys and engineers get paid to plan for every worst-case scenario.

Johnson Controls did acquire Optima more than ten years ago, but the quality of our batteries has increased under their ownership. You can view a video of our production facility here. Many of the “bad” batteries returned to us now are just deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly recharged (my wife's truck is running on a “dead” YellowTop, which was discharged to 7 volts and returned to us). Some manufacturers will void the warranty on their battery if it is found to be deeply-discharged. We haven't done that, but we did create this YouTube video, which explains how to recover a deeply-discharged battery- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIoaL3DWWEg

Swiat34, SS Brandon, Summerwolf, 6spdchevy, and Danny2tek, I'm glad to hear your Optimas are performing well for you. If anyone has any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

Red top here! Lasted 2 years so far, where the car has been sat for long periods of time & it's always fired straight up with no problems.
The last time is was sat for about 5 weeks in snow & minus zero temps & it fired straight up.