Optima makes a damn good battery
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From: Alabama - The 'Ham
Optima makes a damn good battery Just thought I'd share my little story.
Near the end of May 2007, an ignorant, careless rice-boy rear-ended my 98 Formula. The Formula didn't make it. The rice-boy did, thanks to local law enforcement and their insistence that I remove my hands from his throat. Anyway, I took the car home and pulled all of my mod parts off of it. I removed my red top Optima and placed it on the wooden shelf behind the car. Fast forward to yesterday ... 1.5 years later. I had purchased another Formula (02) and had owned it for over a year. I went out to start it up and absolutely nothing. No lights, dings, radio ... nothing. I put the charger on it and turned the key on. It was dinging irregularly. It wouldn't flip up the headlights. The dash was blinking all sorts of lights. Obviously, the battery was toast. I decided to put the charger on the Optima which hadn't been touched since I put it on the shelf 1.5 years ago. I put the meter on it and it still showed 11.85 volts after sitting for all of that time. I decided to put the battery in the car and then charge it. So I installed it and just for giggles, turned the key without putting the charger on it. The dash, lights and radio powered up perfectly. So, what the hell, let's give it a shot. I turned the key and the car roared to life! After 1.5 YEARS, it fired the car right off! I was highly impressed. That battery was not a mod. It was a step toward safety and reliability. I won't hesitate to put an Optima in anything else from now on. I am still amazed just thinking about it! Anyway, just thought I'd share my story and good fortune.
Near the end of May 2007, an ignorant, careless rice-boy rear-ended my 98 Formula. The Formula didn't make it. The rice-boy did, thanks to local law enforcement and their insistence that I remove my hands from his throat. Anyway, I took the car home and pulled all of my mod parts off of it. I removed my red top Optima and placed it on the wooden shelf behind the car. Fast forward to yesterday ... 1.5 years later. I had purchased another Formula (02) and had owned it for over a year. I went out to start it up and absolutely nothing. No lights, dings, radio ... nothing. I put the charger on it and turned the key on. It was dinging irregularly. It wouldn't flip up the headlights. The dash was blinking all sorts of lights. Obviously, the battery was toast. I decided to put the charger on the Optima which hadn't been touched since I put it on the shelf 1.5 years ago. I put the meter on it and it still showed 11.85 volts after sitting for all of that time. I decided to put the battery in the car and then charge it. So I installed it and just for giggles, turned the key without putting the charger on it. The dash, lights and radio powered up perfectly. So, what the hell, let's give it a shot. I turned the key and the car roared to life! After 1.5 YEARS, it fired the car right off! I was highly impressed. That battery was not a mod. It was a step toward safety and reliability. I won't hesitate to put an Optima in anything else from now on. I am still amazed just thinking about it! Anyway, just thought I'd share my story and good fortune.
Last edited by BigE; Dec 15, 2008 at 10:47 AM.
IMO they are very good batteries. The problem is a lot of retailers stock the optimas for too long before they are ever sold. The customer is passed on an old battery as new and problems persist.
also had 3 of them and they were never worth more than any of the walmart brand batteries. the duralast gold battery i have now has been outstanding. 5 hours detailing the car with my stereo on and the volts dont change
after my AcDelco battery died and I went with a optima and never had a problem out of it. I got the yellow top though. That is crazy tho that after a year and half that the battery still has that much life.
my red top was replaced twice so far. But i jumped started mine and they don't seem to like that. I think as long as you trickle charge it if it goes dead your much better off.
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Yeah, I have heard good and bad things about optimas, and honestly don't know what to think of them.
My friend that works at autozone told me that lately, more and more people have been bringing back there optimas for replacements. Some of the batteries brought back were less than 3 months old.
Then I here this story and I don't know what to think. I think I will end up getting one soon.
I just want to add this... I have a Crown vic that has bee sitting from about november 2007 to about a week ago. The car started up fine, everything worked, and it has a DIEHARD battery! Couldn't believe it, since the top of the battery sais it's from 1999.
justin s
My friend that works at autozone told me that lately, more and more people have been bringing back there optimas for replacements. Some of the batteries brought back were less than 3 months old.
Then I here this story and I don't know what to think. I think I will end up getting one soon.
I just want to add this... I have a Crown vic that has bee sitting from about november 2007 to about a week ago. The car started up fine, everything worked, and it has a DIEHARD battery! Couldn't believe it, since the top of the battery sais it's from 1999.
justin s
None of my friends or I have ever had luck with optima batteries and this goes all the way back to 1998. Over and over the majority of optimas I've ever known died within a year. So I'm not a fan.
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From: Alabama - The 'Ham
If you're doing that, you need the yellow top - deep cycle battery.
