OPTIMA: Yellow top or Red top???
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 709
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From: San Jose, NorCal
I'm either having a problem with my yellow top or alternator. =( . Car will barely start up after 15 minutes of audio. I keep jumping it, and it'll work fine. But once I use power without the motor running, I'll know I'll need a jump afterwards. I dont know how all yours are able to keep bumpin and still be able to crank the motor.
If your car is blue and youre worried about colors. Get the blue top. It'll be overkill, but you could run the system with the car not running for a WHILE haha. But the red top SHOULD be enough for one 10 and a 400 watt amp. A friend of mine had 2 12s and a 900 watt amp with a red top. It did drain a little but not all that much. He switched to a yellow top and theres no drain. But Red should be fine for you.
Battery advice please, fellas... Will I need a red or yellow top...
Here is the system I have...
two eD 11Ov3s powered off of a Nine.1
eD 6500s components off of a Nine.2x
Kappa 62.7i off of the head unit.
I do travel right now quite a bit in the car, and I would need to be able to crank it on chilly winter mornings. Will a red top suffice with minimal dimming??
Here is the system I have...
two eD 11Ov3s powered off of a Nine.1
eD 6500s components off of a Nine.2x
Kappa 62.7i off of the head unit.
I do travel right now quite a bit in the car, and I would need to be able to crank it on chilly winter mornings. Will a red top suffice with minimal dimming??
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Thread Starter
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iTrader: (56)
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,637
Likes: 4
From: Valley Village, CA
Originally Posted by tab10
Battery advice please, fellas... Will I need a red or yellow top...
Here is the system I have...
two eD 11Ov3s powered off of a Nine.1
eD 6500s components off of a Nine.2x
Kappa 62.7i off of the head unit.
I do travel right now quite a bit in the car, and I would need to be able to crank it on chilly winter mornings. Will a red top suffice with minimal dimming??
Here is the system I have...
two eD 11Ov3s powered off of a Nine.1
eD 6500s components off of a Nine.2x
Kappa 62.7i off of the head unit.
I do travel right now quite a bit in the car, and I would need to be able to crank it on chilly winter mornings. Will a red top suffice with minimal dimming??
Originally Posted by WS6nJAX
better safe than sorry if you like to sit around and listen to your tunes. with the added parts i would think about the yellow top as its a deep cycle battery. i have one and i cant get the thing to die. if the color yellow bothers you a battery cover may be in your future. just my opinion.
I have a red one w/red cover myself!!!!!!
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
I am amazed that this thread has gone on for so long.
Your choice of Optima battery has nothing to do with the system you install. It has everything to do with how you use that system. The red top is a "standard" use battery - it is designed to provide the most starting power and last the longest of any battery made. The yellow top is a "deep cycle" battery - it is designed to handle repeated drainings and still recover a full charge but it doesn't have the engine cranking power of the red top.
So, if you plan to listen to your system a lot with the engine off then get the yellow top. Otherwise, get the red top.
Your choice of Optima battery has nothing to do with the system you install. It has everything to do with how you use that system. The red top is a "standard" use battery - it is designed to provide the most starting power and last the longest of any battery made. The yellow top is a "deep cycle" battery - it is designed to handle repeated drainings and still recover a full charge but it doesn't have the engine cranking power of the red top.
So, if you plan to listen to your system a lot with the engine off then get the yellow top. Otherwise, get the red top.
As nice as those batteries both are for your system it is overkill. If you want it becasue you just want it go for it but with that system it is not neccessary. I have a nice Bosch battery that I've been running for at least 4 years and never had an issue and I sit in my car and listen to toons all the time. My system is pulling way more amps than yours. So if your getting it because you think you NEED it you don't. But if you really just WANT it...knock yourself out...they are nice batteries. I say this because It didn't want you to waste you hard earned cash!!
I have a Red top in my car....and i must say i am disappointed in it. I am about to have to replace it again.this will be the 3rd time in the past 2 years ive had to replace it. Sometimes the car sits for a little while and the battery drains really fast. Lets see i broke my driveshaft about 3 weeks ago...so its been sittin for 3 weeks and the battery is dead. I put a trickle charger on it and it said there was "trouble" in the charging process...so i guess the battery is trash right?
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,162
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From: Bensalem, Pa, now montreal, Quebec
my acdelco stocker has lasted through 2 montreal winters so far outside with the car sitting for 5 months. Im budgeting for a new battery. I have a tiny system, component fronts with tweeters and a 10inch sub with a 700watt amp. Should i get the red?
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 252
Likes: 1
From: Jamaica, NYC
Ok everyone...sorry for cutting into this thread, but here is my problem:
My car eats batteries. The car sits in the garage on average about three weeks between starts. We are having an unusually cold winter, and now my current battery (ac delco...my second battery) won't hold a charge for more than a week. I had to jump it three times in the last two weeks, and each time it died after sitting for a week (it used to go up to a bit more than 3 weeks betw. starts with no problem).
What should I do in my case? I have a powered subwoofer 100w connected with my monsoon (I defuse it when it sits.....it was really killing the battery at one time) Should I get an optima (what color) for the winter and then swap it out for a regular delco during the warm months?
My car eats batteries. The car sits in the garage on average about three weeks between starts. We are having an unusually cold winter, and now my current battery (ac delco...my second battery) won't hold a charge for more than a week. I had to jump it three times in the last two weeks, and each time it died after sitting for a week (it used to go up to a bit more than 3 weeks betw. starts with no problem).
What should I do in my case? I have a powered subwoofer 100w connected with my monsoon (I defuse it when it sits.....it was really killing the battery at one time) Should I get an optima (what color) for the winter and then swap it out for a regular delco during the warm months?
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Originally Posted by JLMoses
I have a Red top in my car....and i must say i am disappointed in it. I am about to have to replace it again.this will be the 3rd time in the past 2 years ive had to replace it. Sometimes the car sits for a little while and the battery drains really fast. Lets see i broke my driveshaft about 3 weeks ago...so its been sittin for 3 weeks and the battery is dead. I put a trickle charger on it and it said there was "trouble" in the charging process...so i guess the battery is trash right?
You need to find out what is draining the battery - they don't go dead by themselves. You've got some parasitic draw on the battery that is draining it while the car is sitting.
the only thing that i see that draws power though is the security light that flashes...and it shouldnt drain a battery....i dont thing the Amp would pull any power while the car is shut off....so i dont know of anything to pull power...
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
That's why you hook up an ammeter and test - there must be something drawing power that you're not aware of or that shouldn't be drawing power with the ignition off.
Originally Posted by WhiteBird00
You need to find out what is draining the battery - they don't go dead by themselves. You've got some parasitic draw on the battery that is draining it while the car is sitting.