Optima batteries

[monkey]

I just purchased an optima battery. Anyone have any pros or cons for them?

I have put 4 regular batteries in my CJ in the last year. Have checked for parasitic amp draw, over charging and undercharging to no avail. Just think that the batteries from walmart are not up to the task.

It would be fine one day and dead as a hammer the next. Put a charger on it and it might start or it might not. Tried a trickle charger and a fast charger. The last one I went to fuel up, shut it off and it would not do a thing when I went to start it.

 

[obsestmale]

I put a optima battery in my show truck, never had a bit of trouble out of it and I had alot of electronics and accesories on the truck. BTW I used the yellow top. Hope that helps.

 

[daspes]

Optima's are a top of the line battery. Though going through that many batteries makes me wonder if there isn't a problem that you just haven't found yet.

 

[CH3NO2]

Optima's are a top of the line battery. Though going through that many batteries makes me wonder if there isn't a problem that you just haven't found yet.

I would have to agree that there is a problem you haven't found yet. Check your grounds, all of them. A bad ground will drive you nuts until it's fixed.

 

[AZ Outlaws]

I would have to agree that there is a problem you haven't found yet. Check your grounds, all of them. A bad ground will drive you nuts until it's fixed.

As said above, you sound like you have a problem that needs to be addressed.

As for the Optima... they're great batteries, ideal for off road vehicles, especially if you go wheeling. They don't leak and have the traditional style of cells, so to speak, so they don't rattle loose and kill your battery.

Here in the Phoenix area, where summer temps regularly climb to 110~115*, the heat claims cell type batteries in a couple of years. I had a Red Top in my TJ that was still going strong when I sold the Jeep. The Optima had been in the Jeep six years. I've since put Red Tops in both my KJ and JK.

I don't run a winch or other extra equip so the Red Tops are all I need, but Yellow Tops are supposed to be the ones to go with. Once you get your electrical problem fixed... Optima is the only way to go.

Hey Optima... ya need a PR guy?? I'm available!!

 

[CH3NO2]

Hey Optima... ya need a PR guy?? I'm available!!

You pimpin yourself out to the highest bidder??

 

[AZ Outlaws]

You pimpin yourself out to the highest bidder??

LOL... no, just an old fat retired guy who knows what he likes. And since I'm giving two thumbs up to things I like that have worked for me through the years, I thought I could make a few $$$ on the side. You know... supplement my meager retirement income.

Hmmm.... do I see a new career in my "golden" years?? Maybe a new TV or radio talk show: "What Works, What Doesn't... Reviews by the FROG (Old Fat Retired Guy)".

Any producers out there that want to give this a go??? :hat:

 

[CH3NO2]

LOL... no, just an old fat retired guy who knows what he likes. And since I'm giving two thumbs up to things I like that have worked for me through the years, I thought I could make a few $$$ on the side. You know... supplement my meager retirement income.

Hmmm.... do I see a new career in my "golden" years?? Maybe a new TV or radio talk show: "What Works, What Doesn't... Reviews by the FROG (Old Fat Retired Guy)".

Any producers out there that want to give this a go??? :hat:

Hey with Billy Mays gone you might just be on to something LOL:lol:

 

[AZ Outlaws]

Hey with Billy Mays gone you might just be on to something LOL:lol:

Nope!! I have more class than doing infomercials.... :birgits_tiredcoffee

 

[monkey]

I would have to agree that there is a problem you haven't found yet. Check your grounds, all of them. A bad ground will drive you nuts until it's fixed.

When I started all of this there were 2 grounds, one to the block and one from the block to the body. I have installed one from the battery directly to the block and one directly to the body. Both are #2 cables. I also added one from the body to frame, one from the block to the frame and one from the battery to the frame. I figured that if I went overkill it would help the problem. I also cleaned all mounting surfaces to bare metal beforehand to insure good contact.

The alternator is putting out 13.7 volts.
I'm wondering if the winch and offroad lights were putting too much strain on the cheap batteries.:emotions133:

 

[CH3NO2]

When I started all of this there were 2 grounds, one to the block and one from the block to the body. I have installed one from the battery directly to the block and one directly to the body. Both are #2 cables. I also added one from the body to frame, one from the block to the frame and one from the battery to the frame. I figured that if I went overkill it would help the problem. I also cleaned all mounting surfaces to bare metal beforehand to insure good contact.

The alternator is putting out 13.7 volts.
I'm wondering if the winch and offroad lights were putting too much strain on the cheap batteries.:emotions133:

Could be I'm running 2 yellow tops. One is pretty much dedicated to the winch. No such thing as overkill when it comes to grounds the more, the bigger ...the better

 

[daspes]

Yep, winches can kill batteries if they aren't up to the task.

 

[southernSS]

from what i have read on different forums the new optima batteries quality has really demenished over the past couple years. a result of them being bought out by another company and cutting cost. i am running a yellow top that i have had for about 4 years with no problem but my next one will be a diehard.

 

[Lil Black Liberty]

Optima blue top or a diehard platnium or even an odessy battery I say optima blue because they have high cca's and that's what you need.

 

[Shaggy]

LOL... no, just an old fat retired guy who knows what he likes. And since I'm giving two thumbs up to things I like that have worked for me through the years, I thought I could make a few $$$ on the side. You know... supplement my meager retirement income.

Hmmm.... do I see a new career in my "golden" years?? Maybe a new TV or radio talk show: "What Works, What Doesn't... Reviews by the FROG (Old Fat Retired Guy)".

Any producers out there that want to give this a go??? :hat:

AJ, you will get your chance here on parts reviews very soon. Maybe if you do enough of them, a sales rep may see your awesome work on reviews on JM.com and hire you on. You never know :lol:

 

[kickitandholdit]

optima is a good battery and are hard to run down. if your jeep runs down an optima haha you got big problems. most people get red tops. i put one in a holland tractor we got that eats batteries for a living lol and that tractor hasnt had a prob yet since the optima

 

[monkey]

Well I went to move the cj today and the battery was almost completely dead. Charged it for a while and started checking things all over again. This time there was a draw. Started pulling fuses with no change, pulled the alternator wiring. Still had draw so I pulled the bulkhead at the firewall, still no change. All that was left was the starter and as soon as I pulled the winch pos. cable off the draw quit. Now I have to figure out which solenoid (or solenoids) is bad.