battery dead red top optima

quickstang_1994 · Sep 1, 2007

Mine has set for a month or so without being started and never has to be jumped.

voidfinger · Sep 1, 2007

i guess i'll buy a regular battery or spend a shit ton of money to get the yellow with a warrenty

quickstang_1994 · Sep 1, 2007

just make sure its a new battery (not on the shelf for a long time) even the regular batteries are the same.

Dalamar · Sep 1, 2007

DropTopPony said:
my first red i bought like 8 years ago and it lasted 5 years of abuse...then my next 2 were only good for a year but both replaced under warranty and instead of another red i went with a yellow and paid the $20 difference and its working much better. I let my car sit for a week to 10 days all the time and it fires right up...the red tops would have to be jumped.

I had the same problem, went through 2 red tops, then bought a yellow.
the guy at Pep told me they get a lot of reds back in, they just loose their charge.
IMO Optima should have better results for the price of that brick.

quickstang_1994 · Sep 1, 2007

yellow just doesn't match

DualStangs · Sep 1, 2007

The red top in my '98 lasted five years. It just went bad about six months ago. I replaced it with another red top. So far no problems. I start the car every day, at least I have been until a couple of weeks ago when my crank pulley went out. I'm waiting for the part to come in. Hopefully, I won't have to jump start it.

I was happy with the original red top lasting five years here in sunny AZ.

Purple97GT · Sep 11, 2007

I had a redtop when my gt was in storage. The radio kept drianing it down somehow, but like by the 4th-5th time it wouldn't hold a charge. I replaced it with a Sears DieHard gold and it was run down like 7-8 times in the winter and still holds a strong charge.

I have since pulled the radio and no more drained battery problems.

Now I just need a stock mach460 head unit and cd deck to stick back in.

ripper · Sep 12, 2007

I use red top in my car and optimas in my bass boat. Never had a problem. Guess I got lucky and got new ones.

$2BURN · Feb 28, 2009

Ah! Interesting! I just posted a same question about my Redtop... Maybe I have a bad battery. Or that Optima just sucks! LOL

GDawg · Feb 28, 2009

As you can see in my earlier post from 2007, I had a bad optima. I took it back and they gave me another one for free. I've had it now for some time and no problems. Maybe just some of them are bad...?

Dalamar · Feb 28, 2009

I went through 3 red tops. they seem to go dead after a while.
upgraded to a yellow, which is better. on my second one.
on the plus side they warranty them, but it is a pain that they won't keep their charge.

ThePope · Mar 1, 2009

I had a red top in my car for a few months. I started my car one say and all of a sudden, I see smoke pouring from under the hood. The battery shorted out and set my engine harness on fire. Never again!!

mikey94gt · Mar 1, 2009

My red top has been in my car for about 3 years, and no problems yet. it even sat on a plank of wood in my freezing garage for a year, and still started the car without a jump. I guess I got a good one.

Addermk2 · Mar 1, 2009

Re: new battery needed - Optima Red Top? any help?

click here and read my post

Mr Jones 4.6 · Mar 1, 2009

I have had a yellow top in my car for over 2 years now and it is still cranking strong. I had an Interstate battery in the car for 7 years and I didnt even pay attention and one day the alarm didnt even have enough power to make a beep...lol

I purchased the yellow top b/c at first I wanted the red top because the red top has more cold cranking amps and the yellow top has more stand alone time (almost double the red top I believe, so you can run stuff and not run the battery dead and not immediately load up your alternator). I ended up with a yellow top because we bought the red top walked outside O'Reillys to install it and the terminals were chewed up like someone took a post cleaner to them, meaning it was briefly used by someone and then put back on the shelf.

So I ended up with a yellow top and it works great!! I have two yellow tops residing i the excursion to start that big ass diesel. Also have a Red Top in the Cobra for over 2 1/2 years now and it only has 2500 miles on it so far, which means it sits more than it gets used.