Optima issue

[Cas]

seems like a lot of us are having electical issues these days.....something in the air?
I bought an Optima in May of 2003 that is now dead. The company I bought it from has since gone out of business, nearest dealer is 45 minutes away but they won't honor the 3 year free replacement warranty. The next closest dealer is 2 hours away. I called Optima direct and was told I need to fax them the receipt then get the battery tested at Sears or an Auto Zone.....closest one is 45 minutes away. Once tested, the tech needs to call Optima to let them know the condition of the battery then they'll ship out a new one should it be found to be defective.....2 weeks!
Should I just shine it all or go for it? In the meantime, I'll need to buy another battery to be up and running. I've been reading that the Optima's really don't have the best track record, 1 in 5 or so go bad.
Thoughts?

[Cas]

oh yeah, this is the replacement of the 1st one that went bad

[XClutchboy725]

I'm on the 5th season with mine and no issues!

[Heatseeker]

I'd go for the freebie Steve. You paid for the battery. If what you're saying is true(about the 1 in 5 going bad), you may have to go through it a couple of times before getting what you paid for. I wouldn't let it go myself.
I guess I've been lucky with my yellow Optima. I bought it used from a solar power shop. It was 1 year old. It was fully charged when I got it. It sat for a year waiting for the Rogers to get done. When the Roger's was ready, I charged it up for about 2 hours and slapped it in. It cranked the engine to a start. That was last year. I haven't charged it since. Even after I broke an alternator bolt up at LDP a couple of weeks ago, the battery never went down.
I guess I got a good one on the first try.

[Oldsquirt]

Steve, it sounds like your real problem is that you live too far away from everything. Time to move. :D

[napabob]

Steve,
I just ship defective items to manufacturers with complete documentation with return receipt request.
I usually get a call from them and we work things out. If we can't find a solution, well at least I don't have to worry about disposing the defective item. The shipping cost is a trade off for my time, travel, and disposal costs if any.
Bob

[Cas]

Steve, it sounds like your real problem is that you live too far away from everything. Time to move. :D
We've been looking! :D
John,
That's what I was told, no idea if it's true but based on my experience, 100% are bad :rolleyes: I know that's not the case :)
A lot of this is the time thing. Driving here and there to get it tested, 2 weeks to get a replacement. What's the shelf life of them? Maybe I'll just get a new battery and do the warranty thing to have the Optima as a back-up. I guess I could always put a dual battery set-up in the boat.

[crf311]

I know these battery come hot but if you do need to charge them I was told to only charge them a 2 amps. just my .02

[Havasu Hangin']

If you overcharge them, they will boil the water out, and there is no way to get it back in.
Max is 10 amps, or 125 degrees...

[Squirtcha?]

I called Optima direct and was told I need to fax them the receipt then get the battery tested at Sears or an Auto Zone.....closest one is 45 minutes away. Once tested, the tech needs to call Optima to let them know the condition of the battery then they'll ship out a new one should it be found to be defective.....2 weeks!
Thoughts?
Steve
Since ya need a new battery now, and ya have to go to Autozone anyway to have this one tested...........Get one of their marine batteries. I've got one on my Ford and have been using it for 5 years. I believe it was $45 out the door. I just do normal maintenance on it, (make sure it has acid/water in it). That way you can drive your boat whilst ya wait for your new Optima.
Too bad you're so far away. I bought two of the Autozone marines thinking ah crap it's an Autozone special and will probably last a year. The second one is still sitting on a rubber mat in the garage. Charged and ready just in case. I have a single battery setup.

[TIGGER]

I have had good luck with them. Currently I have three. My first and oldest one is pushing 10 years old. I just replaced the one in my truck that was 8 years old. The one in my Mustang died early because I over charged it. I forgot that I was charging the battery and left it over night. The next morning it was hissing. The battery lasted another 6 months or so before it self destructed. I would have one in my jet boat but my I got a free Motorcraft battery from my friend at work.

[Cas]

Dan,
Yea, that's a good idea that I think I'll do. I was going to pick a new battery up at Kragen but I might as well just get one at Autozone. I'm going to try to take this Optima back to Costco first. Oldsquirt suggested I give that a try as he heard they just replaced the Optimas no questions asked....we'll see.

[Ken F]

Steve,
Got a friend who owns an Interstate Battery store. I had the same problem with a red-top optima. He told me (very under his breath) that the red tops were a piece of shit, and he wouldn't have one in any of his vehicles).
He related about the same, that one in 5 go bad.
He suggested that I upgrade to the Optima Yellow. Told me that 30 years in business, he's NEVER had one come back. That's what I did, and it's been trouble free thus far.
Call me on the cell when you get up and about.
Ken F

[hondajoey]

i have a red top in my old jet boat for over two years and no problems and i have a yellow top the yellow top has been sitting for over a year and i put it in my wifes truck and it fired right up. my new boat has one of them orbital blue tops so far so good with it. I think you take a chance with all batterys

[Kindsvater Flat]

oh yeah, this is the replacement of the 1st one that went bad
At one time all equipment here at the ranch had an optima in it. Slowly they have all been replaced by a standard battery once again.

[BadBahner]

At one time all equipment here at the ranch had an optima in it. Slowly they have all been replaced by a standard battery once again.
This is why I bought my Battery at autozone. They have your warranty in the computer so you don't even need the receipt. I have a dual optima setup and I am very happy with them. But... if one does go bad I can take it to any autozone and grab a new one for three years.
Eric

[Cas]

At one time all equipment here at the ranch had an optima in it. Slowly they have all been replaced by a standard battery once again.
Mike,
BK said the same thing about the fleet of vehicles they have at the college he works at. I also talked to a friend of mine in Woodland that works in a place with around 50 trucks. They also had Optimas and have since switched back, not that all of them went bad, they just chose to replace all.
I was wondering why there weren't more dealers around here, maybe they didn't want the returns?
Also sounds like if you get a good one, it lasts a long time.

[Kindsvater Flat]

The longest an optima has lasted on the ranch is a 1.5 years. They were taken back and we received credit yet turned right around and bought a regular battery from the same store.
Then again out of 70 pickups at work I still have a 96 gmc that has the optima in it that I put in it in 96. It is driven daily also.

[Wicked Performance Boats]

Cas, At work we havw 1400 vehicles, most with optima batteries! Since we started using them about 2 1/2 yrs ago, our starter-dead battery-no start ratio has gone way down. personally I'm on my third optima,each has lasted about 8yrs. Are you disconnecting the batt after each use? and when you charge it are you following manufacture's instructions? they are different to charge than a regular battery. We have very few battery failures. Budlight :confused:

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

go to autozone and buy your optimas there. I work for them and I have to say that we have the best warranty on batteries PERIOD!!!!!! Our redtops are guarenteed free replacement for the first 3 years and then followed by a 5 year prorated warranty and we dont care what the battery is in! The yellow and blue tops are backed by 1 year free replacement and a 5 year prorated warranty. we have over 3,000 stores nation wide so finding a autozone will not be a problem. And last but not least you dont need a lame ass reciept. We go off your phone number;) hopefully you wont be too drunk to forget that;);) If anyone needs additional info please let me know as I can help with any questions. Ive been doing this for 6 years so I do know the battery game well;)
396

[Tom Brown]

Max is 10 amps, or 125 degrees...
They must ship only good ones to Canada. I've had several and all have been good. ... all red tops.
Of course, I read the operating instructions and use mine within those guidelines.
A buddy of mine has an electric wheelchair and he runs AGM batteries. They're not Optimas and I don't remember the brand but he's had nothing but problems with them. I think he's on about his 7th set of them. He thinks they're all shit. Gee... do you suppose there could be a problem with his charging system? ;)
The guy who first got me into Optimas in the late 80s was a heavy equipment mechanic. They used them in all their trenchers. A few weeks ago I asked him about problems and he said they've had a couple of failures over the years across hundreds of machines. That's a pretty good reliability rate.

[BigBlockBaja]

Im going to keep it simple... I got a yellow top in my truck and it runs my 750 watt stereo for hours and still cranks the truck over no problem... I love Optimas

[Havasu Hangin']

They're not Optimas and I don't remember the brand but he's had nothing but problems with them. I think he's on about his 7th set of them. He thinks they're all shit. Gee... do you suppose there could be a problem with his charging system? ;)
So do you think it's coincidence that certain people keep getting "bad ones"?
:idea:

[cyclone]

give this a try. A few years ago a rep for Optima told me that because of the low internal resistance of this type of battery a standard automatic battery charger might not re-charge the battery. He said to hook up a standard automotive battery to the charger and run a set of jumper cables in parallel from the 1st battery to the Optima and it should charge it. I've yet to try this method but i had tossed a few Optima's in the garbage before hearing this because i couldn't get them to recharge. perhaps this is why. not sure but it might be worth a shot.

[Tom Brown]

So do you think it's coincidence that certain people keep getting "bad ones"?
:idea:
:D
I'll post a second recommendation of the Shumacher SE-1-12S automatic charger I picked up form Walmart. It will charge the battery fully at a 1.5A rate and then turn itself off. Sweet. :)