Project Farm did a battery shoot out and that Everstart battery from Walmart did extremely well.I think he said Johnson Controls makes those batteries.I almost bought an Optima last year but just couldn't get over the almost $300 price tag.I ended up buying a Napa brand AGM.
Two friends had their optima batteries go bad within 2 years, one guy had 2 go bad. This is not second hand info told to me, I was with them when they purchased the batteries and helped them with installation and removal.
I run an Optima Red in my 93 XJ, but bought it in 2014. It’s still going strong. So apparently they Downgraded their quality sometime since then (I think Scotty said a something to that effect in a video). When time comes to replace my Battery, it won’t be another Optima unless they make major turnaround that’s proven out as reliable. It makes me sad to see a once solid product degrade so badly on quality. Good to know on the Walmart battery. Thanks , man.
They moved their factories to Mexico and also downgraded their material quality. They use cheaper unrefined lead now when before it was 99.9% pure lead.
They did downgrade, they were made in the United States and now they are made in Monterey Mexico which explains why quality has gone down. Cheap labor = Cheap products
I have 2 ZJs, a WJ and a Yukon with the red tops. Only had 1 issue. The key was left on in one of the ZJs and killed the battery. It was replaced at no charge. I'm keeping mine.
If they go all the way dead a normal charger will not charge them unless you use a charger designed for this type of battery ,or, you can use a normal charger and hook up a regular battery between the charger and the Optima . Because if an Optima is all the way dead it will have zero resistance and the charger will think it's already charged and not do anything. By putting a regular battery between, it will se a resistance and put power in to it. Or you can get the Optima specific battery charger or a battery charger with an AGM setting on it.
My friend's 2002 Sequoia had red one, and it wasn't getting the full CCA... it would crank over and start the car, but the solenoid on the starter wouldn't push in all the way and it would grind the pionion gear. I almost thought that it was a bad starter! I replaced it with an Antigravity ATX-30 that I had lying around, and it started the car with no grinding issues. The thing wasn't even 2 years old yet!
@@ProjectDanH My truck is my one and only ride. Its driven often enough that the Optima Red Top battery is charged. If and when I can't use my truck, I will put it on a maintainer. This way, I think it will have a longer life.
@@ProjectDanH ya have you done a parasitic draw test? And the felt terminal covers are for preventing corosion and the. Optima batteries are obviously gel cell batteries ... And you never addressed that issue. With driving them and leaving them for months at a time those cells are probably pulling from one another to. Stay charged since one cell dries out just a tad bit more the other's have to pick up the load spiking the heat up drying it out more and more til black gracious or jeepin beauty whatever goes down for the count..and ya I understand buddy F*CK OPTIMA. But! Just make sure your within the guidelines of the maintaining schedule maybe try trickle charging one while it sits once a month just to keep it tip top idk VERY NICE VIDEO BUD! THANK YOU
After optima moved manufacturing to mexico....they went wayyyyy down hill! I had old red tops last 6 to 8 years....now you're lucky to get 2 years out of them! Unreal! Odyssey all the way now! Xs and shuriken for agm deep cycle accessory batteries for audio amps, lights, winch, ect
I have a YellowTop Optima and it's the 2nd battery, exchanged it once, and about a year later it's not totally dead but it wont keep it's amps up. I read they moved to Mexico and started using less than pure lead. I'll get something else next. And to get Autozone to honor the warranty the first time I had to go to 2 stores, the first Autozone started throwing stuff up in the air and screaming even thought I had the receipt.
I bought an Exide group 24 agm battery 7 years ago that is still going strong despite recently discharging the battery down to 5% from leaving the interior dome light on. Used my Schumacher 2/5/15 amp charger that has an agm setting and it charged it up fully in 24 hours. There has never been any (zero) corrosion or acid buildup on the terminals of this battery.
Unfortunately, the EverStart battery I got just 7 months ago isn't so great anymore. I run a dash cam with parking mode and apparently this battery can't handle that load. *shrug*
@@ProjectDanH EverStart Maxx Walmart’s top-of-the-line EverStart battery is the Maxx, which boasts maximum starting power. You can likely get one for under $120. The Maxx series has a power range from 370 CCA to 850 CCA and will fit almost all the cars on the market today. Because it’s a premium quality battery, it offers a three-year free replacement warranty. There are numerous reports that the EverStart Maxx series has lasted for over five years for some consumers. If price isn’t an issue, a premium battery like EverStart Maxx is the way to go if you need a new one for your vehicle. It has plenty of power for multiple starts in any weather conditions.
@@ProjectDanH Clarios Clarios is the new name for Johnson Controls. Before the sale, the company had a relationship with numerous brands, including Walmart. Clarios continues these partnerships. As an industry leader, one-third of all cars in the world use Clarios car batteries. The company also owns and distributes, Optima Batteries, Varta, MAC Batteries, Heliar, and many other brands. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serves as Clarios’s regional headquarters, with more than 5800 workers in 18 facilities. Additionally, Monterrey, Mexico, has over 3000 workers in nine facilities.
Couldn't agree more! Of the three yellow tops I've owned, all 3 lasted only a year to 15 months max. My son had a yellow top installed in January 2019, it died January 2020, and was replaced in January 2020. Now it's January 2021, and that yellow top is dead. Optima is pure crapola.
Exactly! I had an optima in every vehicle at one point and they were constantly dead. Id didn't dawn on me until I caught myself swapping new Optimas out for 5 year old Walmart batteries. lol. I said to myself.. WTF is wrong with this picture. haha.
I never fell for the Optima hype, but after researching I got an Interstate which is supposed to be great. It works but after 1 ½ years it doesn’t fully charge. Love the intro btw. Lol
I used to work doing analytics for a US battery distributor... I have seen the failure rate of Optima since they moved their manufacturing to Mexico. I had to create weekly reports to watch Optima warranty because we were losing money having to deliver so many warranties. Yellow tops are the worst for dying in under a year. Also Optima should be charged with specialty chargers as well, a normal trickle charger will kill an Optima pretty fast (Just becuase a charger has agm setting doesn't mean it is certified to work with Optima brand units). I have been boycotting Optima for a long time now. Any unit with a good warranty is good, they are mostly all made in Korea these days anyway, I just want to be able to easily exchange it when it dies.
I was thinking about getting an Optima for auxiliary power in my van . Don't want to run my battery Dead while just sitting using power. Thought of the Optima.. Thanks for the heads up. By the way... Guess what is under my hood ? An 800cca Walmart Battery that is OVER 8 Years old. Going on 9. No B.S. I'm not a big fan of Walmart. But they seem to have good batteries. I've recently been warned that I need to replace my battery just because of it's age. But the Wally Battery still keeps rockin. How do you replace something that just dont want to give up. I've never had a battery last this long. Thanks again for the heads up on Optima.
Did you check your alternator output/charge, a lot of new batteries are killed from bad alternators, wiring, things left on, and many other issues. Don’t just blame the battery.
No, Redtops are for starting only, nothing else. Optima doesn't just have different top colors...the case colors also mean something. Dark gray case means STARTING battery. All Redtops have dark gray cases. If you want the battery to start the car, run the lights, power the ignition, fans, et cetera, you need a DEEP CYCLE STARTING BATTERY. These would be the BLUE TOPS with the LIGHT GRAY case or the YELLOW TOP with the LIGHT GRAY case. The only difference between the yellow and blue top is that the Blue top has additional posts on top for battery tenders/chargers.
I had a yellow top optima from 2002 last me 13 years. Johnson control bought optima from a Swedish company, Gylling in 2000. Sometime after Johnson control moved production to Mexico.
Had a yellow top in my previous truck. Bought in 2008, traded the truck in 2015, NEVER had an issue. It would crank in double negative temps. Bought a yellow top for my current truck in 2019, is started giving me issues a month or so ago. Its about done, tried what I could. Definitely agree that they aren't what they used to be. Finding a better product.
Same here. I bought two Red Top Optima, for two of my cars, a 2007 Mustang and a 2002 New Beetle, two completely opposite cars. Bought them both in late 2022. Both of them failed miserably only after a couple of month of usage. I cannot have them sitting in the driveway for more than one month without starting any of these cars, they failed each and every time. Did the test with older batteries and installed them and left the cars for two months without starting them. Guess what, they started with the old batteries, as it should be. No it's not an electrical problem, it's a battery problem. Not messing with that anymore, I'm done with Optima Batteries also. Waste of time and money, enough frustrations and time wasted charging these.
I got a used 4 year old red top in 2004. It was still going strong 10 years later. Battery lasted 14 years that i documented. I purchased a yellow top in September 2019. It died beginning of 2023. Never again. Optima used to be a buy it once battery. Now its a buy it once a year battery
Had a yellow top go out under warranty, they replaced it….. it went out in about the same time too smh. Got a autozone brand gel cell that ran circles around the optima
I've had a good experience with the Optima Redtop 35 battery for the 6 years I still have my 2008 Golf GTI. What I've noticed is that my car's charging system doesn't recharge the battery unless I place a load across the battery terminal, or turn on something like the headlights. The charging system may incorrectly detect the low internal resistance of the battery and assume that it is fully charged.
great review and information Sir Dan, been thinking I got an underpowered replacement battery from Napa for my 2000 WJ limited last year, as it only has 675cold cranking amps- thank you for helping me rule out an optima battery. been thinking of ole tried and true Interstate battery had a 12yr old one on my last WJ that never quit!
I agree with you. I had a yellow top that lasted for about 11 years before it started going bad. When Optima started being made in Mexico they went to crap. I have been using Odyssey batteries for awhile now and have had great success.
I work at Autozone and we sell them. An no I never recommend them because they are the most expensive pieces of crap you will ever buy. I am a PSM and in the 3 years of being at Autozone 50% of the Optima batteries fail in less than 2 years.
Great.. I just brought a duralast back that lost its charge (probably due to parasitic problems on my end) ..but the battery was no longer in stock..autozone guy upsold me on the optima (return +$40).. I hope it wasn't a waste of money. If its known by autozone employees to suck..then I'm done with az
@@disf5178 My post was based on my personal opinion and should not reflect on Autozone. I am a very product conscious person so my sales opinion are based on what I see and hear with product reviews. Matter of fact we still sell Optima Batteries, but they have to be ordered as we don't carry them in our store anymore. As far as your purchase with a $40 upsell I think it was a good deal just keep close track on the warranty date. If you have any issues with your Optima take it back get a full refund and apply it to a Duralast Platinum series battery. It has a the same warranty 3 years and it's a AGM battery wish can be mounted anywhere. Hope this help!
@@rongriggs4430 he actually suggested the platinum..but it was a dry battery i was exchanging, and chose dry because of what I've read about them.. And ya..I understand..no worries.. im sure the optima will be fine.. I have 3yrs.
On my 04 Sierra....you know how the battery is going? The clock radio resets itself to 12 o'clock.... Crazy right? I am actually on my 4th battery in 12 years of owning the truck. I just put in a NAPA battery last october. I am due for a battery like between every 3 n 4 years lol
My battery finally died after 2 years ( original ) so I looked online and read about Optima batteries and how great they are. I bought the red top which cost $ 270.00 at a auto parts store. I really researched after I bought the Optima and found they are "Made in Mexico" just like Avocados !!! I was trying to figure out how a battery made in Mexico cost so damn much ???? I sure hope it makes it for at least 4-5 years at which time I will replace it with a battery made in the USA. 6 months into the Optima and no problems yet, but will see what the future brings.
I have 2 optima batteries 1 Red (bought new over a year ago) and 1 yellow top (9 years old) i also have an Alphaline leisure battery (fitted to my vehicle when purchased 10 years ago), the yellow top battery was bought 9 years ago and its still going, charges well holds a good charge, this battery was bought 2nd hand it's at least 12+ years old. The Red Top I've had around a year and a half bought new with no issues, very dependable battery, the Alphaline leisure battery was also fitted to my vehicle when purchased 10 years ago so that one is atleast 10+ years old, my vehicle has 2 batteries with a split charging system fitted. I have made a battery desulphator and periodically give all batteries a week or 2 while connected to a dumb battery charger, yellow top and Leisure batteries would settle at 12.7 volts after charging prior to desulphating, with the desulphator connected and charger both batteries now hold 13 volts.
Theres only like 6 battery manufacturing plants in the U.S. i was told .interstate is most likeky made in the same factory as the Wal-Mart battery....crazy right...i was told this from a battery rep years ago when i use to work for a auto parts store
Walmart - Autozone and Interstate are made from the same company. Interstate even change there Iconic white shell and green top to all black like the masses. This way all the suppler has to do is a label change.
My father swore by WalMart batteries, I assumed just because they were cheap because he was cheap, but they do actually work really well and last a long time.
I had great luck with a couple old Optima batteries 1 yellow 1 red. But after the experience with my current one that isn't that old I am switching brands when I replace it... It might make it through the warmer weather, we'll see.
I've had optima batteries for many years now looking back on it I realized that I did have a lot of trouble and now I'm thinking that it wasn't me it was the optima batteries the whole time so when three batteries fail on me within 12 months time I figured it was time to put an end to optima
Optima batteries and Walmart batteries are both made by the same company. You are not boycotting them by going to Walmart. Of course, the battery that they sell at Walmart is better. :/
I put an Odyssey battery in my daughters 2012 Jeep before she headed off to college. I didn't want her to have any problems while away from home. Her Jeep sits a lot as she walks to classes during the week and only uses the Jeep on weekends. It's been two years now and still working good!
I agree with you Optima batteries currently made are bad. I am trying to desulfate the one in my Mustang for the 3rd time with a new charger. Once they go dead, even for a couple of days, bringing them back to life takes a miracle. I think they were American made but now Chinese.
I had what was probably one of the last US made optima batteries, that lasted about 12 years. had an electrical problem/battery drain that drained it to dead probably over 100 times, always able to recharge it and would be fine unless the car sat over a week. finally died for good a year ago, got a new one and it didnt even last 9 months. still have a battery drain i cant track down, maybe optima was always crap and i dont actually have a drain
Optima is so bad now they barely last a year. all cars are supposed to have a small draw when everything is powered down, optima just cant handle it. lol
The only thing Optima has going for it , Is the no pro rate warranty. If i dies one day before the end of its warranty you get a new one free. Most of not all other brands will pro rate their battery.
Completely with you. I had an old red top that was great and lasted over 11yrs. Got two yellow tops that didnt last a year each. The newer ones are junk
Optima use to be a great battery company til it was bought out by another and now the standards went to sh!t. I probably wouldn't even take a free one because they are just a hassle to deal with.
Exactly.. too much of a headache! Their cells die slowly so you end up wasting so much time charging and jumping in the last few months just before you've had enough.
After extensive research I have determined after extensive research I have determined that the Walmart battery purchase and the AutoZone Duralast Gold for the exact same battery boat or very good batteries with the Walmart is about 20 to $30 cheaper it's a great battery as long as you don't off road a lot and banging around since it is not an AGM
@@JH-jd8ip because the output on stock alternators may not compensate for the battery draw… so basically you will be using more battery than you would be recharging on the day by day and eventually the battery will develop a bad cell
@@JH-jd8ip I don’t know how to explain again if your not getting in basically you have a stock alternator trying to recharge a high output battery the battery is operating normally your alternator is not strong enough to recharge that battery up fully and the people that buy these batteries use them in cars that they do short trips in and that does not benefit the battery
There were problems prior to charging... otherwise I wouldnt have had to charge it. lol. I also own a smart charger so i know it wasn't me who killed it.
@@ProjectDanH Gotcha well the way I was hearing from the video kinda sounded like it was after charging. Overall that's sucks big for you. Maybe I got lucky I had one lasted 7 years. Currently got two of them in Jeeps right now so knocking on woods I'll get another 7+ years out of both them.
Your lucky they gave you your money back. I just had to replace my 6 month old h6 yellow top from autozone. I did ask for a return and they said no but they handed me a new yellow top. My 2016 camaro only has 30k on it I replaced the oe do to age. Now I keep a noco in the trunk because I have no faith in the optima. Mind you it cost 300 dollars
I been thinking of replacing my failing 9 year old battery with an Optima Yellow Top. Now I’m concerned as I need a battery with high cold cranking amps for our cold Canadian winters and a good amount of amp hours as I leave my two dash cams running in parking mode when my Jeep not in use. I am surprised that you bought a Walmart battery after saying you want to boycott Optima. As long as you’re buying a Johnson Controls battery, you’re still supporting Optima as they own the Everstart Walmart battery and they own Optima. I’m gonna go check what Odyssey has to offer.
This being your most recent video, I decided to comment on it.. I have a 98 4.0 I6 ZJ and you seem to know your Jeeps.. I was wondering if I could possibly somehow contact you about an issue I have been having with it that I cannot figure out even through forums etc. TIA
Experienced the same thing. Switched back to normal ones. Had an used 2yo laying around, slightly too big. Sawed off those PVC clamp extensions at the bottom, fits perfect. More amps, no problems, never Optima again.
No wonder your batterys die, so mucch oil on your connection points. Never seen somebody using that. Optimas are much better you did something wronge with plugging it in!
Oil??? Really Guy? It's dielectric grease. They sell packets of it specifically for batteries in a red color. It promotes conductivity and prevents terminal corrosion. If you don't know about dialectic grease then I shouldn't be surprised that u don't know Optima batteries are crap. Keep buying them if you want. 🤣
@@ProjectDanH i am using it for 9 years they work still fine. still starting up a big V6 engine and only using it for short distance's. and another tip, don't buy a red top that one is not for cars but for only starting like a car boat without other draining electronics. Yellow top is what you need and yes it is a deep cylce battery, go to a holyday for 1 year and go back and you will start your car immadiatly. your wall market cheap battery would die, a optima does'nt!
@@Tollymaster blue top is for marine use. Yellow top is for deep cycle and running alot of accessories. Redtop for more normal use. Your 9 year old battery was made with better quality. The modern optimas are CRAP. All 4 optima batteries I purchased recently died before or around 1 years time. Johnson Controls moved the factory to Mexico a couple years ago and all their new batteries have awful quality. Do yourself a favor when your optima dies and don't buy another optima. I speak from experience ... If you don't believe me look it up.
Sorry no, I got them from a junkyard last year when I got parts to rebuild the header panel. I just found them thia week when I cleaned out the garage.
@@ProjectDanH ahhh thanks anyways bro! They look nice. No luck on the internet....and I have zero chance finding them a junk yard in Aus...let alone a ZJ
The best battery I found are from Costco$79 three year full replacement the one I have now is over 5 years old they're the best that I found and the cheapest as well
Clarios bought Johnson Control last year. They made batteries like Optima, Diehard, Interstate, Exide, Oreillys, Duralast, AC Delco and many more. That's all I can remember from the top of my head. They're not all bad batteries, just do some research to see where there made from. For me, I have a Rural King farm store near me and battery for the ZJ is $80 (exide)
Glad to see u back Dan since that big boy Your God Send I am glad because I had one in 1992 Cadillac same mess 8 months in dead you keep blessing us with the content n knowledge you n Barricade garage is why I own jeep cj tsi 1997 thanks n bless you n your family AMEN
Red tops are made for specific applications. They wont serve you good when you are using them on a car with power demanding accessories such as AC and/or audio sound system. Anyway, glad you got your money back.
Optima's have gone to crap since Johnson Controls bought them. Fortunately the three I have were made before JC changed them and cheaped out on materials. However, I'll never go offroad with a flooded lead acid battery for safety reasons.
You had a bad Optima or electrical issues in your Jeep, this is not typical of Optima. I've been using the red and yellow tops in my race cars for 25 years and never once had a problem. Even had a yellow top hooked up to our dragster for 6 years while it sat and it fired right up
I had an interstate in my 5.9 then they changed dealers so I looked around and for the price Walmart battery’s seemed the way to go. I replaced several cars old batteries to Walmart’s and haven’t had problems. And for road trips there is always a Walmart if it happens to go out.
Well Amen buddy! This video was made just for you. I was so disgusted by optima i wasn't even gonna film. Right before I pulled it something told me to share my experience with the world. 🙏
Your lucky a year wow, I went through 12 yellow tops red tops in a little bit over a year. At that point I was done with them forever!! Popped in a no name that coasted 1/4 the price. 10 yrs later battery is great 👍🏼 no issues. Fuck optima batteries!!!
As far as I see, most batteries are made the same, Plastic case, lead, and some acid, the real difference is how much 'insurance' you buy. Lets be honest here do you think there is that much of a difference between the "gold" versus the 'silver' battery on the shelf at the local parts store. Yes some do have more CCA, but that is a function of plates and surface area of the components and not the quality of the materials used. I have an Interstate dual terminal batter on my ZJ with two 'circuits'. One for the normal car stuff and the second terminals i use for the audio, and accessories if I add a second fuse panel.
@@ProjectDanH I have been thinking of running a dual battery system on my other project car, but for different reasons. Mostly for space under the hood and weight distribution. The 'plan' is a slim profile mini battery for starting and the PCM under the hood, and the second full size battery in the trunk for the accessories (audio, etc.). The problem you run into is charging, and isolation. I'm sure you have done your research already, but if you haven't the overlander community has been working on this for a while. Here is a link to another video for anyone considering this. th-cam.com/video/1JkH8sH_uK0/w-d-xo.html. And yes you can run dual batteries with a much cheaper isolator, but there are some real benefits to this route.
My Optima battery lasted me 5 years and still going strong and my other car has one for 4 years still going strong something has to be wrong with your vehicle
I've read so many mixed reviews on Optima batteries that I don't know how to feel about it. I went ahead and bought one today anyways just to see how my experience goes. I will be back to update y'all.
@@palehorse4447 dude, this is crazy. i forgot about this. long story short i approve of the optima red top battery. never failed me once. about a year into owning the battery my alternator went out. the battery was charged to full and then drained to empty probably 10 times before i replaced the alternator. in cold weather too! after replacing the alternator, the battery *kinda* survived the abuse that would’ve killed a lot of other batteries. it still starts my car every time, but it doesn’t hold a charge for long. in other words, if i sit listening to music with the car in auxiliary for longer than 10 minutes the battery will die. when the battery was new i could do this for an hour at least and it would still start the car. it’s been like this for the last 2 years and i’ve had the battery for 3 years… money well spent. !
I know the Grievous is charging because once it stars its fine. I was also able to travel long distance in the rain with wipers on, headlights on, and radio blasting so i think its pretty safe to say the alternator is good. if not, I'd probably be FORD somewhere in Jersey. lol
The Never Start Max I've had one of these in my WJ for over 5yrs only thing to check is make sure the fluid level is topped off with some distilled water.
No more need for research, the whole story. Optima’s back in the day were made in Denver and would last 10yrs. Johnson controls bought them and fired the R&D team, reduced the lead content and quality and moved production to Mexico. You are lucky to get 2-3 yrs now. Go with X2 or Odyssey AGM’s. Optima are shit. As a side note, the same company that makes Optima now makes Walmart batteries, so be careful. I would go Batteries plus for Odyssey, X2 and Deka as well as Sam’s Club(Deka as well)
I gave these up years ago when the company was sold to China. There quality has really suffered. I use the O'Reileys AGM batteries now with good results for alot less money. Plus the O'Reily battery has a better warranty.
Project Farm did a battery shoot out and that Everstart battery from Walmart did extremely well.I think he said Johnson Controls makes those batteries.I almost bought an Optima last year but just couldn't get over the almost $300 price tag.I ended up buying a Napa brand AGM.
Yes! I think his test showed optima in almost last place even though it was brand new! Imagine how it would perform after a year of use 😱
Two friends had their optima batteries go bad within 2 years, one guy had 2 go bad. This is not second hand info told to me, I was with them when they purchased the batteries and helped them with installation and removal.
I run an Optima Red in my 93 XJ, but bought it in 2014. It’s still going strong. So apparently they Downgraded their quality sometime since then (I think Scotty said a something to that effect in a video). When time comes to replace my Battery, it won’t be another Optima unless they make major turnaround that’s proven out as reliable. It makes me sad to see a once solid product degrade so badly on quality. Good to know on the Walmart battery. Thanks , man.
yea, apparently they've been going down a slippery slope since 2010.. they've been hit or miss for a while but the new stuff is completely garbage.
They moved their factories to Mexico and also downgraded their material quality. They use cheaper unrefined lead now when before it was 99.9% pure lead.
They didn't downgrade. Lol
They did downgrade, they were made in the United States and now they are made in Monterey Mexico which explains why quality has gone down. Cheap labor = Cheap products
I have 2 ZJs, a WJ and a Yukon with the red tops. Only had 1 issue. The key was left on in one of the ZJs and killed the battery. It was replaced at no charge. I'm keeping mine.
Yikes! Good luck with that Dave. God speed
If they go all the way dead a normal charger will not charge them unless you use a charger designed for this type of battery ,or, you can use a normal charger and hook up a regular battery between the charger and the Optima . Because if an Optima is all the way dead it will have zero resistance and the charger will think it's already charged and not do anything. By putting a regular battery between, it will se a resistance and put power in to it. Or you can get the Optima specific battery charger or a battery charger with an AGM setting on it.
"They sold them, so I bought them" hits home in a big way... That is basically how I explain every trip to Harbor Freight
Yep.. that phrase echoes through my halls all too much 😔
That place is a trap. I get stuck in it a lot.
@@ProjectDanH The same company makes them little that you know.
My friend's 2002 Sequoia had red one, and it wasn't getting the full CCA... it would crank over and start the car, but the solenoid on the starter wouldn't push in all the way and it would grind the pionion gear. I almost thought that it was a bad starter! I replaced it with an Antigravity ATX-30 that I had lying around, and it started the car with no grinding issues. The thing wasn't even 2 years old yet!
I have a 6-year-old Red Top Optima (1st one) in my truck, it's still going strong.
You are lucky.. 6 years is usually a full lifespan of a battery
@@ProjectDanH My truck is my one and only ride. Its driven often enough that the Optima Red Top battery is charged. If and when I can't use my truck, I will put it on a maintainer. This way, I think it will have a longer life.
I have Yellow Top in my old CJ from 2006. Still going strong.
Nice! That's probably before they were made in Mexico
My red top had been going for 3 years now no issues... Guy probably has a charging issue or the car pulls power when it is off and blames the battery.
@@blackisbad4220 No Sorry, my vehicles operate just fine.
@@ProjectDanH ya have you done a parasitic draw test? And the felt terminal covers are for preventing corosion and the. Optima batteries are obviously gel cell batteries ... And you never addressed that issue. With driving them and leaving them for months at a time those cells are probably pulling from one another to. Stay charged since one cell dries out just a tad bit more the other's have to pick up the load spiking the heat up drying it out more and more til black gracious or jeepin beauty whatever goes down for the count..and ya I understand buddy F*CK OPTIMA. But! Just make sure your within the guidelines of the maintaining schedule maybe try trickle charging one while it sits once a month just to keep it tip top idk VERY NICE VIDEO BUD! THANK YOU
@@northwestrockgem9745 lol. Yes, no parasitic draw. The Jeep is tip top! 😃
After optima moved manufacturing to mexico....they went wayyyyy down hill! I had old red tops last 6 to 8 years....now you're lucky to get 2 years out of them! Unreal! Odyssey all the way now! Xs and shuriken for agm deep cycle accessory batteries for audio amps, lights, winch, ect
Exactly! Next one I buy will be an odyssey
Yup! When they were built in Colorado they lasted 7+ years. These new mexico one dies in a year they garbage
Odyssey is great. I run them in both my Jeeps.
I listened to Scotty and Scotty is right. Ain’t buying them.
Was considering of purchasing an Optima battery, surprised its so bad, thanks man you saved me a ton of money
My pleasure! Glad you didn't buy!! So check out the Valentine's day vid too. I explained a little more about the optima too
I have a YellowTop Optima and it's the 2nd battery, exchanged it once, and about a year later it's not totally dead but it wont keep it's amps up. I read they moved to Mexico and started using less than pure lead. I'll get something else next. And to get Autozone to honor the warranty the first time I had to go to 2 stores, the first Autozone started throwing stuff up in the air and screaming even thought I had the receipt.
Yeah man It's been confirm that all of these batteries are all garbage now!
Hahah. That Into was key! Well done. I just had my 2011 die on me. Sad to hear the quality has been so far downgraded……I’m trying to save it.
Thanks Brother! sucks they don't last anymore
I bought an Exide group 24 agm battery 7 years ago that is still going strong despite recently discharging the battery down to 5% from leaving the interior dome light on. Used my Schumacher 2/5/15 amp charger that has an agm setting and it charged it up fully in 24 hours.
There has never been any (zero) corrosion or acid buildup on the terminals of this battery.
EXCELLENT MARVIN!
Unfortunately, the EverStart battery I got just 7 months ago isn't so great anymore. I run a dash cam with parking mode and apparently this battery can't handle that load. *shrug*
That sucks man ... Sorry to hear that. They should be warranteed tho
Same company that makes Optima. Shocking.
@@ProjectDanH EverStart Maxx
Walmart’s top-of-the-line EverStart battery is the Maxx, which boasts maximum starting power. You can likely get one for under $120.
The Maxx series has a power range from 370 CCA to 850 CCA and will fit almost all the cars on the market today.
Because it’s a premium quality battery, it offers a three-year free replacement warranty. There are numerous reports that the EverStart Maxx series has lasted for over five years for some consumers.
If price isn’t an issue, a premium battery like EverStart Maxx is the way to go if you need a new one for your vehicle. It has plenty of power for multiple starts in any weather conditions.
@@ProjectDanH Clarios
Clarios is the new name for Johnson Controls. Before the sale, the company had a relationship with numerous brands, including Walmart. Clarios continues these partnerships.
As an industry leader, one-third of all cars in the world use Clarios car batteries. The company also owns and distributes, Optima Batteries, Varta, MAC Batteries, Heliar, and many other brands.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serves as Clarios’s regional headquarters, with more than 5800 workers in 18 facilities. Additionally, Monterrey, Mexico, has over 3000 workers in nine facilities.
Couldn't agree more! Of the three yellow tops I've owned, all 3 lasted only a year to 15 months max. My son had a yellow top installed in January 2019, it died January 2020, and was replaced in January 2020. Now it's January 2021, and that yellow top is dead.
Optima is pure crapola.
Exactly! I had an optima in every vehicle at one point and they were constantly dead. Id didn't dawn on me until I caught myself swapping new Optimas out for 5 year old Walmart batteries. lol. I said to myself.. WTF is wrong with this picture. haha.
Replacing my Optima yellow top 34 with Walmart's Ever Start battery, a no brainer. Thx Dan.
Heck Yea Buddy!
I know it's quite off topic but do anyone know a good website to stream newly released series online?
@Jayden Darwin Try flixzone. You can find it by googling =)
@Lyric Gary definitely, been using FlixZone for years myself :D
@Lyric Gary Thanks, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there =) I appreciate it!!
I have the yellow top put in the suv 7 years ago. It’s still going strong and still start in may cold days in Minnesota.
you got lucky
@@ProjectDanH My red top has been going for 3 years now just fine...
Same here! 7 yrs strong
I never fell for the Optima hype, but after researching I got an Interstate which is supposed to be great. It works but after 1 ½ years it doesn’t fully charge.
Love the intro btw. Lol
Thank you! lol. Im gonna keep running my 5 year old walmart battery 🤣🤣
Just cancelled my OPtima battery order. Lotta bad stuff about the battery made in Mexico.
Smart Move!!!
Go X2, Odyssey or Deka(Duracell branded) beat batteries you can get.
Sad thing is the same company makes both Optima & Everstart and the cheaper one lasts longer
crazy right? same owner different manufacturer.
I used to work doing analytics for a US battery distributor... I have seen the failure rate of Optima since they moved their manufacturing to Mexico. I had to create weekly reports to watch Optima warranty because we were losing money having to deliver so many warranties. Yellow tops are the worst for dying in under a year. Also Optima should be charged with specialty chargers as well, a normal trickle charger will kill an Optima pretty fast (Just becuase a charger has agm setting doesn't mean it is certified to work with Optima brand units). I have been boycotting Optima for a long time now. Any unit with a good warranty is good, they are mostly all made in Korea these days anyway, I just want to be able to easily exchange it when it dies.
Wow, thank you for you're feedback
At least it's nice to know it's not just me and there's somewhat of a record of under 1 year failures.
What about Odyssey
You might need the yellow top for all the electrical fetchers inside, but not sure if you have used a yellow top or not just suggesting.
Yellow tops were equally crap
I was thinking about getting an Optima for auxiliary power in my van . Don't want to run my battery Dead while just sitting using power. Thought of the Optima.. Thanks for the heads up. By the way... Guess what is under my hood ? An 800cca Walmart Battery that is OVER 8 Years old. Going on 9. No B.S. I'm not a big fan of Walmart. But they seem to have good batteries. I've recently been warned that I need to replace my battery just because of it's age. But the Wally Battery still keeps rockin. How do you replace something that just dont want to give up. I've never had a battery last this long. Thanks again for the heads up on Optima.
Again another point for the Walmart battery! Optimums are crap! Lol
Did you check your alternator output/charge, a lot of new batteries are killed from bad alternators, wiring, things left on, and many other issues. Don’t just blame the battery.
I haven't had a single battery issue since I trashed that crap optima. My alternator is tip top... It was the Garbage Optima battery.
No, Redtops are for starting only, nothing else. Optima doesn't just have different top colors...the case colors also mean something. Dark gray case means STARTING battery. All Redtops have dark gray cases.
If you want the battery to start the car, run the lights, power the ignition, fans, et cetera, you need a DEEP CYCLE STARTING BATTERY. These would be the BLUE TOPS with the LIGHT GRAY case or the YELLOW TOP with the LIGHT GRAY case. The only difference between the yellow and blue top is that the Blue top has additional posts on top for battery tenders/chargers.
I had a yellow top optima from 2002 last me 13 years. Johnson control bought optima from a Swedish company, Gylling in 2000. Sometime after Johnson control moved production to Mexico.
yeah unfortunately they suck now
Had a yellow top in my previous truck. Bought in 2008, traded the truck in 2015, NEVER had an issue. It would crank in double negative temps.
Bought a yellow top for my current truck in 2019, is started giving me issues a month or so ago. Its about done, tried what I could.
Definitely agree that they aren't what they used to be. Finding a better product.
Yea bro, that's how they got me too. sucks they went to crap.
Same here. I bought two Red Top Optima, for two of my cars, a 2007 Mustang and a 2002 New Beetle, two completely opposite cars. Bought them both in late 2022. Both of them failed miserably only after a couple of month of usage. I cannot have them sitting in the driveway for more than one month without starting any of these cars, they failed each and every time. Did the test with older batteries and installed them and left the cars for two months without starting them. Guess what, they started with the old batteries, as it should be. No it's not an electrical problem, it's a battery problem. Not messing with that anymore, I'm done with Optima Batteries also. Waste of time and money, enough frustrations and time wasted charging these.
Bro! I feel ya.. so frustrating!!!! Thanks for watching. God bless
I got a used 4 year old red top in 2004. It was still going strong 10 years later. Battery lasted 14 years that i documented.
I purchased a yellow top in September 2019. It died beginning of 2023.
Never again.
Optima used to be a buy it once battery.
Now its a buy it once a year battery
Had a yellow top go out under warranty, they replaced it….. it went out in about the same time too smh. Got a autozone brand gel cell that ran circles around the optima
I have never had luck with optima batteries.
Don't worry brother it's not you it's optima
Don't worry brother it's not you it's optima
I've had a good experience with the Optima Redtop 35 battery for the 6 years I still have my 2008 Golf GTI. What I've noticed is that my car's charging system doesn't recharge the battery unless I place a load across the battery terminal, or turn on something like the headlights. The charging system may incorrectly detect the low internal resistance of the battery and assume that it is fully charged.
Too complicated for the Ol Jeep then. lol
just got rid of a spent everstart battery a 1/13 used it as a core for a optima for my mostly stored firebird. now im trippin thanx dude.
lol.. Best of luck bro
great review and information Sir Dan, been thinking I got an underpowered replacement battery from Napa for my 2000 WJ limited last year, as it only has 675cold cranking amps- thank you for helping me rule out an optima battery. been thinking of ole tried and true Interstate battery had a 12yr old one on my last WJ that never quit!
I agree with you. I had a yellow top that lasted for about 11 years before it started going bad. When Optima started being made in Mexico they went to crap. I have been using Odyssey batteries for awhile now and have had great success.
yes, so far I've heard that interstate Walmart Odyssey were great 👍🏻
Mexico = Crap Cheap labor = Cheap products
Dan, my friend.... What difference of colors bateries? Whe don´t have that in Brazil... Thank you
Red is for regular use, yellow is for running a lot of accessories, blue is for marine applications, however they should all be brown for 💩.
I work at Autozone and we sell them. An no I never recommend them because they are the most expensive pieces of crap you will ever buy. I am a PSM and in the 3 years of being at Autozone 50% of the Optima batteries fail in less than 2 years.
yep. sad. I have a couple auto store employees that had similar comments.
My red top just took a shit on me after 2 years. Replaced with yellow top under warranty. Lets see how this one lasts ...
Great.. I just brought a duralast back that lost its charge (probably due to parasitic problems on my end) ..but the battery was no longer in stock..autozone guy upsold me on the optima (return +$40).. I hope it wasn't a waste of money. If its known by autozone employees to suck..then I'm done with az
@@disf5178 My post was based on my personal opinion and should not reflect on Autozone. I am a very product conscious person so my sales opinion are based on what I see and hear with product reviews. Matter of fact we still sell Optima Batteries, but they have to be ordered as we don't carry them in our store anymore. As far as your purchase with a $40 upsell I think it was a good deal just keep close track on the warranty date. If you have any issues with your Optima take it back get a full refund and apply it to a Duralast Platinum series battery. It has a the same warranty 3 years and it's a AGM battery wish can be mounted anywhere. Hope this help!
@@rongriggs4430 he actually suggested the platinum..but it was a dry battery i was exchanging, and chose dry because of what I've read about them..
And ya..I understand..no worries.. im sure the optima will be fine.. I have 3yrs.
Depends on the color of the case. Brown case = bad. Grey case = good.
On my 04 Sierra....you know how the battery is going? The clock radio resets itself to 12 o'clock.... Crazy right? I am actually on my 4th battery in 12 years of owning the truck. I just put in a NAPA battery last october. I am due for a battery like between every 3 n 4 years lol
Yea.. newer cars and their electronics take a toll on batteries. That's why I'm baffled when an old stock ZJ ruins a battery in 11mos. Crap!
My battery finally died after 2 years ( original ) so I looked online and read about Optima batteries and how great they are. I bought the red top which cost $ 270.00 at a auto parts store. I really researched after I bought the Optima and found they are "Made in Mexico" just like Avocados !!! I was trying to figure out how a battery made in Mexico cost so damn much ???? I sure hope it makes it for at least 4-5 years at which time I will replace it with a battery made in the USA. 6 months into the Optima and no problems yet, but will see what the future brings.
Good luck Rich!!
Damn! I wish I’d seen this and Scotty’s before replacing my 2 14 yr old Duramax red tops. Fingers crossed.
I have 2 optima batteries 1 Red (bought new over a year ago) and 1 yellow top (9 years old) i also have an Alphaline leisure battery (fitted to my vehicle when purchased 10 years ago), the yellow top battery was bought 9 years ago and its still going, charges well holds a good charge, this battery was bought 2nd hand it's at least 12+ years old. The Red Top I've had around a year and a half bought new with no issues, very dependable battery, the Alphaline leisure battery was also fitted to my vehicle when purchased 10 years ago so that one is atleast 10+ years old, my vehicle has 2 batteries with a split charging system fitted. I have made a battery desulphator and periodically give all batteries a week or 2 while connected to a dumb battery charger, yellow top and Leisure batteries would settle at 12.7 volts after charging prior to desulphating, with the desulphator connected and charger both batteries now hold 13 volts.
very cool stuff! thanks for your feedback
Theres only like 6 battery manufacturing plants in the U.S. i was told .interstate is most likeky made in the same factory as the Wal-Mart battery....crazy right...i was told this from a battery rep years ago when i use to work for a auto parts store
Wow. That's nuts. I think they're all owned by Johnson Corp too
100%correct
Walmart - Autozone and Interstate are made from the same company. Interstate even change there Iconic white shell and green top to all black like the masses. This way all the suppler has to do is a label change.
@@rongriggs4430 heart braking
Sadly I purchased an optima battery about 2 weeks ago. It died tonight, will be taking it back tomorrow to get another battery
OMG bro! 2 weeks??? thats a record. best of luck.
So whats wrong with your car? Battery wasnt the issue
My father swore by WalMart batteries, I assumed just because they were cheap because he was cheap, but they do actually work really well and last a long time.
Yep! Im converted!
I had great luck with a couple old Optima batteries 1 yellow 1 red. But after the experience with my current one that isn't that old I am switching brands when I replace it... It might make it through the warmer weather, we'll see.
I've had optima batteries for many years now looking back on it I realized that I did have a lot of trouble and now I'm thinking that it wasn't me it was the optima batteries the whole time so when three batteries fail on me within 12 months time I figured it was time to put an end to optima
My son has a 2016 Walmart battery in his 91 Jeep XJ his Jeep sits for a good while still starts up every time.
Amen to that!
Optima batteries and Walmart batteries are both made by the same company. You are not boycotting them by going to Walmart. Of course, the battery that they sell at Walmart is better. :/
Johnson Controls.. of coarse 2 different subdivisions. I'd rather spend less on a better product. Lol
What's a good battery now a days?
I hear great things about Odyssey and interstate or you can grab a simple Walmart everstart. Can't go wrong with that!
After my Optima barely went 3 years I got an Odyssey battery. I'm very happy with it. It's already been over 3 years and still going strong as new
awesome! I've only heard good things about Odyssey
I put an Odyssey battery in my daughters 2012 Jeep before she headed off to college. I didn't want her to have any problems while away from home. Her Jeep sits a lot as she walks to classes during the week and only uses the Jeep on weekends. It's been two years now and still working good!
I agree with you Optima batteries currently made are bad. I am trying to desulfate the one in my Mustang for the 3rd time with a new charger. Once they go dead, even for a couple of days, bringing them back to life takes a miracle. I think they were American made but now Chinese.
I had what was probably one of the last US made optima batteries, that lasted about 12 years. had an electrical problem/battery drain that drained it to dead probably over 100 times, always able to recharge it and would be fine unless the car sat over a week. finally died for good a year ago, got a new one and it didnt even last 9 months. still have a battery drain i cant track down, maybe optima was always crap and i dont actually have a drain
Optima is so bad now they barely last a year. all cars are supposed to have a small draw when everything is powered down, optima just cant handle it. lol
Check the grounds
The only thing Optima has going for it , Is the no pro rate warranty. If i dies one day before the end of its warranty you get a new one free. Most of not all other brands will pro rate their battery.
Yea but only once... If the replacement dies you're done
Completely with you. I had an old red top that was great and lasted over 11yrs. Got two yellow tops that didnt last a year each. The newer ones are junk
Yes! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank Johnson Controls for firing the R&D team and moving production from Denver to Mexico
Optima use to be a great battery company til it was bought out by another and now the standards went to sh!t. I probably wouldn't even take a free one because they are just a hassle to deal with.
Exactly.. too much of a headache! Their cells die slowly so you end up wasting so much time charging and jumping in the last few months just before you've had enough.
After extensive research I have determined after extensive research I have determined that the Walmart battery purchase and the AutoZone Duralast Gold for the exact same battery boat or very good batteries with the Walmart is about 20 to $30 cheaper it's a great battery as long as you don't off road a lot and banging around since it is not an AGM
Yes! Your research has been confirmed by project farm too! Great stuff brother 💪
@@ProjectDanH Project Farm is always part of my research! That is a great channel!
I have a Walmart Everstart battery going on 5 years and I live in the snow belt.
thanks Ronnie! I'm gonna stick to Walmart batteries!
Hello, friend! I,m use optima red top 10 years in Russia with winters cold starts on Ford transit. I think , optima it's good battery. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing, just don't buy a new one! lol
@@ProjectDanH ok)))
lol funny thing is though the Walmart battery is made by the EXACT same company as the Optima, Johnson controls
Also if you do switch to red or yellow you may need to update or upgrade your alternator output
Good thing I wont be needing to. lol
Why would you have to do that?
@@JH-jd8ip because the output on stock alternators may not compensate for the battery draw… so basically you will be using more battery than you would be recharging on the day by day and eventually the battery will develop a bad cell
@@theblackdude why would these optima batteries draw more power than a different brand battery? I don't get what you mean Steven....
@@JH-jd8ip I don’t know how to explain again if your not getting in basically you have a stock alternator trying to recharge a high output battery the battery is operating normally your alternator is not strong enough to recharge that battery up fully and the people that buy these batteries use them in cars that they do short trips in and that does not benefit the battery
Hey Dan H just out of curiosity. Did you have problems before charging the Optima battery or did they start after charging the Optima battery?
There were problems prior to charging... otherwise I wouldnt have had to charge it. lol. I also own a smart charger so i know it wasn't me who killed it.
@@ProjectDanH Gotcha well the way I was hearing from the video kinda sounded like it was after charging. Overall that's sucks big for you. Maybe I got lucky I had one lasted 7 years. Currently got two of them in Jeeps right now so knocking on woods I'll get another 7+ years out of both them.
@@blainedoolittle3668 Hopefully! It wasn't all bad.. i got a full refund, another battery, and 50 bucks in my pocket
Your lucky they gave you your money back. I just had to replace my 6 month old h6 yellow top from autozone. I did ask for a return and they said no but they handed me a new yellow top. My 2016 camaro only has 30k on it I replaced the oe do to age. Now I keep a noco in the trunk because I have no faith in the optima. Mind you it cost 300 dollars
seriously bro! how can they sell such trash with a straight face! that was actually after another replacement so I politely demanded an refund
I been thinking of replacing my failing 9 year old battery with an Optima Yellow Top. Now I’m concerned as I need a battery with high cold cranking amps for our cold Canadian winters and a good amount of amp hours as I leave my two dash cams running in parking mode when my Jeep not in use. I am surprised that you bought a Walmart battery after saying you want to boycott Optima. As long as you’re buying a Johnson Controls battery, you’re still supporting Optima as they own the Everstart Walmart battery and they own Optima. I’m gonna go check what Odyssey has to offer.
I'm not boycotting Johnson Control entirely, just their crappy optima department. lol. I've heard good things about Odyssey.
Odyssey, X2 or Duracell Platinum. Top three batteries
This being your most recent video, I decided to comment on it..
I have a 98 4.0 I6 ZJ and you seem to know your Jeeps.. I was wondering if I could possibly somehow contact you about an issue I have been having with it that I cannot figure out even through forums etc. TIA
sure.. hit me up on Instagram
Experienced the same thing. Switched back to normal ones.
Had an used 2yo laying around, slightly too big. Sawed off those PVC clamp extensions at the bottom, fits perfect.
More amps, no problems, never Optima again.
Never again Optima!!!
I just replaced my 6 year old flooded deka battery yesterday👍🏿👍🏿....I bet those junk Optima batteries can't last that long
No Optima I ever owned lasted more than a year and a half!
No wonder your batterys die, so mucch oil on your connection points. Never seen somebody using that. Optimas are much better you did something wronge with plugging it in!
Oil??? Really Guy? It's dielectric grease. They sell packets of it specifically for batteries in a red color. It promotes conductivity and prevents terminal corrosion. If you don't know about dialectic grease then I shouldn't be surprised that u don't know Optima batteries are crap. Keep buying them if you want. 🤣
@@ProjectDanH i am using it for 9 years they work still fine. still starting up a big V6 engine and only using it for short distance's. and another tip, don't buy a red top that one is not for cars but for only starting like a car boat without other draining electronics. Yellow top is what you need and yes it is a deep cylce battery, go to a holyday for 1 year and go back and you will start your car immadiatly. your wall market cheap battery would die, a optima does'nt!
@@Tollymaster blue top is for marine use. Yellow top is for deep cycle and running alot of accessories. Redtop for more normal use. Your 9 year old battery was made with better quality. The modern optimas are CRAP. All 4 optima batteries I purchased recently died before or around 1 years time. Johnson Controls moved the factory to Mexico a couple years ago and all their new batteries have awful quality. Do yourself a favor when your optima dies and don't buy another optima. I speak from experience ... If you don't believe me look it up.
@@ProjectDanH i wil look it up
I didnt find any information about bad. Everybody is realy happy with their optima
Dan of topic but I just noticed the weather shields on the ZJ. Any chance you know where to get them.
Sorry no, I got them from a junkyard last year when I got parts to rebuild the header panel. I just found them thia week when I cleaned out the garage.
@@ProjectDanH ahhh thanks anyways bro! They look nice. No luck on the internet....and I have zero chance finding them a junk yard in Aus...let alone a ZJ
@@zaf5273 lll keep my eye out for some.👍
@@ProjectDanH 😃😃
Usually go with Costco Interstates, but will keep this in mind, thanks.
Anything but Optima! thanks for watching!!
All wJ and ZJ have bleed down, the alarm is the big one
True!
red optima is a gel battery. yellow top is liquid cell. use grease on ur terminals. and get the yellow top.
yellow tops are trash too.
The best battery I found are from Costco$79 three year full replacement the one I have now is over 5 years old they're the best that I found and the cheapest as well
Thats awesome Steve!
I got 10 yrs out of a Kirkland battery.
@@jeremyaltis2606 excellent!
Clarios bought Johnson Control last year. They made batteries like Optima, Diehard, Interstate, Exide, Oreillys, Duralast, AC Delco and many more. That's all I can remember from the top of my head. They're not all bad batteries, just do some research to see where there made from. For me, I have a Rural King farm store near me and battery for the ZJ is $80 (exide)
Yes, it's probably more of where it's made not so much as who owns it
Glad to see u back Dan since that big boy Your God Send I am glad because I had one in 1992 Cadillac same mess 8 months in dead you keep blessing us with the content n knowledge you n Barricade garage is why I own jeep cj tsi 1997 thanks n bless you n your family AMEN
thank you so much for the support! I love barricade too. God bless you 🙏
Red tops are made for specific applications. They wont serve you good when you are using them on a car with power demanding accessories such as AC and/or audio sound system.
Anyway, glad you got your money back.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Optima's have gone to crap since Johnson Controls bought them. Fortunately the three I have were made before JC changed them and cheaped out on materials. However, I'll never go offroad with a flooded lead acid battery for safety reasons.
that's an excellent point... you never want to splash the juices out of the battery
Exactly!
You had a bad Optima or electrical issues in your Jeep, this is not typical of Optima. I've been using the red and yellow tops in my race cars for 25 years and never once had a problem. Even had a yellow top hooked up to our dragster for 6 years while it sat and it fired right up
my jeep is perfect, it was 100% a garbage optima battery. The new battery is still in the Jeep doing fine!
Because you had the Denver made one before they sent manufacturing to Mexico and massively lowered the lead and quality.
I think you’re right mines is done and have just bought it less than half a year ago, never buying these crap Optima batteries again!!!
Excactly!!! We're lucky to 18 months
I had an interstate in my 5.9 then they changed dealers so I looked around and for the price Walmart battery’s seemed the way to go. I replaced several cars old batteries to Walmart’s and haven’t had problems. And for road trips there is always a Walmart if it happens to go out.
That's an excellent point! There's a Walmart everywhere. Hope this lasts so I can switch over
just a truck I normally get the wj size battery as they have more cranking amps and fit
Sweet! I always thought they were too big
Great Job on the wreck J can't wait for the lift to be done.
Thank you! I have many post lift vids four you guys!
Keep up the good work man, and thanks for the boredom relief!
My pleasure brother 👍🏻
I was seriously looking at Optima for my ZJ. A very timely video by you saved me some dough. Thanks!
Well Amen buddy! This video was made just for you. I was so disgusted by optima i wasn't even gonna film. Right before I pulled it something told me to share my experience with the world. 🙏
Your lucky a year wow, I went through 12 yellow tops red tops in a little bit over a year. At that point I was done with them forever!! Popped in a no name that coasted 1/4 the price. 10 yrs later battery is great 👍🏼 no issues. Fuck optima batteries!!!
Hell yea Tod! Who needs that trash!?!?!
As far as I see, most batteries are made the same, Plastic case, lead, and some acid, the real difference is how much 'insurance' you buy. Lets be honest here do you think there is that much of a difference between the "gold" versus the 'silver' battery on the shelf at the local parts store. Yes some do have more CCA, but that is a function of plates and surface area of the components and not the quality of the materials used.
I have an Interstate dual terminal batter on my ZJ with two 'circuits'. One for the normal car stuff and the second terminals i use for the audio, and accessories if I add a second fuse panel.
I agree! I'm gonna stick to the cheap Lead Acids from now on and forego the gels. I always wanted to run a dual battery system
@@ProjectDanH I have been thinking of running a dual battery system on my other project car, but for different reasons. Mostly for space under the hood and weight distribution.
The 'plan' is a slim profile mini battery for starting and the PCM under the hood, and the second full size battery in the trunk for the accessories (audio, etc.). The problem you run into is charging, and isolation. I'm sure you have done your research already, but if you haven't the overlander community has been working on this for a while. Here is a link to another video for anyone considering this.
th-cam.com/video/1JkH8sH_uK0/w-d-xo.html.
And yes you can run dual batteries with a much cheaper isolator, but there are some real benefits to this route.
The Optima is made by the same company that makes Everstart.
Johnson Controls is the same owner, however they are not the same manufacturer
🍪
Does the battery say model 25 and not 35 or am I reading it wrong @1:30
I also just bought a optima so kinda leary now
according to top its a model 25... im pretty sure it was a 35... or at least the receipt said 35. lol. if I were you I'd return it for a full refund
My Optima battery lasted me 5 years and still going strong and my other car has one for 4 years still going strong something has to be wrong with your vehicle
🤣🤣🤣
My ever starts last forever. Longest batteries I've ever bought, no issues ever.
awesome! excellent recommendation!
You are lucky to be able to return it and get your money back. Lordco will not refund any electrical at all.
yeah, I was able to go home and find the receipt because they told me to F off the first time. lol
The walmart brand is actually a surprise. Not like most their products. Its a good buy.
I changed all my batteries from optima to Walmart and I am well pleased
But the Walmart batteries are probably made in the USA, unlike most of the other crap at Walmart which is made in China
Because they are made by Deka. Lowest failure rate battery manufacturer. US made.
I've read so many mixed reviews on Optima batteries that I don't know how to feel about it. I went ahead and bought one today anyways just to see how my experience goes. I will be back to update y'all.
yikes! save your receipt!
So what’s the verdict?
@@palehorse4447 dude, this is crazy. i forgot about this.
long story short i approve of the optima red top battery. never failed me once. about a year into owning the battery my alternator went out. the battery was charged to full and then drained to empty probably 10 times before i replaced the alternator. in cold weather too!
after replacing the alternator, the battery *kinda* survived the abuse that would’ve killed a lot of other batteries. it still starts my car every time, but it doesn’t hold a charge for long. in other words, if i sit listening to music with the car in auxiliary for longer than 10 minutes the battery will die. when the battery was new i could do this for an hour at least and it would still start the car.
it’s been like this for the last 2 years and i’ve had the battery for 3 years… money well spent. !
Just curious, did you check the alternator on Grievous? I'm not an Optima fan as I think they are way over priced, but it's worth looking into.
I know the Grievous is charging because once it stars its fine. I was also able to travel long distance in the rain with wipers on, headlights on, and radio blasting so i think its pretty safe to say the alternator is good. if not, I'd probably be FORD somewhere in Jersey. lol
I guess Scotty was right...LOL
Effin' A man! Lol
I have 2 RED TOPs, they are all dead right after the 3 years mark. They were once great batteries, until they moved their production to MEXICO.
Yep, crap! lol
The Never Start Max I've had one of these in my WJ for over 5yrs only thing to check is make sure the fluid level is topped off with some distilled water.
😂😂😂👍
Manufactured 4/20 ! Me: ssssshhhhhheeeeee 😂
Thanks gonna go for a different battery then optima
No more need for research, the whole story. Optima’s back in the day were made in Denver and would last 10yrs. Johnson controls bought them and fired the R&D team, reduced the lead content and quality and moved production to Mexico. You are lucky to get 2-3 yrs now. Go with X2 or Odyssey AGM’s. Optima are shit. As a side note, the same company that makes Optima now makes Walmart batteries, so be careful. I would go Batteries plus for Odyssey, X2 and Deka as well as Sam’s Club(Deka as well)
All US made quality batteries.
Facts!! I'll try Odyssey next!
I gave these up years ago when the company was sold to China. There quality has really suffered. I use the O'Reileys AGM batteries now with good results for alot less money. Plus the O'Reily battery has a better warranty.
Awesome! Sadly, there are no O'reileys on Long Island 😭
Napa AGM has been very good to me. I will be using NorthStar AGM for project on my 1 ton truck.
yup, that's the battery I bought last year, same price $120, changed it in the wally world parking lot too!
Right on! Did you blow up your old battery too? Lol
I just get the value power batterys from Wally world still made by Johnson controls
amazing right. same company completely different products