Optima Batteries wants your input
 

I've been chosen by Optima Batteries to attend SEMA this year as their guest! While there I will attend an educational seminar on their products, plus participate in an advisory conference of internet forum members from a wide range of automotive interests. They want to know what problems you are having with their products or service, and how they can do better.

After a brief review of our Electrical section archives, I've seen many posts about how to recharge a dead Optima battery, and some reports of battery life too short, also charging system or battery drain issues.

My task will be to report these issues to Optima so they can improve their products, and also to bring back to you more tech on how to properly maintain and charge them.

The Optima guys are our kind of people and are investing a lot this year to hear feedback from us, plus if there is anything special you want me to report on or photograph from SEMA (not just batteries) please include it in this thread. I have to say, their heart is in the right place on this, and they just want to get input and do better.
Thanks, David

I love their products and use them in all my toys.:thumbsup: However, I've never had much luck with the red top batteries, so I'm wondering if they've come up with any ideas on those. I know I'm on many car boards, and that one battery is a common theme as far as short life. I just replaced one in the Chevelle, went with a yellow top. I have the charger for those batteries, but it never seems to bring the red ones back.

Jody

I've been running the red top for about a year and a half. I find that it must be on a battery tender or it goes flat pretty fast compared to other toys. It seems to have plenty of juice when I go to start it after a drive.

I have a red top as well that needs to be on a trickle charger if I don't use the car for a week or so, so it's on the charger steady when It's at home not being driven.

I've got Optima YELLOW tops in 3 cars... and run the CTEK (7000) chargers / maintainers - which have a specific setting for these type (AGM) batteries.

I love 'em!

Even the YELLOW top version "drain" quickly if not on the maintainers. At least at my house they do anyway.

Ive just never had any luck with them. I had the yellow one in a show car and truck and it was always dead within a week.

I've had great luck with Yellows, the one in my DD has been going strong for 5+ years. I've completely drained it multiple times and it always comes back to life. The Reds have been hit or miss me.

Seems to me that it may be the lack of use that kills them. I would be interested to see how many of the folks that have had bad luck kept them on a trickle charger. Optima may need to advise their customers to do just that......

I too had an early life failure on the one and only Optima (red top) I have ever owned. (2004 time frame). It only lasted about 8 months. Place I bought it from wouldn't replace it and that was that...When the car was sitting, It was always on a battery maintainer that was designed for AGM batteries.

My message / feedback to Optima would be that they really should acknowledge the abnormally high failure rate on the red top and publish a tech bulletin that outlines the various reasons why early life failures were so rampant (surely they have done some failure analysis and production analysis, and know very well what the main deficiencies were (or are)).

They need to get the word out on what they have done (or are doing) to work on the problems and improve the product since then.

I will be using another optima (probably the yellow top) in my current project, since I am set up with a trunk mount setup w/optima battery hold-down.

But I'd really like to have good reason (data) to have more confidence in the product. I certainly don't go out of my way to recommend Optima batteries to people, for general-use applications.

I think it's fair to say that most of us use them in our (hobby) cars because of the fact that they don't discharge fluids...and some folks take advantage of the mounting flexibility....that's about it.

I have a Red Top and if it sits for any length of time without a pretty continuous "maintenance" charge it discharges quite a bit.

I've had my blue top for nearly 6 years,still cranks like new,no trickle or any kind of chargers,I simply disconnect the positive terminal if I'm not planning on driving for a week

they need to come out with few different styles of battery holders

First I want to thank optima for all they do in this arena. I have had all colors and they are crappy at holding a charge. EVERY color I've used from my cars to my motorhome has the same issues. Every other vehicle I own without an optima battery has no issues.

I hope they can address these issues as they seem common no matter what the climate is we live in. Thanks.

x2 .
rick k

x3 In my opinion it is ridiculous to have to continuously charge or disconnect a battery if you aren't going to drive for as little as a week. I have no first hand experience. And after reading this I don't think I ever will until I hear more about problem resolution. I commend Optima for the support they give to events and such, but the product has to be good as well. I hope they will take what you learn David and put the wheels in motion. I'm sure you will do a good job for them.

:lateral:

they're a great company with great management and marketing companies. If they can teach us how to take care of these batteries, or develop something to eliminate these issues that would be the best thing all around. I definitely want them to succeed.

Jody

My guess would it has to do with the chemicals involved to make it a sealed battery. Always a compromise in life fellas.:D I'd like to hear what they have to say.

Disconnecting did not resolve our issues. Unless your driving one every day or keep it on a trickle charge, they die. Red top seem to be the worst. I went through 3 in 18 months before we finally gave up. Worst part is when they went completely dead, they would not take a charge and had to warranty them, and it is getting to the point no one wants to carry them due to the high warranty claims. I am glad they are finally stepping up to try and resolve some issues. :thumbsup:

I forgot to add,I have used yellow top in couple other cars over the years and really never had any issues,a few times slow drain killed the battery,simple jump off and let the car run for 20-30 minutes and it's like new

I absolutely hope they succeed as well. I would like t support people that support our hobby. We have time on our project until we need a battery, hopefully this new effort will pay off by that time.

Agreed, but there are products out there that do not require such efforts to use. I think with David on the team, they are on the right track.

I was just on their website and they claim slower discharge than other batteries. :_paranoid

I'm with Jody on this one -- I'd like to see them build a better mouse trap - because they do "support us" -- and apparently do care about trying to make it better... otherwise they wouldn't ask for the input.

I will say -- the other day I was having the car serviced (BMW) at the dealership -- I noticed (apparently for the first time) that many models on the floor had "discreetly" been hooked up to tenders. I asked why -- and the salesman told me that if they don't do this the batteries die in about 3 days - BUT he added - it's only because people are getting in and out of them all day... without starting them etc. I would have to agree somewhat - since NONE of the cars on the lot had tenders... so it made sense.

David, I tried 3 red tops on the race car within a year, (sometimes it sits for up to 2 months without use.) Even with the charger going on them, I couldn't keep them alive. After the 3rd attempt, I changed to a 16 volt system and have had that battery for 3 years now--it's a pretty common thing to hear this from the guys at the track (drag), especially about the red tops, from my experience. Funny, when I think of performance batteries, I still think Optima, however I won't put one in my PT car now since it was a real issue for me and others within my circle of racing. Would be glad to go back to using their product since they are so supportive of this hobby/sport, however this paticular product needs to meet the expectations.

They can pick talent though, given your position--LOL. Shameless plug for a ride at the shootout a week from this Sat---.

Doug

cure for your battery problems = drive your cars :lol:

Jody,
Same here, first of all they are great people, and they do a lot for the Pro-Touring/corner carving sector. I like the product too, we have a yellow top purchased from our local Costco in Mary's 73 Camaro and it's at least 5 years old!
Thanks, David

seems like all the problems are fairly consistent. i used to swear by optimas back in the day. however starting a few years ago had problems consistent with everyone here. when not driving my vehicles regularly they were properly maintained.

i've tried both red and yellow tops. and i've had both crap out on me. even went through a couple of warranty claims. after the last yellow top left me stranded i refused to get warranty on it and switched to another brand altogether. no problems since.

Ive had same problems. Ive had or seen at least 5 dead optimas and it seems like once they go dead the first time they never come back. I had one in my camaro and it lasted about a year with limited driving (yellow) and I bought an interstate and its been with me through three different cars and never had a problem.. I really like the fact you can put them inside the car or upside down and all that but I just don't trust em..

What he said! :unibrow:

Also let us know how to maximize Optima battery life please.
I have no problems with the 2 Red Tops I have, they stand around for weeks and start right up. They only seem to last for around 2-3 seasons though?

Hello:

I have had two Red Tops in my Camaro, "Lateral-1", since I bought it from Mark. I got about 8 months out of the first one, and replaced it under warrantee. The second one I have to continually keep on a charger or it will be dead within a week.

It's great they are sealed, but the Performance vs. an Interstate Battery is a slam dunk for Interstate. (Sorry, but it really ticks me off to continually have to screw around with it.

Please, Please, make a better product even if it cost more.

I keep and Red Top AND a Yellow Top in my Truck, because I cannot take a chance of being stranded out in the middle of nowhere in 105*. They are both charged continually.

I'm not trying to dog your product at all, just trying to be honest. The place I have my cars serviced when I need a new battery try to talk me out of a Red Top for another brand, because evidently they get a lot of returns and it is a headache for them as a dealer.

I ALWAYS will support the sponsors of this Hobby, but I would like to meet you half way. I will pay more for one that will last, and not leave me stranded, if you will build it.

Dollars for fixing up our car are FINITE, please keep this in mind.

Thanks for your continued sponsorship of this hobby, I truly appreciate it, but We DO need a better product for our cars.

Thanks, and I look forward to doing business with you in the future.

Ty O'Neal

Fortunately OPTIMA kicked Stir to the curb, they were horrible. I got so fed up, I called Cam directly to let him know what BS they were pulling. lol

DOE-ANDERSON is doing a MUCH better job and the people are quite pleasant to deal with. They are the company spear heading this grass roots, direct user feedback. For a large corporation, it's refreshing. :thumbsup:

I have always thought highly of Optima as they came on the seen as an innovator to some extent. I have an Optima in my FFR and have had no problems even with extended periods of boring garage life :rolleyes: .

However, I read on another forum back a few months that Optima had decided to move their manufacturing to Mexico. Is that true? Hearing about the move of manufacturing was sort of a ding against them from my perspective. I just hope they don't do like many seem to and become marketing powerhouses primarily, lose focus on being innovative and just build stuff as cheaply as possible. I guess that works out in the short term ...:( .

John

They do alot for this industry and sponser some very cool events so I will keep buying them.

I have a red top and have had no problems, its going on 3 years. The car will go for periods, several weeks, without being driven and it fires right up. I hope this post doesn't jinx it.

My car has no radio and very little current drain.

i have a red top in the chevelle and my son has one in his nova. The chevelle's is 3 years old and the nova's is 5year's . We are real happy with them.

That is a kick a$$ response no kidding X2:thumbsup:

Thanks for your comments. I'll do my best to relay them to Optima. It should result in better products, customer care, & sales methods.
David

kicked to the curb
 

Why do you support this company who kicked Americans to the curb? I dont get it......Where are the patriots?

opinions were requested and appreciated, but you've got to stop short of bashing. We had already edited Johnny's comments, but he doesn't listen :)

Johnny is going to take a little break from the site.........

Jody

David,

What are their concerns? Are sales off? People bashing them on websites? Is there quality issues?

Better products, customer care and sales methods are pretty general ideas that would work for any business. I am not picking, just trying to nail down more specifics.

I bought a red top for my current car, the first Optima I have ever owned. I have not had a single problem. (8 months) I am keeping my fingers crossed. It sounds like I might be in the minority however.

I look forward to your post! Have fun at SEMA.

Darren

I've had a red top in my race car for about 5 yrs. now and while it has worked well I will never buy another battery from Optima again. The word is spreading about them laying off U.S. workers and sending the work to Mexico all in the name of higher profits. Hopefully this will bite them in the ass.