That is a load of hot do-do.

Your post got me thinking about the duralast gold battery I have. Has a 3 year replacement warranty. If the second battery fails within the warranty period, they pro-rate  the remaining balance toward the 3rd battery purchase.

A little better deal than Diehard I guess....

I have had my red top optima on my 66 for 17 years and checked good right before wreck.

Rufus68 wrote:

I've heard the Optima's are not made the same quality any longer.  Have you heard this?  If so, does anyone know what changed?

   I bought mine March 10,2005  on my daughters birthday it was $125.00.  17 years and going strong

I have a chrome 100amp altnator from EBay also been on 17 years maybe 19 . That car had no accessories it has manual steering,no A/C and just a CD player  where I cut the dash lol.

Rufus68 wrote:

I've heard the Optimas are not made the same quality any longer.  Have you heard this?  If so, does anyone know what changed?

I have it on good authority that's true.  The old ones lasted seemingly forever, but they are not made to the same level of quality anymore.  The hot ticket now is something using AGM technology.  I just went through this on my DD F250.  After a god bit of research I broke down and bought a pair of AGM batteries. 

I might catch some heat on this one, but it's not always the battery's fault. I worked many years in the auto supply business and had to deal with folks and their multiple battery replacements. The warranty is not, and never was, for endless replacements.

So just sayin that if you're going through batteries it could be another issue, just something to ponder.

**Puts on flame resistant suit...

Last edited by Raymond_B (1/09/2022 11:51 AM)

I got my original Optima red top from Costco and it lasted over ten years using a gamut of chargers from a 60 year old 6-12 v  15 amp, a C-Tex to a Harbor Freight trickle charger. I can’t really complain about the time it lasted since it it sat idle in the winter and I never coddled it.
When it came time for replacement I got the same battery and a dedicated Optima charger. I hope it lasts as long as the first  one.
I was impressed and considered  Odyssey batteries but It may have involved reworking by billet mount.

I need to get mine off the wrecked car...I saw where the fire department cut the positive cable at the wreck so not sure what was going on....if it died with car that's fine it served me for 17 years I bought it at Pep boys for 125.00 in 2005 and don't remember ever having to ever charge .I had put it on car with a 100 amp 1 wire chrome alternator I bought off ebay. I will be putting that alternator on new car as well as the Battery if its still good. I remember chatting with Steve when it was about 12 years old and him telling me he had had one that lasted a lot of years but the last few of them did not. They must have built them to good back in 2005 and needed to make them not last as long to make some money. Anybody else ever have a Battery on a car that long.

Last edited by BILLY WALTON from GEORGIA (1/09/2022 3:15 PM)

50vert wrote:

TKOPerformance wrote:

Rufus68 wrote:

I've heard the Optimas are not made the same quality any longer.  Have you heard this?  If so, does anyone know what changed?

I have it on good authority that's true.  The old ones lasted seemingly forever, but they are not made to the same level of quality anymore.  The hot ticket now is something using AGM technology.  I just went through this on my DD F250.  After a god bit of research I broke down and bought a pair of AGM batteries. 

The Optima is an AGM, (Absorbed Glass Mat), battery. Like MS, I've found they don't like being discharged or overcharged. I tried for a warranty claim after 1.5 yrs and was told no, I'd let it go flat, so no warranty.  
 

Yes, the Optima is an AGM design, but the company that made Optimas originally (Gylling) was purchased by Johnson Controls in or around 1999.  There is a lot of speculation that once that occurred, or possibly after their merger with Tyco and move to Ireland to avoid US taxes, they started cutting corners in manufacturing while increasing the price and trading on Optima's good name.  This is at least part of why many folks claim the old Optimas were basically unkillable, but the new ones seem to suck. 

One thing to note is that all AGM batteries are not created equal.  Optimas are spiral wound whereas newer designs like the Odessey and Die Hard Platinum are different and generate higher CCAs from a smaller package.

In speaking with the guys at www.ficmrepair.com (these guys specialize in all things electronic for Powerstroke and other trucks) before making my purchase they recommended Odessey batteries, claiming they were durable like the old Optimas.  I couldn't find a local retailer, didn't want to wait for shipping, and the cost was pretty staggering (I need 2 big batteries for this truck), so after more research I went with the Die Hard Platinum.  We'll see how they do long term.  I can tell you that a Diesel truck torture tests batteries. 

What brings this full circle though is that it seems that Johnson Controls is also the company manufacturing the Platinum series for Die Hard.  So it begs the question, if Optimas are now no good how can the Platinum Die Hards be better if they are made by the same company?  Granted they are a different design, and possibly the end user design criteria makes a difference, but you have to wonder just the same.  I suppose I'll see in a couple years.  What I can say thus far is that the truck lights off on freezing cold mornings better than I think it ever has.  If it can keep that up for 5 years I'll be a satisfied customer. 

Raymond_B wrote:

I might catch some heat on this one, but it's not always the battery's fault. I worked many years in the auto supply business and had to deal with folks and their multiple battery replacements. The warranty is not, and never was, for endless replacements.

So just sayin that if you're going through batteries it could be another issue, just something to ponder.

**Puts on flame resistant suit...

Sometime after I bought the 1st store brand battery Advance Auto drop there pro-rate. That one I had to keep on a maintainer if not driven daily and just wouldn't pass a load test after a yr. They switch brand names and Die Hard replacement had 1 dead cell suddenly. It was going burn the alt. up the way it was singing. This was weeks ago and I only mentioned it now because other forum is having short live die hards discussion lately. There's only a few mfg. left and there no 8 yr. battery warranties out there that I use to see anymore and not many 5 yr.

Last edited by red351 (1/10/2022 10:04 AM)

I believe if a battery is kept above an 80% charge, it will lasts for years.  If the vehicle is not a frequent driver,  (count any vehicle that skips 2 weeks between drives), then it should be connected to a trickle charger if the battery is to stay healthy.  Sulfation is the enemy and the process can be minimized by keeping 80% charge.