Just something that i've been researching a little.
From experience with my brothers car, and also a friends car, both cars having good alternators, and good starters, both have "optima" batteries, and both die quickly if it doesnt fire on the 1st or 2nd start attempt.

Comparied to the interstate Group 24 battery that i have on the Camaro, i have no problems with the battery running down when i start the car.

Anyone else having bad experiences with these batteries?

I just removed a working 5 year old Costco lead acid auto battery from my dragester..Battery had maybe 400 3G shots on plus a boat load of other assorted torture tests. Guess what went back in it! ;) :D

are they running the red top? If they have the yellow..then I can see a problem. I have the red top Optima..cranks over my locked out 13-1 406 with out any problems..ofcourse it starts right away

"Astrolite" is another brand to steer clear of.

Add on question: are the 'dry cell' batts lighter than standard batts?

Ones Orange, and ones yellow. Probably the reason, too much motor too little battery.

I find the Optimas to weigh about the same, but i havent put them on a scale back to back.

Are these cars driven daily? Sounds like they need charged. I run an Optima red top. if the car sits for a long period I will charge it before I go to the track.

What I like about the optima, it can sit all winter and still fire the car. Interstate and others would be dead after winter, and never hold after.

Maybe your buddys should start charging via battery charger instead of trying to charge it while driving, unless there daily drivers its shot/ or the charging wire is to small.

I do know if I warm a nitrous bottle the battery is almost depleted by the time I stage, (I run an alternator) the battery wont recover by alternator alone at the track. I'll have to charge it.

No bottle, it works flawless at the track and I have a belt driven water pump .

Dad just had an Optima go bad on him. Dang thing only lasted 10 years without a problem ;)

I've had a red-top optima in my malibu for 4 years now without a problem... even the time my coil went bad on my dist. and I cranked a LOT. replaced the coil, and it fired right up graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I had problems with a red optima in my bracket car. It would just stop cranking the engine with no warning. I'd get home, throw the charger on it and it would be fully charged in less than 10 minutes. I now have it in my driver and it seems fine. I think they work best when getting a constant charge. I've heard it said that there are only 2-3 battery mfgs and all other brands are made by them. I have a Champion (made by Exide, made by ???) in the bracket car now and it has work flawless.

hmmm I have 2 optima red top batteries that sit in a cold garage all winter and still start the car first try in the spring w/o charging. And I bought them in 2000.

I also had an alternator belt break and I drove about 30 minutes home and that's with the fans waterpump digital 7 460gph fuel pump etc and it would STILL start the car when I got home and changed the belt.

I think they ARE hit and miss however on quality because I have friends who took two back for refunds within weeks of buying them.

I had a DIe Hard on mine when I bought it and it lasted the 3 years (looked old when I bought the car)

I got some kinda huge ass yellow battery from WalMart to replace it, I forget the name but theyre supposed to be pretty good

Optima batts. no prob. here even in FROSTBITE FALLS got one that's 9 yrs. old still starts @ -20 to -30 F. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Jim

My friends Optima in his RED broke coming out of the burn out box.

I like the Stay-Hard ones myself!!

Originally posted by Pat Kelley:
I've heard it said that there are only 2-3 battery mfgs and all other brands are made by them.Pat I believe their are 4 or 5 manufacturers. I actually have a list of who makes what at work.

One thing to consider though is just because the same company makes 2 batteries does not mean they are getting the same number of plates and same quality of components in the battery. I only use Interstate batteries as that is what our shop sells (because they last and rarely do they every have a problem before 5 years of service... even in the extreme temps of minnesota) and I know they manufacture a number of no name batteries that can be boughten at Walmart for example at a much cheaper price. There is no way these are the same battery as my Interstate in the truck has had the dome light on for nearly 16 hours and still fired up like usual. In the end... I think it is just like the old saying goes... you get what you pay for.

Best one I ever bought was a JC Penny.