Dead Optima Battery

[Nightmare9]

So my Jeep came with this nice Optima Battery when I got it. I expected it to last longer than the cheap batteries from Costco, but I guess I was wrong.
Optima Warranty is only 3 years and this one is just under 4.
I have never left electrical stuff on inside the Jeep to kill it, and I have charged it before multiple trips to make sure it was topped off.
I would swap to something else, except the PO installed a Nemesis Battery Tray that is 'Specific' for this style Optima Battery.
So I either buy another $300 battery or I have to ditch the top of the battery box and find a new way to hold a different battery brand.
Any other suggestions?

 

[macleanflood]

I bought a yellow top a couple years ago. Not what they used to be for sure. I baby it on a trickle charger just about any time I have it parked. I can already tell it's not going to last...it's a deep cycle thats not.

Probably going with Odyssey or equivalent in a couple of years.

I made a custom bracket for the narrower Optima battery with some angle iron. You probably could find a replacement OEM battery hold down from your local junkyard or Davey's Jeep.

-Mac

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Install a stock battery tray and go with almost anything except another Optima. If you offroad I'd make sure to stay with an AGM battery.

 

[Nightmare9]

Its hard to see in that photo, but with the fender mods, the battery is pushed up against the firewall and literally under the (AC?) lines.
Its a TIGHT fit.

 

[1o1proof]

I agree with Jerry, optima is not what they used to be…look elsewhere.

 

[KennethS]

I expected it to last longer than the cheap batteries from Costco, but I guess I was wrong.

Costco stopped carrying Optimas a LONG time ago due to all the returns and they switched to Interstate. I’ve had one of their Interstate batteries since 2019 and it’s holding up well. Better than the last Optima for sure.

 

[LONGJP2]

Optima Warranty is only 3 years and this one is just under 4.

Not trying to talk you into another Optima, but is that a 3 year full replacement and pro-rated after that.
If so, you might still get a decent amount of money for the trade in, and buy some time till you figure out the battery tray issue.

 

[CharlesHS]

OPTIMA REDTOP® WARRANTY INFORMATION

6V, 12V Passenger Vehicle / Light Truck (noncommercial)	36 months free replacement
Commercial	12 Months free replacement
Abusive service / Deep-cycle Applications / Car Audio	Not covered

You WILL need the original sales receipt to stand a chance of getting the battery warranted during the 3 year period.
The Optima website does not indicate that they prorate after the 3 year period.

https://useast2prodbrandsites.blob....onsumer_warranty_101112.pdf?sfvrsn=21047a73_0

 

[Jerry Bransford]

OPTIMA REDTOP® WARRANTY INFORMATION

6V, 12V Passenger Vehicle / Light Truck (noncommercial)	36 months free replacement
Commercial	12 Months free replacement
Abusive service / Deep-cycle Applications / Car Audio	Not covered

You WILL need the original sales receipt to stand a chance of getting the battery warranted during the 3 year period.
The Optima website does not indicate that they prorate after the 3 year period.

https://useast2prodbrandsites.blob....onsumer_warranty_101112.pdf?sfvrsn=21047a73_0

Optima will not honor the warranty if they learn that a winch is connected to their battery either. I learned that during the last of my three bad Optima batteries when I thought I had a chance of a warranty replacement. That's when I abandoned Optima and never looked back.

 

[Mudflat]

Optima will not honor the warranty if they learn that a winch is connected to their battery either. I learned that during the last of my three bad Optima batteries when I thought I had a chance of a warranty replacement. That's when I abandoned Optima and never looked back.

So what’s your “go to” battery these days? At my age, I’m really trying to find the easy way for everything in my life so I want to replace batteries with maintenance free (AGM) batteries as needed.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

So what’s your “go to” battery these days? At my age, I’m really trying to find the easy way for everything in my life so I want to replace batteries with maintenance free (AGM) batteries as needed.

Personally I'm a huge fan of Odyssey and North Star. The first Odyssey-manufactured battery I purchased lasted over 10 years, I'm now running its twin-brother North Star which is going on 5-6 years old now. But nearly any AGM battery, other than Optima of course, with a good warranty should be fine.

 

[Arthurius]

For what its worth, i couldn't justify the coin for an Odyssey so i picked up the NAPA house brand AGM. Seems to be holding up well, time will tell though.

x2 on sourcing a OEM battery tray from the secondhand market.

 

[jbarnes85]

In my experience Optima Batteries are not as good as they once were. In the early 2000's they were great and lasted a very long time. I dont know if they changed ownership or not but around 2010+ they have been pretty bad. I would recommend looking at Odyssey or XS Power for an alternate brand. I love my Jeeps but have more experience with these batteries in the minitruck arena. The odyssey's hold up to heavy draws from stereo systems and my Oasis air compressor for the air suspension. The first odyssey I had in the truck lasted 14 years. I have an XS Power in another truck and it has been great as well. Going on 6 years with that and its held up to air compressors, stereo, etc. XS Power also has a lot of different sizes available if you were looking to run them in different areas of the vehicle.

 

[CharlesHS]

Recently I needed to replace a Interstate battery that was in the Jeep for 6.5 years when it finally died...
I wanted to purchase a NorthStar battery, but according to Batteries Plus the Group 34 batteries were back ordered with no indications of when the order would be filled; I went with another Interstate battery.

 

[ColoJeep]

For what its worth, i couldn't justify the coin for an Odyssey so i picked up the NAPA house brand AGM. Seems to be holding up well, time will tell though.

x2 on sourcing a OEM battery tray from the secondhand market.

For what it's worth I've had a NAPA Legend AGM in my TJ since 2010. No issues at all.

 

[Zorba]

For what it's worth I've had a NAPA Legend AGM in my TJ since 2010. No issues at all.

That's scary. I once had a 10+ year old Interstate - I preemptively replaced it.

 

[imahnu]

Optima will not honor the warranty if they learn that a winch is connected to their battery either. I learned that during the last of my three bad Optima batteries when I thought I had a chance of a warranty replacement. That's when I abandoned Optima and never looked back.

I bought a red top optima years ago from autozone when they first started carrying them. I’m on my 3rd one now as they seem to crap out roughly every 2 years. I’ve been lucky in getting free replacements through autozone and not working with optima. Once they stop giving me free replacements I’m switching over to a odyssey battery.

 

[ColoJeep]

That's scary. I once had a 10+ year old Interstate - I preemptively replaced it.

The interstate in my wife's Jeep made it 7 years , then it was replaced with a NAPA AGM also.

 

[707kevin]

Same as everyone else's stories. My first red top lasted nearly 8 years.
Second & third lasted only 3, bought at the same time.
There was no fourth.

Some people have tried to argue that modern cars have such a high electrical load that the batteries don't last as long. Well all of my crapped out red tops where in 1990s cars without power windows or anything. So. They just suck after the early 2000's.

 

[KennethS]

They just suck after the early 2000's.

Yep, around that time the manufacturing was moved to a different location and the quality went way down.