Red Top Optimas

[BroncoMama]

I was curious if anyone has had any problems with their red tops? We have had 3 out of 5 go bad on us, yet our yellow top is still going gangbusters after 5 years. We put one in our Ditch Witch, it lasted 4 months, then the ones in our Ford took a crap yesterday after a year and a half. I was just curious if we are merely terribly unlucky in the battery department or if red tops aren't quite up to snuff.

 

[Brad]

I haven't had luck with Red Tops myself. They work fine until the first complete discharge and they are never the same again. Once I drained my Red Top, I was lucky if it could hold sufficient charge to start for more than a couple of days after that. I switched to a Yellow Top a few years ago and it has been completely discharged a few times to the point where I found no voltage on the terminals with a multimeter. I just hook up a hefty battery charger, top it off, and I've noticed no ill effects so far. I have a pile of Red Tops sitting around now, seems like the warranty, pro-rated or not, just isn't worth pursuing as they tell me everything is fine when they test them.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Seems they need to be charged in parallel with a standard battery... I didn't beleive it myself until I tried it... brought a psuedo-dead RedTop back to life.

 

[94rodeo]

I have had one go bad on me as well. I only had it about a year and a half when that happened.

 

[blazinzuk]

after doing some research I found out I killed mine with my battery charger, so when I got my yellow top I bought a battery charger that has a setting for gel cell batterys.

 

[Meat_]

I've had two reds in my Cummins for 4ish years now... no problems.

I had a group 31 yellow top in the Blazer for 2 years, seems that the alternator was barely alternating, but the battery kept awesomeing along.

Red tops aren't supposed to be completely drained Drain a regular lead acid all the way and you'll see similar effects.

 

[Brett]

Seems they need to be charged in parallel with a standard battery... I didn't beleive it myself until I tried it... brought a psuedo-dead RedTop back to life.

I wonder if that's what needs to be done with my Orbital. It died and I couldn't get it to take a charge, so I've been using a crappy old standard battery......

 

[Brad]

Red tops aren't supposed to be completely drained Drain a regular lead acid all the way and you'll see similar effects.

I know they're not supposed to be, but it happens. From just a single complete discharge my Red Top was toast. Bought another, got 2 years out of it before the same thing happened again, recharged, toast. I've been able to get away with such abuse to el cheapo Costco batteries time and time again. Happy with my Yellow Top, though.

 

[Rot Box]

FWIW my Red Top is still going after 7yrs with no problems

 

[sbr]

We have had the opposite here yellow tops go bad all over but our red tops just keep going fine.

 

[Greg]

I wonder if that's what needs to be done with my Orbital. It died and I couldn't get it to take a charge, so I've been using a crappy old standard battery......

I've had no luck with Orbitals, went thru 3 in a few yrs. Lucky for me, they were all under warranty. I'm done with Orbitals, next battery will be a yellow top Optima.

 

[notajeep]

I have killed two red tops... on from a complete discrage and another just a hard hit on rock chucker killed it. It blew off the two vents on the top and started smoking and smelling like sulpher....

 

[waynehartwig]

I have a redtop in my Acura. Been there for about 2-3 years I guess? It's been drained to empty several times and still works fine.

Optimas can't handle fast charging or trinsic? loads. Like a clock constantly running. So try a trickle charger (2A) to bring back those dead ones.... ?

 

[spaggyroe]

I've had good luck with red tops.
I had one in my E.B. for about 6+ years. Finally killed it, and replaced it with another red top right before I sold the rig.

Two red tops will be going in my new buggy.

 

[BroncoMama]

To the best of my knowledge, none of them were drained completely, they just gave up the will to live...hence the basis of my displeasure. On the machine, we put the red top in late one fall and that spring when work started again, the battery was shot. Chris went all through it before he parked it so we know nothing was left on all winter. Then yesterday we leave the hotel and his truck is totally dead. He said he noticed it starting a little harder on Friday, but didn't think anything about it. We didn't drive it at all Saturday, and then yesterday our batteries are shot. Nothing was left on in the truck and nothing was plugged in that could've drained them.

Edit: Chris just told me that the Carquest guy tested the ones from the Ford and they both had a bad cell.

 

[Herzog]

I've got a yellow top that I've been using for about 6 years now. Drained it probably about 4 times so far and it keeps charging right back up!

 

[Greg]

... Optimas can't handle fast charging or trinsic? loads. Like a clock constantly running. So try a trickle charger (2A) to bring back those dead ones.... ?

Seemed like my problems involved the vehicle sitting thru winter with few starts. I had each of them tested & they were shot. Trickle charges didn't help, I have a quality trickle charger/battery tender that wouldn't bring it back.

 

[waynehartwig]

Seemed like my problems involved the vehicle sitting thru winter with few starts. I had each of them tested & they were shot. Trickle charges didn't help, I have a quality trickle charger/battery tender that wouldn't bring it back.

Winter is the best for Optima's, too... They can hold a charge in freezing temp much better than in hot temps.

But yeah, I hear ya... I gotta always remember to start and run my Acura at least once a week or I'll have a dead battery. What's weird is sometiems it's bad and sometimes I can go 2 weeks.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

after doing some research I found out I killed mine with my battery charger, so when I got my yellow top I bought a battery charger that has a setting for gel cell batterys.

Any details on the charger?? Where did you find it? Price? Sounds like a sound investment as I've got 3 rigs running redtops...

 

[Cody]

Most of htose gel batteries need to be charged in parallel with another like battery. If you try and charge them on a normal charger--nada. I tried to trickle charge one, nada but once I did it in parrallel with another red top it worked.

I've had 2 red tops die--but they were over 4 years old--and I currently have 2 in vehicles that seem to be doing fine. I had the Orbital Extreme cycle duty batts in my dodge and I was absolutely pleased with them. Could run my angry stereo for hours and still would start up. I only ran them empty once, but it took some time.

Cody