Let's talk about OPTIMA Batteries

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2011 11:20 pm

Get a Diehard Platinum p1. I went that route and not only was it considerably cheaper, it also is an overall better battery. 4 year warranty too.

HoosierJeeper · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:23 am **Posts:** 1218

tjkj2002 wrote:

Optima's made in the last 4-5 years are junk since Johnson Controls took over Optima and moved production to Mexico.I've had 2 yellow tops die just outside of warranty and USAFCOP just had one die after 3 months.Just a waste of money to buy one now.Do a search over on Jeep Forum,optimajim get's his kicked around pretty good,he gets laughed off of Pirate4x4.

Sears Diehard Platinum series P1 is what you want.4 year free replacement then a prorated warranty(72 months I believe).

I have a Diehard too and I really like it. Had one fail after 2 years, replaced easily. One now is going strong on a year.

hooperswish · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2011 11:24 am

I am still on my original factory battery. However, being proactive, I checked out the sears platinum. I was sure impressed. That thing weighs a ton! :shock:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:00 pm

hooperswish wrote:

I am still on my original factory battery. However, being proactive, I checked out the sears platinum. I was sure impressed. That thing weighs a ton! :shock:

I also have the stock batteries in my ‘06 Dodge and 07’ KJ. I’ve heard that the OE batteries in my Dodge can easily last up to 8 years. :shock:

However, I think I’m buying time on the KJ’s stock battery. It barely cranked over last winter when the temps were sub zero. It would do fine once I plugged in the battery blanket. I don’t know if the battery will make it through this winter or not, so that's why I'm preparing.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2011 5:05 pm

stock battery is still in my jeep - during last winter in IL it wouldn't crank if it sat more than 2 or 3 days without being driven

last couple vehicles i've had most had the sears p1 or one very close to the line, can't say i've ever had a dead battery with one

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 07, 2011 1:04 am

I literally just replaced my factory battery with this one. I was hoping it would last longer, but it lasted almost 6 years (December 2005 built KJ). It got to the point where even after a trickle charge and conditioning it would barely start with a jump box or car hooked up. Wasnt happy about having to spend money, but it was well worth it for what I got. :JEEPIN:

sp3ct3r · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:35 am **Posts:** 1

Diehard Pla-ti-NUM!

jinstall · **Posted:** Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:45 pm

I have run Optima's since 1988 or so, never left me stranded. I replace them every 3 years no matter what. I have used them in all kinds of applications to include DB drag racing, never an issue. Th eKJ sat at the dealer in NC for 7 months and finally died and it was only 6 months old when the engine died. Autozone replaced it for free. The military uses them all the time in their gensets and they seem to hold up pretty darn good in Iraq when I was there.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:43 pm

Optima Batteries are a ticking timebomb of suk and they will explode into a cloud of "asstasm" without warning. I went through 2 in 4 years of KJ ownership.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:03 am

I went to Albuquerque today and stopped by Sears to take a look at the Sears Diehard Platinum batteries and get a price quote. At the time, I couldn’t remember which model number that you guys speak of. Anyway, they only had 5 or 6 different Platinum’s on the shelf. If I remember correctly, they started around $230 dollars. The young lady behind the counter said that there were two Platinum batteries that would fit my OE battery tray. Maybe the only different between the two batteries was one being a top post only and the other battery having both connections (top/side post).

Okay, going back to the P1 that you guys speak of, what does P1 stand for? I don’t remember seeing P1 anywhere on the battery or in-store product code number. The only way that I was able to differentiate between the batteries was the amount of cold cranking power and obviously the size. Anyway, another guy behind the counter told me that he didn’t think they were made by Odyssey. I can’t remember which company he said, but he did say that the Platinum’s were made somewhere in North/South Carolina?

gtommec · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 3:12 am

dieselenthusiast wrote:

Okay, going back to the P1 that you guys speak of, what does P1 stand for? I don’t remember seeing P1 anywhere on the battery or in-store product code number. The only way that I was able to differentiate between the batteries was the amount of cold cranking power and obviously the size.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ockType=G3

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 11:11 am

gtommec wrote:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ockType=G3

Thanks gtommec! :rockon:

The online order will save me some coin. I’ll just pick it up in the store and have them install it since the core exchange is part of the savings. I should be going to Albuquerque again at the end of the month. :JEEPIN:

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 12:22 am

Sir Sam wrote:

Ya, I do, optima is total crap that can't take a single discharge and will fail quickly if you ever actually run the battery down

Sir Sam wrote:

Guess what.....any lead acid battery will get you off the trail, then when its totally dead you can charge it up and it will work again, the optima will be irreversably damaged.

This is not true, don't believe a word.
Anything else Sam has said, believe it. This... pure crap.

JL Rockies wrote:

Optima Batteries are a ticking timebomb of suk and they will explode into a cloud of "asstasm" without warning.

Total BS!

My original red top, (the one that was supposed to be made to lesser specks) spent over two weeks underwater in a flood at my camp. A year later I put a charge on it and to my amazement, it held a charge no problem. Now my tractor is sporting a 5 year old red top that went snorkeling for two weeks. And that was about a year ago, and still going strong.
Yesterday my friend went out there and hadn't run the tractor in a few months since he chopped his achilles on it.
Started right up.

Explain that!

If you prefer another battery, say that.
Think Optimas are overpriced? Well, mabe they are.

eyehatetofu · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 12:48 am

I have had my Optima Red top for awhile now. No issues. I got a pretty smokin' deal at NAPA; caught it on sale for $145. 3 year warranty and NAPA prorated warranty for some amount of time after that. I have no complaints. I know a lot of guys running red and yellow tops in their rigs who are happy.

I have heard good things about Sears Platinum / Odyssey batteries, but they were to expensive at the time.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:50 am

Pre being bought out optima were decent. After being bought out they arent as good. Are they trash? I dont know, but I can say in my area they are ALOT more expensive then my die hard platinum and that is the better battery IMHO.

So the question is why pay ALOT more for less quality (not necessarily bad quality)?

MikeD0106 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:15 pm

Yeah, I've heard the same thing. My stereo shop used to swear by Optima until they were bought out but then they kept seeing the batteries just not last as long. I would agree that they aren't total trash, but just may not be the quality you are used to.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

Ajamant · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:05 pm

I am not a die hard optima fan, but I do however have a yellow top in the TJ and red top in KJ. Are there better batteries out there, sure. But to compare a lead/acid battery to an optima is a bit far fetched. Any winch put under any load will destroy a cheap battery and leave u stranded.

SirSam let's hear your horror story so you can begin the healing process

). Your posts on this board are always spot on, but it's clear you've had something go drastically wrong and sh*^ happens.

This year I fried my stock TJ 120amp alternator pulling a 8600lbs f350 superdiesel on 37's outta a nasty mud hole. Took me 90 minutes with many pulls exceeding 20-30 seconds (very stupid on my part). Superwinch and yellow top came threw and f350 saved. Drove 1hr home with "check gauges" light and a fried alternator. Drove 4 more times over next 2 days to work before I dropped in an upgraded alternator. My yellow top is still ticking.

My original red top on the CRD was replaced with another red top after 5 years of faithful service.

I am very interested in a odyssey battery, but the high dollar price tag put me off.

SLS · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:47 pm

My OPTIMA Battery is still doing a great job after 6 years and some pretty hard winters.
If you don't have the cash you can buy a cheap one now and another one later.
Cheap is just that.

kswieringa · **Posted:** Thu Sep 15, 2011 5:09 pm

Stock battery sat from jun 08 to mar 09 ,I couldn't get it to keep a charge.Buddy at NAPA warrantied it for FREE. Well past 36 months warranty...now somebody gripe about that. :pepper:

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:44 pm

FYI - according to a couple forums with some exOptima workers - Johnson controls bought Optima in 2000 - started up the plant in Mexico - built 1/2 the production in the US - 1/2 in Mexico - until Jan 2009 when they shut down the US plant.

so - you might have gotten a good one in the past - but don't count on it in the future.

Let's talk about OPTIMA Batteries

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