Is your CRD still using the original Optima red top battery?

CATCRD · **Posted:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:51 pm

Looks like were still holding at 72% original. Not great for a supposedly premium battery, but it doesn't make me want to run out and replace mine proactively.

UFO · **Posted:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:32 pm

I'd say if a battery is still going strong after 5 years it's pretty solid. Especially in Colorado.

pipeliner · **Posted:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:39 pm

2006 build date, bought in April 2007. Now with 70,000km (43,750 miles) and the original red top (yes, they were sold in Australia). I know our winters don't compare to yours, but I have just completed a 7,700km trip into the centre of Australia with a Waeco fridge running continuously off the car battery overnight without any problems.

UFO · **Posted:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:15 pm

Interesting that we see more failures in the '06 than the '05.

dcxman · **Joined:** Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:09 am **Posts:** 4

Don't forget. Many of us 06ers posted 05 because of build date.
BTW, 86k still original.

gsbrockman · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:09 pm

Another 2005 CRD Optima still in service since April 2005 w/63k miles.........

forensic · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2009 8:02 pm

94k 2005 Just replaced yesterday with Group 34 Battery from Sam's Club $69.00 1000cca. Works great! Not problem installing.

flman · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2009 8:35 pm

Both of mine still have the Red Top :arrow:

bucklanddj · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2009 8:57 pm

I only have 58,000 km on my 06 crd ``but still running the original red top.

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2009 9:01 pm

I'm still with the red top, but having an interesting problem: At night the headlights seem to flicker, and at the same time my voltage meter (radar detector with that function) is rapidly flipping between 14.2 and 15.3 or so volts. The .x number is moving far too rapidly to be tracked, but it is cycling over a volt in difference. It doesn't do this all the time, but it has been getting more frequent and the "seizures" seem to be lasting longer each time.

Is the battery on the way out?

vegiH · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:32 am

light starting to flicker,but I have a heavy amp draw(Sirius radio,foglights,and WVO pump and lights,as well as stock radio,and my son always using his portable DVD player.....I guess thats not to bad,I replace the batteries in my excursion ever two years.........H

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:05 pm

Mine was acting funny awhile ago and tested ok so i let it go . this morning I needed a jump to get going.

I went to Advance Auto parts and got there brand of Gold Battery. their computer listed the Optima as the best replacment but I went with a standard Gold battery with 800CCA.

intresting thing is the Optima was only 700 CCA and the stores computer was calling for 800 maybe thats why some of us are having our batteries die early. They are not strong enough or DC realized this and changed the spec later.

click23 · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 9:22 am **Posts:** 308

I voted "Yes, 2005 with original battery" a few weeks ago, but ended up having to put a replacement in last weekend.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:50 pm

UFO wrote:

I'd say if a battery is still going strong after 5 years it's pretty solid. Especially in Colorado.

What about if it was barely alive 3 years ago?

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:52 pm

I just reread my post on september 6th... I was right a new battery was in my future before winter.

linewarbr · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:49 pm

click23 wrote:

I voted "Yes, 2005 with original battery" a few weeks ago, but ended up having to put a replacement in last weekend.

x2, except mine is an 06

UFO · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:29 pm

Sir Sam wrote:

UFO wrote:

I'd say if a battery is still going strong after 5 years it's pretty solid. Especially in Colorado.

What about if it was barely alive 3 years ago?

And still kicking? Amazing!
Not still kicking? What'ya do to it?

brew1 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:38 am

2005 here, replaced the OEM bean counter red top last winter when it died @ 50,000 miles. Instead of replacing it with the OEM bean counter red top, I elected to go with the full power red top that should have been installed in the first place. Price was about the same, terminal setup was reversed, but flipping the battery around and stretching the cables worked just fine.

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:47 am

I replaced my Red Top last week after I noticed that two of the caps under the sticker had "popped" and that it was getting harder to crank in the morning.

Got a 850 CCA battery from Wally-World for 75 clams. They didn't sell the red top, and I wasn't in the mood to be driving all over town to overpay for a battery. But my CRD is still doing the 'lights flickering and voltage spasm' thing at night.... So there is yet ANOTHER problem that I haven't been able to solve yet.

Still have that stupid acceleration problem too - slow down for a turn or something, then step on the go... And barely any go, but LOTS of smoke, then VROOM and it goes. Highly annoying and wasteful, and of course.. No codes.

flash7210 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:21 am

I have an '05 with 51000 miles. Still using original battery.

What causes these batteries to go bad?
Can they be reconditioned to get a little more life?
(i.e. slow discharge/recharge, desulfating, etc.)

Is your CRD still using the original Optima red top battery?

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