5 year 80K Red Top

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:19 pm

And still cranking! :BANANA:

Come spring I think I will have the timing belt changed, finally take it in for that TC recall that I never had done (GDE here I come) and find a new Red Top. I figure pushing it into it's 6th winter might be pushing things. So happy with my 5 years running my little tractor.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:32 pm

6 years and 94K here.. :SOMBRERO:

Why change the battery if it's still cranking like new??

changingtime · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 10:04 pm

88k and just had to change the red top. The battery has been having a hard time starting and didn't want to get stranded. Went with the Sears Diehard p4 (expensive).

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 10:09 pm

LibertyCRD wrote:

6 years and 94K here.. :SOMBRERO:

Why change the battery if it's still cranking like new??

Well, you know how you start getting that feeling...like maybe it isn't cranking quite like it used to? We have had a few unseasonal cold days and I kinda got that feeling.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 10:49 pm

Cowcatcher wrote:

LibertyCRD wrote:

6 years and 94K here.. :SOMBRERO:

Why change the battery if it's still cranking like new??

Well, you know how you start getting that feeling...like maybe it isn't cranking quite like it used to? We have had a few unseasonal cold days and I kinda got that feeling.

You've gotten about 4 years extra out of that red than I did either of mine, count yourself lucky and move on to a better battery. Seriously don't buy another optima, please.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:09 pm

I don't know Sam. I bought a New Holland swather used about 9 years ago and it came with a couple of Red Tops. Still going strong and they were a couple of years old. I put two new ones in the JD Tractor this spring based on the performance of the one in the CRD and the two in the swather. I think I am becoming a Red Top believer. :-)r

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:20 pm

More and more anecdotal evidence is coming in that the red tops quality has really gone to hell in the past couple of years. Most people agree that the quality product that was there in 2000 is not there now.

Venture onto pirate if you want some current opinions on optima quality.

Check into an odyssey battery if you really want something quality.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 12:06 am

OUCH!!! Expensive. I thought Red Tops were high!

Have you used them Sam? They look pretty good.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 12:20 am

Cowcatcher wrote:

OUCH!!! Expensive. I thought Red Tops were high!

Have you used them Sam? They look pretty good.

Yes but never for a Jeep. They make very good deep cycle batteries, which the optima is a very poor one(even the yellow top).

Plus, 4 year warrantee.

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

My craptop lasted a year or so. My replacement lead acid battery cranks like new after 3+ years on it. I doubt I'll ever use another optima product again.

flman · **Posted:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:30 am

changingtime wrote:

88k and just had to change the red top. The battery has been having a hard time starting and didn't want to get stranded.

X2 88K, in the wife's Sport, cranking sluggish and I even had a very unusual idle on one start that I never experienced before. I went with another Group 34 Red Top :pepper:

And it had better last or :furious:

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:22 am

The question has been asked: Why did Jeep put the Red Top in these to begin with? One reason I heard was for vibration resistence in the diesel application.

In any case, I've had two Red Tops (two CRDs) which were flawless, and I've never seen other Red Tops die in the field either, so I have no reason to dislike them other than the price tag.

barnez224 · **Joined:** Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:28 am **Posts:** 130

I just replaced my factory red top after 5 yrs/73k. Probably could have gotten a few more miles out of it but didn't feel like getting stranded somewhere since the cold is coming!

danoid · **Posted:** Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:49 pm

5 years, 78k miles, battery fine, but starter was replaced this spring.

Patrick Henry · **Posted:** Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:31 pm

X3 88K, my replacement red top optima crapped out after two years. Fortunately I got a full refund on the warrenty (3 yr) and got a 34 group lead-acid.

benzer · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 5:46 pm

Today I replaced the original red top with an Autozone
Gold top. 800 CCA, 3 years free replacement, $100.
Already cranks better.......

John

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:11 pm

I seem to recall some discussion that the factory Red Top was a custom battery made specially for DCX with much lower specs than the shelf model. I know that I got about a year out of my original one but the replacement from the auto parts store has lasted for 4 years now without any trouble. It's even been drained dead a couple of times with no ill effect (that is what killed my first one). That said, I really don't see what the benefit of it is over a good lead acid unit, it's not like I'm doing any crawling at a 45 degree angle or jarring around the Baja 500. As for the earlier statement about vibration: Hogwash, there is no more vibration in the engine bay than found in a truck with a V8.

benzer · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:11 pm

Hogwash, there is no more vibration in the engine bay than found in a truck with a V8.

Other diesel vehicles come factory with lead acid batteries too................

John

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:17 pm

nursecosmo wrote:

As for the earlier statement about vibration: Hogwash, there is no more vibration in the engine bay than found in a truck with a V8.

I guess that's why in my CRD, the steering wheel shakes at idle, right? And that's also why Jeep used special engine mounts to try and dampen some of the vibes, eh? And they installed a FCV to try and reduce some of the violent shake at shutdown. Yeah I guess you're right... it's all a figment of my imagination. :lol:

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:59 pm

LibertyCRD wrote:

nursecosmo wrote:

As for the earlier statement about vibration: Hogwash, there is no more vibration in the engine bay than found in a truck with a V8.

I guess that's why in my CRD, the steering wheel shakes at idle, right? And that's also why Jeep used special engine mounts to try and dampen some of the vibes, eh? And they installed a FCV to try and reduce some of the violent shake at shutdown. Yeah I guess you're right... it's all a figment of my imagination. :lol:

Exactly. I never said that the engine didn't have some vibration. My statement was about the engine bay. The CRD has really good vibration damping with Twin balance shafts, FCV and the same style fluid filled engine mounts found in Cadillacs, Acuras, Mercedes, etc. Lay your hand on the battery of a 2.4 Gas liberty and then on the CRD battery and tell us which one has more (or any) detectable vibration. The fact is that it would take a LOT more vibration than the CRD could produce to impact a Lead Acid battery. If you want vibration try going for a ride in a Jeep or land cruiser with a Cummins 3.9 BT engine. All manner of isolation and damping are employed and yet they still rattle your teeth. The batteries however do not seem to be impacted in any way. Washboard roads on the other hand, can be murder on cheap lead acid batteries, because the whole battery is being subjected to extended violent shaking which can dislodge or warp the plates found in some cheap units.

5 year 80K Red Top

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