When the stock battery finally goes out

ac5501 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 1:59 am

I've never had an Optimus battery before this Jeep. Are there any warning signs before they give out, or do they just die. I haven't had slightest hint of weakness, hard starting issues, or problems holding a charge, but...

The battery is 6 years old and with 152k miles on the clock I figure I'm on borrowed time.

Thanks

racertracer · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:19 am

Just run it till it dies, you'll know when it happens, they are rated to reach 6 years and go beyond that for a few more.

dirtmover · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:30 am

In my experience batteries tend to suddenly fail i.e. you go to start it at one day and it just won't turn over having previously worked fine. I'm not expecting our Red Top to be any different though there are some indications in the forum that the electronics in our vehicle may start to get a bit tempremental as the battery reaches, or in some cases well before, the end of it's life.

At almost 6 years I'm in two minds as to whether I act proactively and replace it or run it into the ground though from a miles per startup perspective it has had a relatively easy life.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:24 am

I replaced mine at about 6 years when it "seemed" to take a bit long to crank up the vehicle. stoutdog, on my advice, did about the same but only because his fuel gauge was acting odd at the ca. 6 yr interval, and his gauge problem continued for a little while and then stopped. Oddly I had a similar but not identical fuel gauge issue (stoutdog's gauge would drop way faster than actual fuel level for the entire gauge range while mine would indicate use of 1/4 of a tank in like 30 miles and then "recover" and read fine) which has not reappeared since I put in the new battery but I cannot say exactly when, after the battery install, that the gauge problem went away.

Bottom line is our modern highly computerized vehicles seem to be very sensitive to minor deterioration in battery function (e.g. odd systems do odd things when the battery is not quite up to par). In addition, batteries near the end of their life tend to go bad quicker in temperature (hot or cold) extremes.

IMHO given your location and the nature of a real winter in that area I would not try to drag a 6 yr old battery through until next spring. You might well make it just fine but the downside of not making it could be a real pain. That said the OEM red top can be a stout battery and some have flipped that old CRD battery into another vehicle or boat and run it for another couple of years.

As for replacement batteries. A good group 34 battery with terminals that fit (if you don't get a 34R just reverse a 34 and check terminal fit) with 800CCA or better will do fine. I have a Sears P-1, pricey but high CCA and a good warranty, stoutdog got an Interstate Mega-tron Plus 85 month, less pricey and decent CCA and warranty. Others have gone different routes.

fastring · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:40 am

I'm also using a Sears P1 in my CRD. The original redtop still worked but did stop one day when I had the doors open for working on the stereo for several hours, so I replaced it early. I had an older car that could use the old redtop, which worked after hooking it up to a charger. The P1 is noticeably faster in cranking, I recommend it.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 4:02 pm

Well if you don't mind being stranded who know where just go ahead till it dies :ROTFL:

I've had two red tops and both caused slow cranking and hard starting when cool, not even cold

I replaced it with a P1 and now know how fast the starter should crank the engine :mrgreen:

The 2 year old red top is working fine in my wife's 2000 XJ :JEEPIN:

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:40 pm

My red top just stopped i tried cranking it with a jumper it started it then when I stopped at walmart to get a new battery it wouldn't crank when i came back out. So i put the walmart battery in it was a 900cc battery and in 6 months wouldn't hold 690cc. But because of walmarts fine print the 210cc drop wasn't enough to replace it for free. So i got a P1 and now can run my fridge rear lights and my radio all night and still crank it the next morning without issue. Buy the P1 and it is worth te money and really worht the peace of mind.

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:53 pm

My Optima was not cranking the starter very fast, especially in cold weather. Replaced with a Deka Intimidator and it cranks fast no matter what the temperature is outside.

I had an Optima in another vehicle die and it gave no warning, just decided to die. I would suggest you have it load tested if you are unsure if you don't like being stranded.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:14 pm

I have had 4 Red Tops, two of which were replaced under Optima Warranty after having to make me beg security at Midway airport for a Jump. Since I had one die every winter, I swapped it out for the Sears P1 and reading the reviews (Thanks Joe R). It cranks faster than the Optima Red Top ever did. Even this morning at 19F the CRD started better than the Optima at 60F.
Case Closed for me.

Squeeto · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:21 pm

WolverineFW wrote:

Replaced with a Deka Intimidator..

Where did you get it and for how much, svp?

Can't get DieHards here.

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:37 am

http://www.polarbattery.com/

I think I paid around $230. I got quoted the same price at another place that looked into getting it. Might have found a better price if I really hunted around. Cheapest I could find an Odessey for was $310.

Squeeto · **Posted:** Sat Dec 24, 2011 11:28 am

Thanks.
I know the place. They have built me battery packs before.

The US Deka catalog doesn't state a battery for the diesel Liberty, did you buy the 9A34 they show for the gasser?

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:04 pm

ac5501 wrote:

The battery is 6 years old and with 152k miles on the clock I figure I'm on borrowed time.

With an optima you have been on borrowed time for the past 4 years. Change it now, like today.

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:38 pm

Squeeto wrote:

Thanks.
I know the place. They have built me battery packs before.

The US Deka catalog doesn't state a battery for the diesel Liberty, did you buy the 9A34 they show for the gasser?

Yes...no need to get the reverse terminals. I did not have to make any mods to the cables. Just dropped the battery in backwards and hooked up. Reattached the battery blanket by running some electrical tape around it a few times to make up for the gap. If you have some velcro you could extend the strip on it.

GaryC · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:59 pm **Posts:** 21

My original red top battery died last week. I noticed it cranking slowly for a couple of days then went off to work for a week, when I came back it was stone cold dead and wouldn't charge up. I went to sams club and got one of their duracell group 34 batteries for $75. It's got 800 CCA and spins the starter quicker than the optima ever did. I didn't know duracell made car batteries and I don't have any idea if they're any good or not, I guess I'll find out.

Lancer · **Posted:** Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:56 am

My red top went out a couple of weeks ago - started fine, then as I was driving, it went into limp mode and then the engine died and I coasted to the hard shoulder. Turned out one of the cells was reading undercharged. The engine management system gets a bit squirelly when the battery starts to go. Replaced it with an Odyssey 1500 group 34/78. I was also worried about the reversed terminals, but its not an issue - the battery goes in fine "reversed" as there is a lip on both sides for the little clamp

I had to cut a bit out of the insulating blanket to fit around the second terminals and used duct tape to hold the ends together. The only thing I'd tell you to watch out for is the weight - the odyssey weighs 49 pounds! I don't know the weight of the red top, but it definately felt lighter than that! Since then - no issues.

I'd had my red top just over 5 years, so if you've had yours for around that time, I would really think about replacing it - you don't get much warning at all when it gives up, and in fact it can seem fine (mine did) at the start of a journey and then... Thinking about it though, I did get one warning that day; when I went out to the Jeep, I noticed that the EVIC had been completely reset (apart from the distance to service reading) - but it started up just fine.

azmotoman · **Posted:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:45 am

Don't know if I ever mentioned this one here, but on my CRD - when the battery started to go, my radio wouldn't power up the amps in the speakers. It would turn on and show the stations, but lacked sufficient power to run the speakers. The engine was still starting and seemed to run 'just fine'. After a couple of minutes on the road, I could cycle the radio Off and On again and the speakers would come to life.

I don't know if there was a REAL power problem or if there is a load shedding relay that prevents the unneeded electronics from powering up to allow for more starting amps (similar to the load shedding relay for headlights), but I DO know the battery failed within 2 days and I'll, hopefully, know what is happening next time.

Many of the BMW motorcycles will give plenty of warning before their battery goes, too. (i.e.: ABS lights won't reset, ABS won't 'initialize' correctly, low beam lamps will fail for no apparent reason or fail soon after replacement)

Electrical systems will tell you a lot of things about the health of your battery - (if you know how to listen to them). :lol:

dirtmover · **Posted:** Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:10 am

WolverineFW wrote:

http://www.polarbattery.com/

I think I paid around $230. I got quoted the same price at another place that looked into getting it. Might have found a better price if I really hunted around. Cheapest I could find an Odessey for was $310.

So, why would I buy one of these instead of say 3 Costco batteries which will cost a similar amount and come with a total of 9 years, 100% replacement warranty?

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:38 pm

Well for one thing when those Costco batteries go out before the warranty they will give you another at a pro-rated warranty period. And believe me it will more then likely happen these little motors are hard on a lead-acid battery I killed a 1000cc model in 6 months.

Siardi · **Posted:** Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:06 pm

I have an optima that's less than one year old, the previous owner changed it before selling the car. I have no problems when starting, other than when it's around 30 degrees takes a couple of seconds to start, nothing too bad, now, the other day i decided to check the voltage on the battery with the engine off and I measured 12.27 volts, is that OK?

Also,today for the first time I noticed that the radio volume controls on the steering wheel did not work for a while, then they came back, I read somewhere somebody had that trouble before replacing the battery. could my 8 months old made in Mexico Optima be dying??

When the stock battery finally goes out

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