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Optima YellowTops D34/78

EppNation

EppNation

New Member
Messages
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6
Location
Tampa, FL
So leaving house today, was a noticeable struggle to start, but not enough to keep me from leaving house. :D

Over the course of the day, each start got harder and harder. Finally, on what was my drive home, it allllmost didn't turn over. Went home, unloaded merch, and headed to AutoZone to have batteries tested will full intentions of having to buy new ones.

Get to store, of course, truck has to be off to test batteries, turn off truck. LH battery: bad, RH battery: you guessed it, bad.

Now I had been saving up reward points for this purchase exactly, so I was at the right place to get what I needed. Unfortuneatly this particular store didn't even have 2 of the 34/78s, so he found another local one that it. Now I just had to get there. With a 900amp booster, jumper cables to another deep cycle in the trunk of a cobolt (with sound system) [thanks again stranger!] AND jumper cables to ANOTHER deep cycle rolled out on a cart. Still no dice.

I get a ride to collect batteries (both manufacture date 9/14 for which I am very happy with), come back to original store where truck got left, at this point, it's past closing. I first try and just jump what I have with both Optimas (2 sets of jumper cables), nothing more. Which was fairly dis-concerning, but went ahead and installed in the dark but with a big smile :agreed:

Turn key, and the starter was struggling even more then when truck was trying to be jumped with booster and 2 deep cycles! I was appalled. Tried again a couple more times, and then I hear the relay pop from under hood :mad2: Now turning key to start position does nothing, aux still as normal. So needing a $10 part, at a store I am parked 10ft away from, but still have to bum a ride home.


How on earth could Optima sell batteries that are not fully charged?!

I went back and disconnected batteries and hooked them both up to their own 1.5amp trickle charger/maintainer. Heading back in the morning to raise hell...and get a new relay.


Has anyone else installed these batteries in their trucks? Any thing specific I should be aware of with these batteries? I did read not to charge them at a rate higher than 10amps, which is why I went back to hook up trickles over night. If they don't want more than 10amps, I'm afraid to find out what a jump start may do to them.
 
Welcome to the reality of part quality problems!!!
This happened with all kind of parts.

Just go back in to the store, let them load test and charge them.
Let the store replace them again.

I know it is a hassle, though.
 
Returning/exchanging them will result in non age matching. The only other store in vicinity that has two 34/78's on their shelf are manufacture dates 2/14 and 4/14.

These two have been on 1.5amp trickle for over 8 hours now. I'm leaving house now to go see what results are.
 
I would run away from the optimas. Ever since JC purchased optima their quality control and reliability have just about dropped to zero.

I would get a die hard platinum battery, 48 month free replacement warranty.

http://www.sears.com/diehard-platin...2851090000P?prdNo=47&blockNo=47&blockType=G47

I just got a set of O'Reilly's best warranty battery and they only offer 36 month free replacement warranty. I would have drove to sears but, I did an exchange on my 4 year old batteries that one was sucked dry and the other was at 11.5V.
 
I have two Napa Gold batteries in my truck, on their 3rd year, drained them 2x in the 3 years Ive had them, and they seem to come back just fine. 880CA/720CCA I believe or something like that.
 
Your generator aka: alternator uses pulse width modulation (PWM) for charging and absorbent glass mat AGM's love PWM and last for quite some time.

I suggest dual terminal MIL/SPEC AGM and don't look back.
 
I used to be a huge promoter of optima. I owned a set of red tops that lasted over 11 years in the Vegas heat. My current yellow tops are from Jan of '08. Many a single battery in gasser trucks and cars make it over 10 years in fleets. Alas, Optima was bought out by Johnson controls, who wrecked the best battery made. I have since bought optimas that would not make it a couple of years. Worse the problem is so overwhelming that you have to warranty them at the exact store you bought them, many places will not warranty ones from other suppliers and optima endorses this. Regrettably, given up on optima.
 
For EppNation, if getting something different was desired- after the run around and end up with brand new dead batteries situation, I would think a manager would be flexable with credit. Just because Autozone corporate is anti-constitutional does not mean the manager won't reason (I hope).

With the closing of lead plants in the US: Interstate batteries, like most mfrs are moving to Mexico. Just like optima did. I have nothing against Mexico and prefer to see made in Mexico over made in China. But Optima is one of many batteries that were good made in USA, then bad made in Mexico. Wait and see I guess.
 
So, it was not the relay, or not only the relay at least., having to buy a new starter. I have created good relations with autozone staff, and will have no problem returning what I got yesterday with the sh¡t storm that followed. Those die hard platinums looked real legit, higher CCA, and longer warranty.
Anyone else with poor direct experience or opinions on new JC Optima? I am leaning towards a return and a drive to sears.
 
I liked Optima until my Red Top developed a bad cell in less than a year on the 69 C10. That was in either 2010 or 11. Guy at the parts store at that time said he was seeing a lot of Optimas being brought in with bad cells. Napa since then on all my rides. I have also had good luck with Die Hards in the past ( pre 2008) and Duralast Golds- if I am not close to a Napa the I go with the Duralast.
 
Most all of the "Optima VS Die Hard" search results are heavily one sided.
Just called my local Sears, they have multiple on shelf manufacture date August 14.

DIE HARD IT IS!
 
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