Optimas out...Odysseys in!!!

Extended Power · Aug 27, 2015

Finally ditched the Optima yellow tops for something better...enough was enough.:fustrate:

Extended Power · Aug 27, 2015

Had to modify the battery tray, but it fits right back where the Optimas were.

Six_Sloww · Aug 27, 2015

I've always wanted to try those out. Optimas were good 10 years ago but they're junk now.

Extended Power · Aug 27, 2015

Yeah the only reason I kept trying them was because they kept replacing them for me...and someone had said the yellow tops were better than the red......
.....nope....they're both cRaP!

Spatel23 · Aug 27, 2015

AGREED

Optimas suck!

morepower02 · Aug 27, 2015

What's wrong with factory motor crafts? Two 2005's one made it to 2012 and the other to 2013 on original sets in Minnesota.

Extended Power · Aug 27, 2015

I don't like battery acid spilling all over my engine compartment from charging.

morepower02 · Aug 27, 2015

Strange never had that problem.

Extended Power · Aug 27, 2015

morepower02 said:
Strange never had that problem.

Neither have I. Lol

oke:

dsberman94 · Aug 27, 2015

morepower02 said:
What's wrong with factory motor crafts? Two 2005's one made it to 2012 and the other to 2013 on original sets in Minnesota.

If you're on the website through a computer, not tapatalk. Head into the section you can find under my username for the threads I've started. There should be one in there from around the start of summer about batteries draining. TARM actually posted something very useful in there about batteries and which ones are good, which ones are crap, and the reasons why. I'll look quick and see if I can find it and I'll edit it in. I found it. Actually from 2014 already. Posted below.

TARM said:
Actually I was wondering if the batteries had ever been checked before you posted about the one battery being changed out.

Yes one can certainly not only drain but kill the other battery. All of these times you are draining the batteries is seriously decreasing their lives as well even if they were not the issue.

Unfortunately you made a mistake in not getting both replaced at the same time. You will likley need to get both batteries swapped out as you could run into the same thing again with the now weakened newer battery. As a general rule bats set in parallel should always be changed out as a set.

------------------

FYI stuff in case your interested:

Be warned Motorcraft batteries (at least the ones you can get that were not installed at the factory and even those are a step down comparatively to days of old) are not the batteries they were back in early 2K and prior. Until 2002/3 MC were made by GNB. In '03 GNB sold to Exide and Ford was lobbied by and sold the contract to the battery giant Johnson Controls. Quality dropped significantly. They are not the "can go 10 yrs" batteries of old anymore.

My uncle use to swear by Motorcraft batteries and they were great as I recall a few set lasting 10 yrs on his trucks!! On his new Ford trucks he was changing out the MC batteries much more freq with many only going 2 yr and only 1 over 4. He finally switched off off them completely. He runs roughly 15 various trucks along with many tractors and other farm equip.

I am sure most can recall how great the old optima batteries where back in the late 90s and early 2K? Then they went to crap. That happened when Gylling Optima Batteries AB of Sweden sold its company to Johnson Controls. Then JC moved the manf to mexico but of course kept a high price based on the established rep of the original Swedish product. Guess where JC makes the replacement Motorcraft batteries? "Made in Mexico"

Thus Motorcraft is another Optima story.

The one redeeming quality of the Motorcraft batteries Max line is the warranty.

Now it seems the Ford factory new batteries while from JC come out of their Canby, Oregon plant but all the motorcraft replacements are from south of the boarder. This happens with a number of parts these days you pay a dealer premium for the same part the vehicle cam with but get a inferior one.

Basically while the quality can be different for different labels as they are made to their spec JC controls the US battery market along with Exide ( now in bankruptcy protection) and Enersys has a much smaller portion but they supply the US Mil establishment which is a huge % of their....

JC makes:

Interstate, Everstart, Duralast, Kirkland, ProStart, the Gold and lower Die Hard, all of the Motorcrafts and countless "signature" and OEM labels. All kinds of EU battery market as well as they took over German HOPPECKE Automotive GmbH & Co. Another company that at least till then HAD a great rep. Not sure now as they may have required manf to say in EU.

Currently the only "automotive" batteries I recommend are Odyssey/Sears Die Hard Platinum (AGM) which are one in the same battery. Only difference being the case color and sticker. They do cost but the DHP are priced great deal lower than the Odyssey Extreme premium label. These are basically the same as the Hawker Plus line (AGM) for the mil.

There are a few popular named marine batteries at that good but also carry the price.

Extended Power · Aug 27, 2015

Yes...the last time I was in have the yellow tops load tested, and one failed instantly, the guy said, "You know you should change them both at the same time, right?"

My reply to him was: "Sooooo your giving me two new batteries today?"

He simply said "no".

And I said "Figured as much."

Merc82 · Aug 28, 2015

Optima batteries suck a fat one for sure. We sell Odysseys at work. They are a little finicky on their warranty, but have every right to be, most marine battery failures are due to the owner's negligance. They are a great battery, just don't ever let them go dead, they are a PITA to bring back to life.

Extended Power · Aug 28, 2015

I have a Smart Charger specifically for AGM batteries, and I can't believe how often I had to charge these Optimas up.
Even after the charger says that they were fully charged, after sitting for an hour, the voltage would drop off to ~12.3 volts.

Merc82 · Aug 28, 2015

That's wierd, I won't recommend Optimas to anyone. AGMs don't sulfate like standard wet cells, so as long as they are cared for, they will last. We had the same set of Odysseys in or our Dodge 24V dually shop truck for like 6 years until they finally went out and it was our fault for letting them go flat. Besides some manufacturing issues they had with the posts, which they took care of, the only issue I see is people trying to jump them in a hurry and overheat the battery. It still is a wet cell just doesn't have the electrolyte of a flooded wet cell. FWIW, I hate the $h*t out of Sears and their products, but their AGM Diehards are made by Oddessy and are a lot cheaper. I have a lot of people bring them to me to install to save a few bucks, also if you ever have an issue and bring it back, the associates at Sears are usually so damn stupid they will give you a new one no questions asked, whereas, if you buy a battery from an Oddessy dealer and it goes bad, they make you charge it for like a whole day, in parallel with a standard wet cell battery at like a 2 amp charge, before they decide if it is warranty or not.

Extended Power · Aug 28, 2015

Merc82 said:
That's wierd, I won't recommend Optimas to anyone. AGMs don't sulfate like standard wet cells, so as long as they are cared for, they will last. We had the same set of Odysseys in or our Dodge 24V dually shop truck for like 6 years until they finally went out and it was our fault for letting them go flat. Besides some manufacturing issues they had with the posts, which they took care of, the only issue I see is people trying to jump them in a hurry and overheat the battery. It still is a wet cell just doesn't have the electrolyte of a flooded wet cell. FWIW, I hate the $h*t out of Sears and their products, but their AGM Diehards are made by Oddessy and are a lot cheaper. I have a lot of people bring them to me to install to save a few bucks, also if you ever have an issue and bring it back, the associates at Sears are usually so damn stupid they will give you a new one no questions asked, whereas, if you buy a battery from an Oddessy dealer and it goes bad, they make you charge it for like a whole day, in parallel with a standard wet cell battery at like a 2 amp charge, before they decide if it is warranty or not.

Our Sears does not carry the batteries made by Odyssey...they are called Platinum or something like that.
Had to bite the bullet, and buy them from a dealer.

Pockets · Aug 28, 2015

I bought 2 of the Platinums from Sears about a month ago. I was told by the local store here that Sears was going to stop carrying them. Or it might be just my store....

morepower02 · Aug 28, 2015

Extended Power said:
I don't like battery acid spilling all over my engine compartment from charging.

Why are you having to charge them externally? Alternator dead?

Extended Power · Aug 29, 2015

morepower02 said:
Why are you having to charge them externally? Alternator dead?

Setting/tuning up the stereo....or just listening to music for a bit.

Usually I stick the charger on them whenever the hood is up...which is a lot.

imp:

TERRCO · Aug 29, 2015

Justin@DP-Tuner · Aug 31, 2015

I don't think I hear anything good at all about Optimas anymore. It seems just 5 or 6 years ago they were still good quality and a sought after battery. When I worked in auto parts a few years ago, I stopped recommending them. I saw so many come back for warranty within a year that I knew something was up. Then I found out about the whole JC made in Mexico thing, and that cleared up my confusion.