Questions:

For those of you that have bought Optima batteries, how did you install it in the stock location and which battery (color top) is the better to get?

Thanks

Jer

 

I've used an Optima(red) battery in my two driver's school/daily driver cars in the past. They are superior batteries in my opinion--no leakage, can be mounted upside-down if necessary, etc. The red topped one is for everyday(normal) use while the yellow topped one is for deep-cycle needs.

I d/k about the mounting in a L.............

Dan

 

I have the yellow top

I had to take the plastic mounting clip and turn it around, drill a new hole and file it down just a little.

 

Uhm...

Here's what I know

Yellow tops are DEEP CYCLE batteries... they are NOT suppose to be used for starting engines... they weren't designed for it.. they have a lower burst output and will be ruined in time if they are used for that purpose. Deep cycle batteries are essentially accessories batteries. Good for running stereo systems, power inverters, etc... I know cuz I had 4 of them in my tahoe that had two power inverters and 15k in audio equipment...

I also had two red tops under the hood that I used for starting the engine... they are starter batteries with high burst output designed just for that application... needless to say, in that truck I never had a dead battery... btw, the red tops and yellows were isolated from eachother, to prevent the yellow tops from going bad...

Can't help with the mounting... I have the two red tops sitting in my garage and hadn't even thought about putting them in my L... that battery looks so much bigger than standard... I don't know if it has the standard mounting tie downs...

 

Actually, deep cycle are typically used for marine applications where you are using them to run lights, water pumps, etc., when the engine is not running. The whole idea it that they still have enough reserve to start the engine after this drain.

I have two deep cycle batteries on my boat.

And yes, the Optima is a great battery. I will probably use a red top in my truck, when my stocker expires.

 

Ask Greg (ib fast) how long a yellow top lasts while running an electric fan in the pits. Damn that fan can draw some current.

--Joe

 

Well... I take back what I said about yellow tops not being meant for starting... they can be... just like Jay Lincoln said... they are meant for use with more accessories though, that have a long continuous draw, more than a short start now and then...

Optima recommends the red top for use if it's just a normal starting car. The yellow tops may be used if there are additional accessories or a heavy load, etc... here is this exact question answered on their website:



http://www.optimabatteries.com/faq.asp#q17

 

beefcake, if you have a large stereo system, as some of the Lightning owners do, you'll need to have a deep cycle battery too. Those high powered stereo's will drain the battery fast.

 

I say get two optima's and relocate them to the back of the truck... move some weight over the back... that'll help ya launch and get some weight off the front...

course, you need to get some major fuses and some 1 or 0 gauge wire... but it's doable...

 

Thanks for posting, being challenged, researching the answer, correcting and linking.

That kind of effort is appreciated.

 

Cool fellows, thanks for all the input.

I think I will go with a yellow top. I have electric fans (on IC & radiator) and a switched IC pump. I have almost had dead batteries at the track numerous times and I think the yellow one will last longer under these conditions.

Jer

 

Jay that is only true if you have the stereo on while you are not driving. I had used the stock battery and alternator for 4 years in my Ranger. It was supplying 5 JL subs and 3 amps.

BTW......only reason I switched the battery was to spend more money The stock battrey was fine.

--Joe

 

A deep cycle battery can be drained and recharged hundreds of times and not drop the amount of power it can hold. If you drain a 'starter' battery a handful of times its going to lose a good deal of its charge. The optima yellow tops have more than enough cold cranking amps to get the L's engine to turn over.

If you tend to have a decent amount of electrical equipment on while the vehicle is idle or off you may want to invest in a deep cycle battery to replace the stock one. I typically recommend SVR-80s over yellow tops since they hold a fair amount more power, have higher CCAs, are the same price or sometimes cheaper, and are also sealed.

Most people do not need to add extra batteries. Only if you have a serious amount of idle or power off current pull do you need to consider extra batteries. Extra batteries means extra power but it also means an extra load on your charging system. Extra batteries add resistance which is usually noticed as a small voltage drop across the whole system.

 

Deus is right, the deep cycle battery (yellow top) can be drained multiple times and still recharge to its full charging potential. Where as the red top will lose a good deal of its charge just like a regular battery would. To give you an example, my stock battery is killed in about 5 minutes with my stereo up (so i found out), the yellow top i was told will take a few hours to die out with the same conditions.

Also, the yellow top comes with a warranty...if it ever loses its charging potential they will pro-rate the warranty for however long you have had the battery. Meaning, they pay you what its worth for how long you've had it, to put torwards the purchase of a new one. They red top has no such warranty. I wanted the red top to match my truck but the yellow one is much better....


Jon

 

I also have a yellow top Optima in my truck, much better than the stock one.
Bill