Odyssey vs. optima vs. orbital

Mike1331, if you are running auxiliary lights and tend to be tough on your battery, a YellowTop is a better option than a RedTop. All of our new RedTops and YellowTops carry three-year replacement warranties.

My primary purpose here is to be a resource to answer technical questions about fitment, proper applications, charging and maintenance. I can, however, confirm both that we have moved manufacturing to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Mexico, and that our most recent product quality is the best it has ever been. We still use 99.99% pure, virgin lead and many of the “bad” batteries being returned to us are deeply-discharged and work fine when properly recharged.

Most battery chargers will not recharge any battery that has been discharged below 10.5 volts and most flooded lead-acid batteries will not recover from such a state. An AGM battery, like Optima, can be recovered from deep discharges using a standard charger. Instructions for recharging deeply-discharged Optimas can be found at this link-
http://optimabatteries.com/product_support/faqs.php#charging

If you have any other questions about our batteries, I’ll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
 
I have to add here that I used the charging procedure layed out here to SAVE my 6 year old optima yellow top. i put my XJ in storage and after 2 months the battery was completely dead, i have a 1 amp draw that i havent been able to track down yet.

anyways, it was DEAD dead, read 2.3v on a volt meter, so i threw it on the charger at my shop. after a couple hours nothing, it wouldnt take a charge at all so i figured it was bad and bought a new battery. thank god im a lazy bastard and never got around to tossing the optima. i just stuck it in a corner in my garage and piled crap on top of it. Jim posted this info in a thread in the SoCal chapter and I figured I had to try it out.

I couldn't believe it, it WORKED. my optima is from 2003, i used it in my XJ for 4 years running 4 100w lights and 4k watts of stereo equipment (which is now gone, flame all you want ;)) and then it was sitting in my garage dead for 2 years. I charged it up by hooking it up with another good battery as Jim's link suggests and it charged it right up.

Thanks for coming in to give us the info Jim :cheers:
 
OptimaJim said:
Mike1331, if you are running auxiliary lights and tend to be tough on your battery, a YellowTop is a better option than a RedTop. All of our new RedTops and YellowTops carry three-year replacement warranties.

My primary purpose here is to be a resource to answer technical questions about fitment, proper applications, charging and maintenance. I can, however, confirm both that we have moved manufacturing to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Mexico, and that our most recent product quality is the best it has ever been. We still use 99.99% pure, virgin lead and many of the “bad” batteries being returned to us are deeply-discharged and work fine when properly recharged.

Most battery chargers will not recharge any battery that has been discharged below 10.5 volts and most flooded lead-acid batteries will not recover from such a state. An AGM battery, like Optima, can be recovered from deep discharges using a standard charger. Instructions for recharging deeply-discharged Optimas can be found at this link-
http://optimabatteries.com/product_support/faqs.php#charging

If you have any other questions about our batteries, I’ll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
Click to expand...


Glad to see someone here to shed light on this from the inside instead of people just saying what they have heard. I have one comment though. The company I work for(temporarily laid off from) makes diesel engines and does quite well but I can tell you from experience that our plant in Mexico is full of crooks! They send us mismatched parts back all the time and blame it on us when I look at them on a gage I can tell that there is no way we sent them down like that! Now Jim, unless you are there at that plant all the time how can you ensure that this is not happening to us as your customers(or prospective customers)?
 
OptimaJim said:
Mike1331, if you are running auxiliary lights and tend to be tough on your battery, a YellowTop is a better option than a RedTop. All of our new RedTops and YellowTops carry three-year replacement warranties.

My primary purpose here is to be a resource to answer technical questions about fitment, proper applications, charging and maintenance. I can, however, confirm both that we have moved manufacturing to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Mexico, and that our most recent product quality is the best it has ever been. We still use 99.99% pure, virgin lead and many of the “bad” batteries being returned to us are deeply-discharged and work fine when properly recharged.

Most battery chargers will not recharge any battery that has been discharged below 10.5 volts and most flooded lead-acid batteries will not recover from such a state. An AGM battery, like Optima, can be recovered from deep discharges using a standard charger. Instructions for recharging deeply-discharged Optimas can be found at this link-
http://optimabatteries.com/product_support/faqs.php#charging

If you have any other questions about our batteries, I’ll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
Click to expand...
Jim, I appreciate your input on this subject. I realize you did not make the decision to move manufacturing to mexico. I believe you when you say that there are strict quality controls in place at your new facility. That being said, there are too many accounts of people having red tops that were manufactured in Mexico go bad on them. I understand that many if not all of these were probably abused in some way.
My issue is one of basic corporate responsibility. I truly have a problem with a company that turns it's back on it's employees to save money. Worse is that these companies are depriving our government of much needed tax revenue and instead enriching the corrupt and disfunctional government of Mexico. I must say I would feel better about this if manufacturing hed been moved to Canada but I still get pissed off about outsourcing of jobs. I would consider buying another Optima if I need one (my current Optima red top has been rock solid reliable) but it carries far less weight in the decision making process than it would have in the past. Again, thank you for your input and great advice regarding charging/ recovering an Optima battery.
 
FlexdXJ said:
Glad to see someone here to shed light on this from the inside instead of people just saying what they have heard. I have one comment though. The company I work for(temporarily laid off from) makes diesel engines and does quite well but I can tell you from experience that our plant in Mexico is full of crooks! They send us mismatched parts back all the time and blame it on us when I look at them on a gage I can tell that there is no way we sent them down like that! Now Jim, unless you are there at that plant all the time how can you ensure that this is not happening to us as your customers(or prospective customers)?
Click to expand...


Admittedly, i have never owned an Optima.. never really had the need till i started adding a Fridge and the like. Then i started reading about Optima's..

What i have found is numerous complaints of failure, and a general loss of trust in this product. I do however believe some of the returns are as stated.. discharge and improper charging technique. (Thanks a ton for that info BTW Jim) But also numerous of overnight failures for no apparent reason.

Returns for testing and Warranty hassles are another gripe of unsatisfied owners.

I understand Jim having an interest in protecting the company he works for, and his title seems to imply he's an online image protector for Johnson Controls. However, i know of another JC employee who posts "what he's allowed" by corporate. In his postings the higher ups claim a higher percentage rate of failure on higher gross sales... and not on inferior manufacturing. For what it's worth this JC employee will not run an Optima battery.

Flex, although everything i have posted is "what i have heard" that doesnt discount the sheer number of posts by owners who share their experiences as being the source of my opinion.

What it boils down to for me is the number of owners who are not satisfied with their purchase compared to other brands, the outsourcing of jobs, and the apparent higher price of a lesser product.
 
Jim can you give me a part number for a yellow top that will fit in a stock location 87 cherokee 4.0l. I'm thinking thats going to be a deep cycle kranking battery...

My friend is happy with his yellow top and i don't even think he uses it right. he puts his lights on the top post and puts the alt/starter cables on the side post. Thats how the prev. owner did it, i told him to switch it but he said it works fine so he won't change it.
 
OverlandXJ said:
Flex, although everything i have posted is "what i have heard" that doesnt discount the sheer number of posts by owners who share their experiences as being the source of my opinion.
Click to expand...


I completely understand. Not saying every one is lying but someone from the company posting lets me know that they care about their customers at least somewhat. They do things sloppy down in Mexico is all I am saying. I have never owned an optima my self but I have friends that have some of the older ones and they are still working great!
 
Mike1331 said:
Jim can you give me a part number for a yellow top that will fit in a stock location 87 cherokee 4.0l. I'm thinking thats going to be a deep cycle kranking battery...

My friend is happy with his yellow top and i don't even think he uses it right. he puts his lights on the top post and puts the alt/starter cables on the side post. Thats how the prev. owner did it, i told him to switch it but he said it works fine so he won't change it.
Click to expand...

this is the yellowtop I have and it fits just fine: #D34/78, and it won't hurt anything using both the top and side posts.
 
Orbital's are good batteries, i have ran mine for 2 yers with no issues and i run 1600 watts of stereo whenever im driving. hell there all good batteries you mentioned. Go with a red top and be done with it.


Sean
 
Mike1331, unfortunately, Optima doesn’t offer an exact-fit replacement battery for every application, including your Jeep. However, you can measure the dimensions of your existing stock battery to see if there’s an Optima that will work for your vehicle. Below is a link to the product specification page where you can find exact dimensions for Optima YellowTop batteries:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/yellowtop/specs.php

You can also check with other guys who are running Optimas in their Cherokees, to see how they did it. If you are using an Optima battery in a custom application, it is important to consider the following:
· Hood Clearance – There should be at least ¾” clearance between the top of the battery terminals and the underside of the hood.
· Trunk/Interior Mounting – If your battery is mounted inside the passenger compartment, the battery must be vented to the outside of the vehicle. Optima group 27, 51, 78, 34C, and 31 batteries all have ports for connecting a vent hose.
· Side Terminals – Optima 34/78, D34/78, 75/25 and D75/25 batteries have both top and side terminals. If you are using one of these batteries in a vehicle that uses the top terminals, it is important to ensure that the side terminals cannot come in contact with anything metallic (for example, the firewall or fender well), thereby causing a short.We suggest keeping the post protectors on the terminals you are not using. Do not connect a winch to the side terminals.
· Battery Modifications – Cutting, drilling, trimming or otherwise modifying your Optima battery may present a safety hazard and will void the warranty.
· Mounting – Your Optima battery must be securely mounted. The terminals are not intended to be used to secure the battery. Using the terminals in this way will damage the battery and void your warranty.
· Heat – Protect your battery from high heat, such as turbochargers or exhaust manifolds

As mentioned previously, the side posts on our batteries are intended to be used for connecting starter cables. A winch should only be attached to the top posts.

I appreciate everyone’s feedback about our batteries and I will be sure to forward them to the appropriate parties at Optima. GrimmJeeper, I’m glad to hear you were able to recover your YellowTop.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries
 
I used a red top for over 3 years but it started not to hold a charge. I trickled it everytime I went on a run. Luckly I helped a friend clean up a warehouse where I saw bluetops pushed in the corner. I asked why are they there and was told they ran the forklifts. I asked can I have them and was told yes so I took them home and charged both of them. It did take a couple of days but I now ran a Bluetop for over a year running my winch, kc's and such. My rig is not my daily driver so it appears to work well for me.
 
The regular Dual Terminal 34/78 Optima fits in the stock group 58 tray in my 97 XJ great. I don't have the factory hold down though so I don't know if it would work but I am sure it would. I currently use a monster zip tie to hold the battery down :D.
 
waxer said:
I'm in the market for a new battery and wanted to know if this particular Sears Die Hard Platinum is the right one for an XJ.

It's a group size 34.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02850034000P?vName=Automotive&cName=Batteries+%26+Chargers&sName=Automotive+Batteries


Thanks
Click to expand...

get this one: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02850090000P?vName=Automotive&keyword=p4

I have this, fits perfectly in my 2001 (sure it doesnt really matter the year of your jeep but I could be wrong) and am nothing but satisified and as the thread states its an Odyssey.
 
The 00s and 01s spec the larger group 34 battery so they will be an easy for either brand.

If you get a battery at sears check the age. I have seen some old stuff on the shelves at alot of places. I work for Interstate Batteries and see other brands on our dealers shelves over one year old and sometimes two years old. Interstate Rotates there product including the Optimas they sell every three months from the dealers shelves. Guaranteed Fresh!
 
OverlandXJ said:
DieHard Platinum at Sears.. it's an Odyssey.
Click to expand...


Yes it is and in my 97, the group 34 battery doesn't fit just right. They have the Die hard platinum in the correct size for XJ's I believe its 58. I got the 34/78 but i need to trim my battery try so it will sit all the way down in the tray.
 
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