Which Optima to Get? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

camryelaine · 06-08-2006, 02:31 AM

Hi guys, can anyone give me a suggestion on which optima battery to get? red, yellow, orange top?

I would need to use my laptop in the car for 2-3 hours or more per day and I don't want to get stranded with dead battery. My Camry doesn't have any killer audio/video system or high power fog/driving light.

Thanks in advance.

v6kamree · 06-08-2006, 05:15 AM

well the yellow top is for stuff like accessories which a lap top would be and the red is for better engine performance as for orange i aint ever seen. i personally got the yellow top.

TRDGen5.5camry · 06-08-2006, 05:42 AM

question would a yellow fit on a 05 camry

sorry for the tread jack it was in the same subject

david

***DAMON*** · 06-08-2006, 06:53 AM

im sure it would fit, just make sure you get the right one for your application. I have a yellow top in my gen 3, no complaints

88 LE · 06-08-2006, 07:06 AM

Red = starting battery

Orange = same as red, but terminals are reversed

Yellow = deep cycle. It has less CA/CCA then the red, but more reserve capacity and its deep cycle.

Red:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...cal_specs.html

Yellow:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...cal_specs.html

AMScamrySE · 06-08-2006, 12:06 PM

Optimas are junk, the only thing they are good for is offroading because they can go upsidedown. Dont waste your money on one.

Rdizzle · 06-08-2006, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMScamrySE

Optimas are junk, the only thing they are good for is offroading because they can go upsidedown. Dont waste your money on one.

Where are you getting this, its not what i have heard. At least enlighten us as to where you got your info so that others can make informed decisions too. Hopefully its not because you purchased 1 bad battery and now hate them. Lots of products give you bad apples, there is no way they can catch them all. Just want to know why you think this.

***Eye8Pussies*** · 06-08-2006, 02:06 PM

my optima is amazing- I can pound my system for about 4 hours before it dies- then a quick boost and I'm on my way again until the next time I'm working on my car and I pound my system

AMScamrySE · 06-08-2006, 05:50 PM

My friend had his car sitting for a about a year. And when he went to start it after about 6 months and it was dead. And then a few months after that it wouldnt hold a charge at all. The other person I know had his sitting for about 4 months, and the same thing happened. And I went to purchase an optima at the store, and the guy who worked there told me they were know for doing that. So, 3 different accounts of them being not so great is enough for me not to buy one.

Rdizzle · 06-08-2006, 06:26 PM

yeah, but i never plan to let the battery sit that long and lose its charge. I think day to day use they are great.

swegyptian · 06-08-2006, 08:22 PM

I have had four red tops over the past ten years. I will never buy one again. They are great for CCA, especially in extreme cold, but they won't hold a charge for very long. I have had ones that were only a few weeks old, and if the car sat for 2 or 3 days, the battery was dead. Maybe we can blame some current drain on the car, but now I have a die hard gold, and it can sit for months and start with no issues, even in really cold temperatures.

You might not plan on letting it sit for days on end, but what about when you go on vacation? This might mean a dead battery everytime you come home, and can you imagine dealing with that at an airport?

Trust us buddy, don't get one.

JetspeedCamry · 06-08-2006, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMScamrySE

My friend had his car sitting for a about a year. And when he went to start it after about 6 months and it was dead. And then a few months after that it wouldnt hold a charge at all. The other person I know had his sitting for about 4 months, and the same thing happened. And I went to purchase an optima at the store, and the guy who worked there told me they were know for doing that. So, 3 different accounts of them being not so great is enough for me not to buy one.

Leaving a battery connected after 6 MONTHS will do that to ANY battery unless its some MOFO 1000+ CC charge battery. You cant expect to defy the physics of chemistry can you?

And this is especially true if you have the battery connected in a car with EFI. The ECU and EFI circuits take power at rest, around 10-20mA (i measured it haha). So that small drain over 6 months is huge!

DarkMastyr · 06-08-2006, 09:18 PM

I got a Yellow Top. Sucker drains after about 2 weeks of no driving. Works for me though, and I drive often enough that it's not a problem. Depends on your application. If you drive plenty and can spare the change, get an Optima because you'll be hard pressed to find one that's much better WHEN IT'S CHARGED. But if you plan on leaving your car for weeks at a time without driving it, there's no way in hell you should touch an Optima with a ten foot clown pole. Like swegyptian said, get a Die Hard in that case instead.

***Eye8Pussies*** · 06-08-2006, 09:35 PM

that, and for real- any car that's left for weeks at a time should be hooked up to a trickle charger

***zoni*** · 06-09-2006, 02:24 PM

i love my optima yellow top. ive let the car sit for a long ass time, and still started it right up. it is also great for when you use the electronics with the car not running. GREAT battery.