Batteries...

Optimas have a very bad durability reputation. There are better AGM batteries out there.

 

Is cost a factor ?

 

The reputation really went down when they took manufacturing out of the US, but I personally have not had any optimas fail in what I would consider premature timelines, either before or after the US production.

A few things about using a yellow top for a DD, a yellow top is probably not the correct optima to buy, you would want a red top, I know you say it's not available but you're not going to utilize the performance of the battery in a DD, it's just wasted money.

Buying an optima or other AGM is really overkill for an Accord, you're cranking over a relatively small and low compression engine, you probably don't have high load electrical consumers like winches refrigerators or multi amplifier sound systems, it's really not going to benefit you in any way.

The best piece of advice I could give you is to buy an Interstate brand in either a MT or MTP line, more than adequate performance, quality construction, decent warranty and moderate pricing.

I tend to buy consumable auto parts with the idea of buying moderately priced, quality components and replacing them often, things like tires, wiper blades, batteries, brake pads, etc. You can often buy two or three replacements for the cost of the super premium options, and you'll almost never utilize the additional performance that you pay for on a commuter car. Quite often the super premium components will actually have a shorter lifespan as part of the engineering decisions that go into providing that performance.

 

AGM batteries are more fragile than regular batteries, spiral wound batteries are more fragile than AGM. In order to reach higher performance, the surface area of the lead plates are increased wich implies to use thinner plates.

The manufacturers do mitigate this with better construction, fiberglass mats, and specific voltage controllers. Hence the need for battery tenders when they are used on cars not designed for their voltage profile.

Your approch to use the biggest possible battery that fits in the tray is the best one (more space for the lead plates = more reloability).

As far as brands are concerned, here in Europe we do only have a handfull of manufacturers that build batteries for all the others. Some FIAMM Ferrari approved batteries do share their cases with Romanian Rombat batteries that are the cheapest options... Fulmen is made by Excide, etc.

 

AGM batteries do have an advantage over Lead Acid batteries, less likely to rupture or explode, that being said, I traded in my last Ultima battery two days ago for my go to battery, an Interstate MTP, I'm done with AGM batteries for many different reasons

Another option which I have not tested on a car/truck yet is a Lithium battery. I installed an EarthX battery on my V-Twin motorcycle with great success, you do need a trickle charger designed for Lithium batteries and the cost is much more than a Lead Acid battery.
I've had the EarthX battery on my bike for 4 years so at this point in time I can't speak on longevity.

https://earthxbatteries.com/

 

I used to freak out over batteries, I've heard bad things about Optima, I've had less than good experiences with Odyssey, my go to is Walmart AGM. never had an issue with them, and a 4 year replacement warranty, which I can tell you they do honor. I believe they are made by Johnson controls, who make batteries for several companies. I even watched an in-depth comparison video and they outperform a a lot of other more expensive batteries. Just put one in my Z06, and will probably replace my Odyssey with one when the Ferrari is back on the road.

 

Best bet/value these days IMHO is the AC Delco AGMs that can be purchased and drop shipped directly from Summit Racing. Well under $200 and no core charge. Don't know how they do it. I just replaced the batteries in the Cobra and the Pantera this year using them with good results so far. Don't know for sure where they are made, but appearance is that of good quality.

Last year I bought a NAPA AGM for the 550, which is an East Penn battery. The year before, I purchased a Walmart/EverStart AGM for the DB9, which is a Johnson Controls (now Clarios) product. I also replaced both Harley batteries with NAPA AGMs that are sourced from East Penn (who is also the OEM source for HD). The SeaDoo received an AGM from Yuasa, who builds in the US and may be affiliated with East Penn as well. In a nutshell, there are just a handful of Tier 1 battery suppliers that build to various OEM specs - but all with the level of quality of the respective company, and that seems to be universally high across the board.

All of these have met or exceeded expectations so far, and all are kept on AGM compatible CTEK tenders. After living with decades of eventual disappointment due to leaky lead/acid batteries, AGMs are a no-brainer.

BTW - in terms of service life, the Cobra battery was previously an Optima Red Top that was installed in 2003. I'm not sure if this makes them worth the extra money, but it's similar testimony to what some others say about them. The Pantera battery was a big 27F "no name" factory 2nd - stamped 2008. Still was performing well, but started leaking. The DB9 had the original Varta battery dating back to 2007. The story is similar for one of the boat batteries that predated the purchase of it in 2008. Another may have been as old as 1999! All gave ample warning of their decline. Moral of this part of story is that you can potentially get very long life out of any battery with regular maintenance and proper charging.

 

FYI, most of NAPA batteries are by East Penn. I've had very good results from EP.

 

I have totally stopped using optimal. Used to be awesome. Now major suckage and I use lots of batteries. What I do now is find Costco interstate batteries that fit with near factory or better cranking amps. The oe batteries for my ram are $300+ ea. And I need 2. Last Costco ones under 100 each and they last the requisite 4 years before I replace them. There is no Costco number for the ram diesel. I picked batteries as said above. Costco guy only knows how to look in a computer.

 

I've had three red top Optimas leak in a row...one started leaking after less than two years, and Optima refused to warranty it this past spring. That did it for me. The battery tray only fit the spiral cells of a red top Optima on my 430 Scuderia (the only reason I kept buying them), so I up and bought a factory oem Ferrari F430 battery tray and fitted a Interstate AGM from Costco ($180)...so far so good.

I hear the yellow top (deep cycle) Optimas are better, and don't leak or fail...and Consumer Reports rates the yellow top highly. But not available in a 34R or 48 for the 430...and I am unwilling to risk it even if it were.

I advise to stay away from Optima.

 

Hey Guys,

Not sure if you can get them in the US, but I would highly recommend the Varta E39 Silvertop AGM battery, I've had mine for a good few years and it's held up extremely well under some trying conditions (heat/cold). Have used them in many different applications, both in my dailies and in my shed queen and they've been flawless.

 

Varta isn't widely distributed in the US, some of their smaller watch size batteries are around, but Varta doesn't list a US distributor on their website.

 

Shame, really well engineered german product - used extensively as OEM batteries for many euro cars.

 

Bosch and Varta are often made in the same factory. Maybe this brand is easier to source.

This being said, most well known brand do provide reliable batteries now, so no need to chase for a specific OEM product unless you do require an uncommon physical size.

I personnaly buy the biggest battery that fits in the battery tray (bigger lead plates means higher reliability). in my car that's a 90Ah Excide, and so far it outlasted the 4cm shorter, 80Ah Banner and Black Varta that were previously in the car.

 

Actually there are some significant differences in battery brands, and even within sizes a company makes. This can be seen in independant testing by Consumer Reports.

I tend to also buy the largest battery that fits in the tray, but these days with newer cars, the one it comes with IS the largest that will fit. When it comes to flooded batteries, I also learned that too many plates squeezed into a case (which allows for higher cold cranking amps) can also allow for shorter life, as the plates can short out more easily as sulfation can build up with age. In other words, two batteries of the same physical size, yet one has a higher CCA...often the higher CCA battery may have a shorter life due to the additional plates shorting out from sulfation as the battery ages.

Using a battery tender with an anti sulfation cycle can help, but I have just gone to AGM for all my cars. AGM can still sulfate but a bit more resistant to the shorting issue

 

My last Interstate battery green top lasted me 11 year and now I’m on my 7th year on my second Interstate battery.

 

+1 -- I think that I just proved this to myself . Last time that I replaced the 34R that I'm using in my TR, I went with the highest cranking amps version -- and it's failed after about 2.5 years. The manufacturer (East Penn Mfg. Co.) made two versions of this 34R for NAPA (850A or 985A cranking amps), and in buying another one (the lower 850A one), I've noted that NAPA has dropped the higher one as an "active" part, and seems to have put a low price on it to clear out any remaining inventory (like they had too many warranty problems).

As a side note, NAPA used to do something like 2 years free replacement and 84 month pro-rated replacement on their higher priced batteries -- now it's just 2 years free replacement and nothing else past that.

 

Interesting Steve. I've generally had good luck with East Penn batteries...usually the private label ones they make for RayoVac or Duracell, sold by Batteries Plus stores or Sam's Club.

 

"Quite ancient" is also the term I'd used to describe Optima's battery quality...

Optima shipped production out of the country some years ago and people have been paying for the name and not much else ever since.

The only thing which is going to give you any reliability is some sort of Lithium Ion battery. I run the Braille batteries with really good luck. In the Ferraris I used the i48CX with great success. In my pickup truck, I use the G30 and love it.

Costco also sells a pretty decent battery, but it's not going to provide you anywhere near the standby that Lithium will.

Ray

 

Interstate 48/H6 is a battery I install in the 360/430 cars. Never an issue and last a very long time. It's all you really need. No need to over think it. The newer stuff gets the MTX series AGM batteries. Older cars like the 355 snd earlier get the MTP-91. That series seems to fit everything from the 308 on up to the 355.