Does anyone know which OPTIMA brand battery is correct for a 246?
I bought an OPTIMA Red Top at Costco today - $120. Fitment # 15, if that means anything. It dropped right into the battery space, hooked up in 5 minutes and good to go. Thanks for the advice guys - I really appreciate it!
My experience with the Optima Red Top in my Dino has been EXACTLY the opposite of Keith's. It went completely dead in 5 months, refused to hold a charge, had to do an emergency replacement (was leaving for the Olympic Tour the next day) with an Interstate battery (no problems since). Returned the battery, still don't have an answer..... I have heard rumors that others have had similar problems, although I don't know the details, and anything beyond what I have written would be rank speculation on my part. Mark
I have had EXACTLY THE SAME EXPERIENCE as Mark. I'm back to an Interstate now, although there was some thought that the lousy alternator I had may have contributed to the problem. Since we fit an Alfa 164 alternator, there have been no problems with the Interstate. dave
In defense of Optima, I've had a red top in my Toyota daily driver for over a year and it has given great service.
Tha was going to be another thread; If the amp meter is rated at 40 amps, the fuse at 60 amps, now you put in a more powerful alternator, what happens to the voltage regulating, battery charging, fuse blowing meltdown scenario?
Ignoring experience shared on this thread and elsewhere on the Net, I bought an Optima 34 "yellow-top" battery in 2008. This is the deep-cycle version, which I thought appropriate as I don't use the Dino regularly and might forget to charge it. I disconnected the battery when not in use (I installed a cut-off switch accessible through the RH opening in the front dam) and charged the battery monthly, using a CTek charger and more recently a Battery Tender. All that notwithstanding, the Optima within a few months after purchase ran down and in the months repeated that act. It would hold a charge for a while, but now, barely 2 years old, it is completely dead. I have a Yellow Top battery in my MGTC that's been in it I think over 10 years. It is great (knock on wood)! But Optima seems to have taken a turn for the worse these last 5 or so years. My Dino arrived from the US with a dead Optima battery and this one is also dead. Am I disappointed in the new Optima? You bet. At the price they charged, it performed much worse in my experience than an ordinary battery. Would I buy another? I don't think so. Would I recommend Optima? Of course not. The advantage of the Optima to me was that it promised to cause less corrosion in the seldom-seen bay of the Dino. Its unreliability in my experience outweighs that. Odyssey batteries sound interesting but are not available here, so I will use a regular AC Delco or similar regular battery. Andy Manila
Andy: A deep cycle battery is WRONG for any starting application. As the name implies, a deep cycle battery is designed for applications where the battery is subjected to deep discharges before being recharged. This includes things like powered wheelchairs, boats (lighting, equipment, and amenities, not starting), emergency / off-grid power, etc. They are designed for a longer, slower (i.e. lower amperage), and deeper discharge and require a corresponding charging protocol. Starting batteries, on the other hand, are optimized for the sudden, high amperage, and more shallow discharge of a starter motor. The vehicle's charging system then puts a very substantial amount of amps back into the battery to ready it for the next discharge (start). Because the deep cycle battery's internal construction is not designed for the discharge and (especially) recharge requirements of a starting application, the longevity will be seriously compromised if it is used in this way. My guess is that the Yellow Top has survived so long in your TC because its starter doesn't draw very many amps, and its charging system doesn't put out very many. Just to update my Optima experience, the Red Top in my Toyota is still going strong after 4 years. Dan
Dan, Thank you for the explanation. I use the Dino once or twice a month (I know I should use it more often), so, when the Optima Yellow Top lost its charge for the first time, it had been used to start the Dino perhaps only 10 times. So that was quite disappointing for any type of battery. Also, Optima markets the yellow as a "dual-purpose" battery, "Yellow Top Optima Batteries and Blue Top Optima batteries also offer excellent performance as starter batteries for dual-purpose applications," to quote their spiel. In a previous reincarnation, I used to race a large sailboat, principally around the buoys and the occasional offshore. To save complexity and weight, I used deep-cycle batteries both for starting the Perkins diesel in the boat and powering the instruments and navigational lights when underway. The marine batteries would last three years or so. So the Yellow Top I bought was disappointing in comparison. I did a quick tour of the web on reviews of the Optima, and there are reports that dealers (Pep Boys?) pulled the Yellow Top from their shelves and refuse to carry them because of complaints. I spoke to the dealer here yesterday and told him about my experience and the bad news on the web. He said there were problems and that Optima had a major quality control manufacturing problem, but that they recently opened a new plant. Perhaps it's the luck of the draw and, in this case, you are lucky. Thanks again, Dan. Andy
I've used a standard Costco battery, fitment group 9, for 3 years in Dino #05082 and it has been great. It went through a deep discharge twice during my session with the dreaded Dino alternator failure and again when the previous owner's stereo wiring chaffed and shorted unfused. With all the floggings, I'm surprized it has survived so well. Since then I've been on extended 3 day trips as well as up/down the coast three times and it just rocks! I do use a Pacific Battery, Battery Minder (has a desulphation cycle) so that might be a contributor: http://www.pacificbattery.com/batteryminder.html PS - Harbor Freight has a sale on their Battery Tender for $3.99 Feb 11-15th http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42292
Andy: You are right. I had forgotten about Optima's billing of the Yellow Top as a "dual purpose" battery. In any case, it looks as though they might have reason to regret this now. The Q.C. problems that you've heard about are a distinct possibility, in which case my 4-year-old battery probably predates them. FYI, I drive my Dino a bit more than you do, maybe 3 or 4 times per month. I use a conventional Interstate battery and hook it up to a Battery Tender when the car is in the garage. The battery is about 3 1/2 years old and works just fine. Dan
I first posted about my bad experience with an Optima battery over 3 and 1/2 years ago (October 2006), and boy was I surprised to see this thread come back from the dead (something that my Optima couldn't do). BTW, Optima never bothered to explain what happened. But that is just fine, as my Interstate battery is still working great. Mark P.S. - Andy, stop worrying about batteries - just sell me your 246GT! I'll pay for the shipping....
Hahaha, thanks, Mark. I saw your post on the Corbani car. Why not a nice 206 with KO wheels for a change? You can always repaint Dino blue.
As you know (via a PM exchange between us), I tried to buy your car from the dealer in New York where you bought your Dino. The problem was that internet ads often have a very long shelf life, and when I called and started to make an offer, the laughed and told me that it had been sold to the PI years ago. Too bad for me, but great for you. Mark
Interstate or NAPA seem "fresher"........maybe due to expense the Optimas are "sitting" too long before activation??? Deep discharge is especially harmful to certain types of batteries..I know Optima makes a different unit for boating type applications where accesories are expected the impose heavy drains..
Can somebody tell me what the correct Group #, NAPA number, or what the dimensions are for the correct Dino battery? Was going to buy an Optima until I found too many bad reviews. My car is being painted and I want to make sure that I am getting a new battery that is correct.
I just replaced the battery on my 1972 use dino and it called for a group 9 battery which I could not find however It is my understanding a group 24 battery is used by many and that is what I replaced it with . there is plenty of room in the battery box .. Hope that helps.. I just purchased my car so I am far from an expert ..
Fitment group 9, I use Costco batteries and love them. When I had the dreaded alternator failure it was depleted twice and lasted four more years until I replaced solely based on age. Probably would have gone longer. Also may have to factor in that I drive a bunch and use the Battery Minder brand battery tender: http://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer-Model-12117-Maintainer-Desulfator/dp/B000P23HZS/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348582606&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=pacific+battery+minder
It would be nice to fit a leak-proof, gel-type battery, if only to avoid corrosion in that hard to access place. Optima would have been ideal, but my experience with them in recent years has been dismal. Odyssey sounds like a good alternative. If you fit one, let me know the model. By the way, I have been using a tiny Redtop 30 racing battery in my Stratos. Andres
How do you like your Redtop 30? I have heard, that this battery is used also for Ferrari Challenge cars and thought about using this one or a number bigger for our Dino.
