Posted: 12/11/2008 1:46:42 PM EDT
| My car battery is starting to go and I need to buy a replacement. Anyone have any good recommendations on which brand to buy, and conversely, which brand(s) to avoid? |
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I heard that the Red Top Optima is a good choice.
Linky I just got a brand new truck a few months ago so I'm not in the market right now, but everyone I have spoken to that knows about vehicles recommends it. They are a little pricey though. |
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Actually, Autozone Gold Tops are very good. I put one in my Mustang on many recommendations. No issues. I've had super luck with the Autozone batteries as well (including models below the Gold ones). I routinely get 5-7 years out of batteries here. You have to keep the water level in them filled to the correct level and I try not to stress them unnecessarily i.e. I don't shut down or tun on the vehicles with the radio, heater, A/C, or radio on full blast. If you're hard on batteries (sounds like you are) then get one with a warranty similar to some of the Autozone ones i.e. free replacement over x-amount of years. |
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Actually, Autozone Gold Tops are very good. I put one in my Mustang on many recommendations. No issues. I've had super luck with the Autozone batteries as well (including models below the Gold ones). I routinely get 5-7 years out of batteries here. You have to keep the water level in them filled to the correct level and I try not to stress them unnecessarily i.e. I don't shut down or tun on the vehicles with the radio, heater, A/C, or radio on full blast. If you're hard on batteries (sounds like you are) then get one with a warranty similar to some of the Autozone ones i.e. free replacement over x-amount of years. I think the Optima's are Gel Cells so there is no water to check. They also can also be mounted sideways without leakage. They also have a seven year pro-rated warranty. I guess if you are going to keep the vehicle then the Optima is a good choice. Otherwise, an AutoZone battery would be just as good to go. |
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Optima batteries come in different sizes. Yellow top is the deep cycle. Very expensive, about $200. Got almost eight years on the last one.
I put a Autozone yellow battery in my dads truck 3 years ago and it's doing fine. Unless you need to have a gel cell for a certain application, i would buy Autozone over Optima. About half the price for the same performance. One more thing. If your Autozone battery takes a dump it's pretty easy to get a new one, Optima batteries aren't sold everywhere. The Autozone near me stopped selling Optima because they have their own brand of gel battery. |
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Heat beats the crap out of batteries, that's why a lot of cars either have ducts flowing air around the battery compartment or have an insulated blanket around the battery.
Here's what I understand about the Optimas..... Optima was bought out, at least once, in the last 5-10 years. Once they were bought out the quality went through the toilet. I've never purchased one but when I was shopping around for batteries for an off road vehicle I had I was looking into getting one but was talked out of it by numerous folks that had went to optimas, had short/poor performance, then went right back to lead-acids. |
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I just go to Wallyworld and get whatever they have. I pay for a battery only once; in 2yrs (like clockwork), they go dead, and I exchange for another, no hassle or $.
It's worse in vehicles parked outside, my wife parks in the garage, it gets a new battery every 3yrs. I don't trust any of them to make it long. |
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Linky I just got a brand new truck a few months ago so I'm not in the market right now, but everyone I have spoken to that knows about vehicles recommends it. What did you get? |
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Linky I just got a brand new truck a few months ago so I'm not in the market right now, but everyone I have spoken to that knows about vehicles recommends it. What did you get? '08 Tundra 4X4 TRD, Crew Max , 5.7L. It's my fourth Toyota truck in 10 years. My first was a '99 Tacoma 4X4 TRD, Extra Cab V6, then an '02 Tacoma 4X4 TRD, Double Cab V6, then an '05 Tundra 4X4 TRD, Quad Cab V8... and now the '08 Crew Max. The '08 is a monster. I'm hooked on Toyota's. They make a great product. |
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Post pics Joe. 
And hell, at least Toyota will be around to service your truck unlike Ford/GM/MOPAR Toyota is my next truck. Just got a new camera. I'll try to get some pics this weekend. Congrats on choosing a Toyota for your next truck! Several members here on the board have Tacoma's, Tundra's, and FJ's.
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Thanks for the recommendations, guys. Looks like Autozone it is! I haven't had to buy a battery in a while (my car is 3 1/2 years old). Can you give me a ballpark on what I can expect to spend on the gold tops? Mine is a big one, 1000 cranking amps, It cost me about 80 bucks or so IIRC. Check the Autozone website. They have a feature where you plug in your car info and it lists the parts available |
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I don't know where you guys are getting your info on Optima's. Within the offroad community they are very well respected. I have had them in all my vehicles for the last ten years, I've also replaced both batteries in my parents vehicles with Optimas. I got 6 years out of my last Optima before selling that truck. My dads Lincoln Towncar is just about to hit the 5 year mark with his Optima. They require no water to be added - just keep an eye out for corrosion on the terminals like any battery.
I have never had to replace a Optima battery. I know some day they will die, but 6 years of starting a fullsize Chevy V8 in the Vegas heat is damn good in my book. Not all Optimas are deep cycle. The yellow Optimas are deep cycle, the blue are marine, the red are for normal starting. Costco or Autozone both carry them in town. PS - I've went back to the dark side.......the Dodge is gone and I'm now on my 4th Toyota 4x4. Hate to say it, and feel free to flame......but they are simply the best built trucks you can buy....and screw bailing out the big 3!!! 
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'08 Tundra 4X4 TRD, Crew Max , 5.7L. It's my fourth Toyota truck in 10 years. My first was a '99 Tacoma 4X4 TRD, Extra Cab V6, then an '02 Tacoma 4X4 TRD, Double Cab V6, then an '05 Tundra 4X4 TRD, Quad Cab V8... and now the '08 Crew Max. The '08 is a monster. I'm hooked on Toyota's. They make a great product. <hijack> I bought a 2008 Tundra CrewMax Limited 4x4 with the 5.7 in April. Hated to trade the 2000 4Runner in for it, but the supercharger nose cone was in need of a rebuild and I was getting tired of pumping 92 octane gas. The crazy part is that I'm getting the same fuel mileage as the 4Runner. This is my 3rd Toyota. The first one was a 1996 Tacoma SR5 4x4. Crappy cell phone pic (it has the white bolt logo on the back window): 
</hijack> In the 4Runner, I had an Optima Orange Top (Red Top with posts reversed) that had been in there since 2001. It lasted 7+ years (still in the truck when I traded it in) and I had drained it dead at least once a month by accident. Jump start the truck, run it for a while and it was pretty much back to normal. I can't comment on any Optima's made after 2001 though... |
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PS - I've went back to the dark side.......the Dodge is gone and I'm now on my 4th Toyota 4x4. Hate to say it, and feel free to flame......but they are simply the best built trucks you can buy....and screw bailing out the big 3!!!  Quoted:
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'08 Tundra 4X4 TRD, Crew Max , 5.7L. It's my fourth Toyota truck in 10 years. My first was a '99 Tacoma 4X4 TRD, Extra Cab V6, then an '02 Tacoma 4X4 TRD, Double Cab V6, then an '05 Tundra 4X4 TRD, Quad Cab V8... and now the '08 Crew Max. The '08 is a monster. I'm hooked on Toyota's. They make a great product. <hijack> I bought a 2008 Tundra CrewMax Limited 4x4 with the 5.7 in April. Hated to trade the 2000 4Runner in for it, but the supercharger nose cone was in need of a rebuild and I was getting tired of pumping 92 octane gas. The crazy part is that I'm getting the same fuel mileage as the 4Runner. This is my 3rd Toyota. The first one was a 1996 Tacoma SR5 4x4. Crappy cell phone pic (it has the white bolt logo on the back window): http://www.vegas4runner.com/files/images/TundraAtHome.jpg </hijack> In the 4Runner, I had an Optima Orange Top (Red Top with posts reversed) that had been in there since 2001. It lasted 7+ years (still in the truck when I traded it in) and I had drained it dead at least once a month by accident. Jump start the truck, run it for a while and it was pretty much back to normal. I can't comment on any Optima's made after 2001 though... Nice truck Vegas4Runner, I wanted a white SR5 4X4 TRD Cew Max and there was not one to be found. So I settled on silver and I'm used to the color now. On the other hand, nothing can hide a multitude of sin like white! How about starting a NVHTF Toyota thread with pics? I have range time this morning so I don't have time right now. Maybe one of you other Toyota truck owners can get it started. Just a suggestion.
Be Safe. Joe |
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+1 on optimas
I have an redtop in my fullsise chevy and an yellow top in my jeep. Both trucks can go a moth or two between startings. Once at the range shooting a night my friend left his lights on too long with no jumper cables between us, I was able to take my battery out turn it upside down and touch terminals to jump it. I would not go back to reg lead acid batteries at least for trucks with the amount of off road use. |
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Interstate batteries. Tom Run away! I've been down the Interstate battery road before. They'd make it two years and die, even with regular maintenance. And that was with supposedly their best Megatron model, or whatever it was they called it. They are more expensive than other batteries for no reason. The warranty is prorated so after two years you still have to come heavily out of pocket to purchase the next one. |
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Replaced the factory battery in my 98 Wrangler in about 02 with an Optima red top.
I four wheel with it, have an 8K winch hooked to it, run extra lights. The car sits out in the parking lot till midnite several nites a week while I am at work. Still cranks the engine over every time. Have to give Optima a thumbs up. |