tom281

That's what I thought....... so wouldn't the redtop be better for everyday application?

metroplex

Yep, SLI is basically the application for daily driver cars. We use the battery for starting, lighting, and ignition.

official_style

with the yellow, my starter motor cranks much faster, and the fogs dont dim from the shaker 1000 bumping. mine was getting really bad with the stock battery, probably because of the underdrives.

theedge67

Well if it is getting bad with the stock battery, it probably won't be long until it is bad with the Optima. A new battery doesn't make the alternator make more power, and the underdrives obviously don't agree with the shaker.

official_style

well the stock lasted 30k miles, and the car is much better with the yellow then it was ever with the stock. and if i gotta buy a battery every 20k miles o well. thats what workings for.

theedge67

I would be ****ed if I only got 2 years or 30K miles out of a battery.

DynamicmustangGT

mine is in the toar-@$$ and fits in the tray, they are jell cell at least the yellow top- ie they wont leak. I used it for my stereo for 3 years then got rid of the stereo, didnt lose the charge after 2+ yrs. I used that battery to start the stang once after it wouldnt start from storing it for the winter

DynamicmustangGT

the battery is currenly in the tausus now, and has about 40,000 miles on it

metroplex

The Optimas are VRLA AGM batteries, not Gell Cells (which are another form of VRLA battery).

metroplex

I went and looked at my Optima Red Top. it's more than 3 years old and seems to take a charge without any problems. However I did notice something quirky which reinforces my suspicions that the date stamps are BS.

On the side of the Optima is a sticker reading 12-3 / L-3, which is a date code for Dec 2003. Right next to it is a "Freshness Date" code of A4, which is a date code for January 2004 (the same month I bought the battery).

I suspect vendors simply check the voltage or top off the charge each month and slap on a new sticker. It is simply not cost effective for the vendor or the manufacturer to take back all the batteries each month and replace with new ones. The logistics involved would make it very unprofitable. I noticed that at Wal-Mart, some of their batteries have freshness stickers over 12 months old which means someone slacked off

DynamicmustangGT

The only way I would buy a walmart battery is if i was dead in the walmart parking lot and I would return it once I got my car home.

metroplex

Consumer Reports found the Wal-Mart Everstart to be #3 overall:
http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/u...ue#Post1154315

The 03 E-250 and 00 Vic are both using Meijer batteries that I bought during their 15% sales. The only battery brand/type that has CONSISTENTLY (without failure) stranded our family has been factory Motorcraft batteries within 3 years of owning a new factory ordered car.

don_w

I went with the Yellow Top because of the way I use my car. At the track, I run the water pump, intercooler fluid pump, and the electric fan to cool the car down in between runs. The yellow top has been terrific, despite constant drains like this.