Well my car has been sitting in an insulated garage for 2 weeks since we did the header install on Airecare84's car. I have had mine up on jack stands putting on the Spydershaft and Earls brake lines. I pulled the battery yesterday to get ready for longtubes after the first of the year. I knew the battery went dead sitting those 2 weeks but it will not take any charge at all. The eye on top of the battery is red and yes I am charging it correctly. I am not real surprised since the battery is 3 years old. My question is what are you guys replacing your dead batteries with? Motorcraft...Diehard... Optima?
Scott

 

Optima!

Though there are a few who don't exactly like Optima's, I'm tired of WASTING my money on wet cell batteries that have the life expectancy of a mosquito...

 

The stock batteries work great if you just drive the darn car instead of letting it sit in a garage all winter!!

 

Buy a Battery Tender Plus.

 

The battery has puked....I am asking what you guys are replacing the stockers with not how to maintain them. I know how to do that. What would you buy if yours was dead??
Scott

 

Steve,
Your a lot of help. What would you buy when yours pukes??? That is the question.
Scott

 

Happened to me since I go to school and don't take my car with me.

My dad picked one up from the dealership and bought a battery tender as well.

 

Just my opinion - don't waste your money on an Optima. I've had 2 (1 red top and 1 yellow top) and both failed in less than 12 months. 3rd time around I went back with a Motorcraft.

 

Wow...that really surprises me especially in your climate. It seems the Red Top Optima is the correct one for starting a car. The yellows are deep cycles for like trolling batteries. The Optima comes with a 72 month warranty and 36 month free replacement. So why did you not just get a new free replacement Optima???
Scott

 

The warranty does you no good when you're left stranded on the side of the road. When mine failed they wouldn't take a charge and the vehicle had to be towed both times. I cut my losses and went back with a traditional wet cell battery.

 

Well that sucks.

 

I know others that have had fantastic luck with Optimas. Just not me. They do make trendy flower pots though.

 

Optimas are inferior batteries for regular use. They have a smaller capacity than flooded lead acid batteries and cost more. The only advantages that Optimas have over standard flooded lead acid batteries:

1). Can be shipped via air due to IATA regulations regarding battery acid (Optima is VRLA AGM, Safe for air shipping)
2). Can be mounted upside down, horizontal, vertical, etc...
3). Vibration resistant, suitable for off-road use.
4). Sealed system makes it safe to mount inside the cabin.

If your flooded battery lasts only 2 weeks without charging, something is wrong. I've let the flooded battery in my Crown Vic sit uncharged for 6 months (the battery is already 2 years old) and the battery always works fine.

 

Charlie,
Slow down. You have given me alot of information/opinion here but not one thing I asked for. I agree something is wrong. My original battery is 3 years old and has puked. Plain and simple. My original questions is what would you put in "your" car when your battery goes bad. They all go bad. I am not looking for how to maintain a battery or trouble shoot my charging system. Just want to know what you guys will put in your cars when your original battery goes bad.
Thanks Scott

 

I would install a Optima. Been running them for years and never had any issues that a normal battery did not also have.

 

Personally, I would put a Motorcraft battery back in it. Nothing against the other's suggestions, but I just prefer to use Motorcraft parts on my Fords.

 

Mine also went dead about 3 weeks ago. I replaced mine with an Interstate Battery. That would be my vote. Cheaper than an optima too.

 

I've heard good things about Everstart (Wal-Mart brand) and the Duralast brand at Autozone. Sears DieHard Gold is also good but kind of expensive. I am using the Meijer brand Pro-Cell batteries in my other cars without any problems.

Sorry about that Scott! I hope that info helped at least. I just see a lot of recommendations for Optima and wanted to make sure people understood why Optimas exist and why it's not always necessary or even useful. I'd rather have a flooded battery with a larger capacity than a puny-sized Optima.

 

I recently picked up a Duralast. It was physically larger than the stock battery, but fits in the box after removing some inserts. The stock battery in my '01 also lasted about 1.5yrs and I replaced it with a Duralast.

 

When the Motorcraft in mine died I replaced it with a Duralast. That battery lasted a year before it puked electrolyte all over the passenger shock tower of my car.

Sorry Charlie but thats conjecture on your part! Please consider providing some documented facts to support this theory of yours? As I've indicated in the past I'd had Optima's last upwards of 5 years in the Arid-zona desert where summertimes reach well over 115 degrees fahrenheit. At one point I even had one last a full year with a quarter sized hole in the case. For inferior batteries they work well and last a long time when I use them!!!

There are failures in Optima's just like ANY other type of consumer grade automobile battery... just cuz the occasional Optima battery fails doesn't make the brand inferior. That would be like me saying that all Duralast batteries are garbage after having the one puke electrolyte on my cars shock tower.

Here are just a couple of examples of positive opinions on Optima's. And yes I've seen a few individuals reporting bad experiences with them too...

http://www.banks.com/blogs/auto/2007...ptima-battery/

http://www.jeepfan.com/reviews/review_optimared.htm