OPTIMA Batteries

[stuck tj]

Ok so I'm a slow learner. I've gone through a lot of yellow top batteries over the last 6 years or so. I've done some footwork on why not to waist more money with them and have found a lot of interesting info.
My understanding is since they were bought out by Johnson controls and went to Mexico that's when problems started to show up .
My guess is the lead they now use is mostly recycled seeing as "Johnson Controls is the industry leader in recycling lead-acid automotive batteries." No idea if there a standard for lead refining
Moving to Mexico where Its lead emissions standards are one-tenth as stringent as U.S.
You can take your battery to the scrap yard and get paid for it. Not like a tire where you pay to get ride of it. I guess there is good money in recycling lead?
Go figure.

Read more here: www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/03/25/186693/as-us-tightens-rules-on-lead-emissions.html#storylink=cpy
www.johnsoncontrols.com/content/us/en/products/power_solutions/global_battery_recycling/recycling_process0.html

www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/03/25/186693/as-us-tightens-rules-on-lead-emissions.html
www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/science/earth/recycled-battery-lead-puts-mexicans-in-danger.html?_r=0

Going with Northstar.
buy.northstarbattery.com/p/nsb-agm-34-battery?pp=24
Was told Northstar was a run off of some of the Odyssey people.

Batteries plus caries these under there own name.
They have a full 60 month warranty, 1 over if you got the Northstar from there site.
$239.00 and a $20 instant rebate right now.
X2Power Batteries are manufactured in the USA.

www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-1303-battery-bashing/



If you go to Optima's site and look at the warranty section They have two date warranty dates. Before and after Johnson took over. Granted they are now longer. But why change the length? Below are some posts and forum links. Its not hard to see people are having lots of problems.  

So they close US plants move all to Mexico for cheap labor and to polute with lead emissions. Nice
The off road industry should have a standard as Dolphin free.


 
 Go buy an Optima.
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mgoad1971

05-18-2012, 02:19:55 PM

From another forum:

Its official now. I have worked at Optima Batteries for 11 years. In 2000, Johnson controls bought Optima and immediatly began construction of a plant in mexico. We were told that our U.S. plant could not produce enough product so the plant in mexico would be to supply Europe. Slowly but surely, our product lines began being transferred to mexico. Then the week before Thanksgiving, we were told that the U.S. plant will be closed Jan.24 2009. Just thought you all would like to know.

Billy007 Offline


Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 959
Loc: midwest


=================================================================================================================================================

CBS4's Rick Sallinger speaks with an employee of the Optima battery factory, located near the intersection of Interstate 70 and Airport Road.

This Thanksgiving is a tough one for 140 employees of a battery production firm in Aurora who learned this week their jobs are going to a new plant in Mexico.

For a decade Optima Batteries has produced its product in the United States, but earlier this year employees were informed a new plant was being constructed in the Mexican city of Cienega de Flores.

"When they built that plant in Mexico, what did they tell you?" CBS4's Rick Sallinger asked one employee.

"That half of the production would stay here and the other half to Mexico."

"And now it's all going to Mexico?" Rick asked. "Yeah," the employee said.

Optima workers in Aurora told CBS4 they were asked to train Mexican employees for the new facility.

The company issued a statement saying "the economy has changed dramatically over the past several months and we find ourselves in a very difficult market." Doors will close on Jan. 31.

No time is a good time to lose your job, but especially not now.

"It kind of puts a damper on it knowing in a couple months you don't have a job (and you'll be) going down to unemployment," one worker said.

A spokesperson for the city of Aurora said the timing is unfortunate and they understand the impact on the employees and their families.

The company is part of a much larger firm called Johnson Controls, which said they will provide support and placement services for the employees in Aurora who are losing their jobs.

www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/optima-yellow-top-battery-issue-1062543/

www.jkowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56506

www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/70580-Optima-Battery-Problems
www.nastyz28.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-241279.html
www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1320247

[gte718p]

Kind of old news. I can attest to Optima sucking. I have a red top that has been on my Rig for the 5 years I've owned it. The original owner had it there for at least two years. With winching and going completely dead multiple time I have finally killed it. I've been through a a red top and two yellow tops on the other battery in the same time. I'm now on a blue top. I'll never buy another one.

The odysseys are sweet, but expensive. I've never tried on but people have good things to say about the die hard platinum. That is the next battery I'm putting in my rig.

[Deleted]

You have to cut Mr Day some slack, he doesn't really listen too often when people tried to tell him Optimas suck in the past. HAHAHAHA. I wasn't impressed with the couple Optimas I had either, except I think the one blue top worked out pretty well for me since it seemed to handle a discharge much better than the red top and would come back to life easy.
I really don't understand the fascination with any of these expensive specialty batteries. A regular Advance Auto battery works just fine and has never let me down, whereas the specialty batteries have. They've provided plenty of winching power and starting power in the cold. I've had my current one sideways, rolled and upside down, and still hasn't leaked or cracked. I suppose if I was in a real rock bouncer or race car I might need a specialty battery, but otherwise I will pass on them.

I use a regular run of the mill battery that is as big as I can fit in the factory battery tray with the most CCA I can find. I like using batteries with the dual terminals. I put my winch cables on the GM style screw in terminals. I've had countless people lecture me how that is bad and read all about it, but I have yet to have anyone show me when it's been a problem and I haven't had a problem. If someone can prove to me why that is any different than using the top terminals then I will rethink it. Logically I don't see where having a winch on there is any different than a starter cable.

[toynrnd]

Thanks for typing up my response, Keith.

[Jesse Schneirla]

I don't know what you guys are doing with yours but I have used red tops in all my Jeeps with no issues. I now have a yellow top in the TJ and it starts even after sitting for months. Maybe I need to use my winch more. But to do that you have to get in a spot where you would need a winch.

[Deleted]

You are the exception. I bought a red for the CJ, and it was flat off the shelf. It was right before a trip with no other options. I must have jumped that battery fifty times. Keith, the front posts in many batteries don't have the amp rating to run a winch. Mike, aren't you glad we don't make batteries?

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2014 21:08:10 GMT -5 @norm said:

You are the exception. I bought a red for the CJ, and it was flat off the shelf. It was right before a trip with no other options. I must have jumped that battery fifty times. Keith, the front posts in many batteries don't have the amp rating to run a winch. Mike, aren't you glad we don't make batteries?

So are you saying if i had a battery with only front terminals I cant hook a winch up to it? I still am not buying that front terminal rumor.

[stuck tj]

We do not recommend attaching a winch to the side terminals. The side posts are intended for starting your vehicle which, although high current, is a short duration electrical load. A winch is also high current but can be very long duration. Using a winch connected to the side terminals could damage the connections in the battery, it can melt the side terminals right out of the battery housing. Only use the top (automotive type) terminals for connecting your winch. This is not only true for Optima, but for ANY battery.

Thank you,
Adam
Optima Customer Service

Starter current draw can be anywhere from 100A (typical production four-cylinder) to 225A or so (high-compression V8) for gasoline engines, not counting the Dodge LA-block V10, Ford Triton V10, or any Diesel.
Winch draw? In the 325-750A range.
Duty cycle difference? Typical cranking times are less than ten seconds. Typical winch pulls can be measured in minutes.
Their side pads are less lead to thermally heat on a long winch pull, (The problem is that lead melts at a relatively low temperature - ~750*F - and winch draws can hit that fairly quickly, since they're going to be in the range of 325-750A.


With that said this is what I got based on Keith's thoughts.


Problem is the 34 battery size is 1/4 inch to wide for my mount. Need some modifications.

[stuck tj]

Not the best welder. But should hold them from falling out.


Done, on board battery tender.

[ex-tbd85hilux]

I can attest to the "no winching from the side terminals". One of the 6 red tops I had in my Yota I had the winch initially hitched to the side terminals. The winch did work but after about 30 sec it got weak. The next day my battery started having issues (bad sulfur smell, sizzling sound, and too hot to touch). The battery I am running in the TJ is the last one I had in the TJ. I won't do another Red top when this one dies. All 5 of the previous batteries died under warranty otherwise I wouldn't have the red top now.

Paul G.