Optima Batteries bad?

[JPs325i]

My battery is shot. Had it testsed at Autozone last night and the machine can back, "Bad battery." I htoguht that was kind of funny. No report or anything, just "Good" or "Bad" battery. I had my heart set on an Optima Red Top when she told me after a year of use, most of the Optimas come back. They dont hold their charge. Now I had one in my late 325i because I had some bass in the trunk (yeah I was that guy), and it didn't seem to perform any better than a normal battery.

I've searched and there's not really any opinions like "don't buy this", and "buy this." I've found both mixed feelings. the shick at Autozone recommended a sears battery (Platnum edition) that has some insane 8 year warranty or something. She also recommended International. What shouldl I do and where should I look?

Sorry if this is a well debated topic and I just didn't find the right thread.

[95M3freak]

i dont know if they are bad... but i have found that if you let them sit for 2 weeks they go dead

[Halston Pitman]

I have had a red top in my M3 for 3 years. Same battery... It has sat for weeks at the airport while on vacation and now gets started and driven maybe once a week...

Only problem is you will need some type of hold down as they don't fit with the OEM tie down.

[kosta]

I had issues w/the yellow tops

now i leave my car on a trickle charger and it seems to be fine

[thejlevie]

There's nothing wrong with an Optima, but it may a bit undersized for a street car in northern climates. I've had the best luck with OE or OE replacement batteries. They are a bit more expensive than an after market, but my experience is that they out last the alternatives by a good bit. So in the long run they wind up not being any more expensive.

[JPs325i]

Aren't OEM batteries like $200+ though? There has to be someone who makes a drop in replacement that is comparable and cheaper.......isn't there>? I would think they stamp BMW on the battery and jack the price up $50.

[vinnymac]

I ran an Autozone Duralast (DL-48 I think) for years and it works just fine. It's much cheaper than an OEM battery and it's a direct fit...at around $70.

[Ron97M3]

Is a duralast dl-48 a sealed (no service) battery?

If the battery isn't sealed then it can leak on the metal below the battery
box and eat it away.

Original 97 m3 batteries weren't sealed but had a little hose which vented out
below the car. My original failed at like 7 to 8 years old and I bought another at BMW. The new BMW one is sealed and no service. It was like $170 then so not cheap. Still if it lasts 7+ years thats a good battery!

When I went looking for a replacement battery I could not find one which was the same size to fit right and also that was sealed except the BMW one.

[Ron97M3]

Just checked out autozone for a 95-99 m3 battery and it came up with this.
Battery looked sealed (good) and talked of anti-vibration too! (good).
Even looked like my BMW OEM battery, makes me wonder.
Anyway no price or availability on this.

About this product:
Part Number: 92-DLG
Weight: 45.2 lbs.
Warranty: 8 YR
Note: *** 640 cold cranking Amps (800 cranking Amps) *** (battery is vented to outside of vehicle) -> 3 year free replacement <-
Pricing:
Not Available
Availability:
Store: Not Available
Online: Not Available

[JPs325i]

Sweet. Thanks for all the information. I also looked up that same battery and noticed there wasn't any availability, and that you can't even order it...figures.

[Ron97M3]

You must enter those after disconnecting the battery or your radio will not work.
Theft protection sceme. Like why would somebody want to steal a BMW OEM
radio? It will not work anywhere else but in the right BMW!

[JPs325i]

This is the Sears Platinum one....sounds good. Its $179, group size 34. Think is a drop in? It looks like the terminals might be reversed. I don't know if they make terminal variations of the battery or not.
Sears Diehard Platinum (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02850034000P?vName=Automotive&cName=Batteries+%26+Chargers)
"The P-1 Platinum Automotive Battery from DieHard features 135 minutes of reserve capacity and 880 cold cranking amps. Its corrosion-resistant high quality tin-coated brass terminals provide reliable starting power in all weather conditions. Its rugged, military-grade construction features robust casing for increased compression and offers superior vibration resistance, making it ideal for off-road applications.


Longer off-season storage time - show cars & classic cars
Ideal for luxury vehicles with multiple electronic accessories
Plates made of 99.99% pure virgin lead
High purity grade acid held safely in place by glass mats; non-spillable design
Absorbed Glass Mat construction provides mounting flexibility & guarantees longer service life
4-Year Free Replacement; 100-Month Prorated Limited Warranty"

[thejlevie]

Aren't OEM batteries like $200+ though? There has to be someone who makes a drop in replacement that is comparable and cheaper.......isn't there>? I would think they stamp BMW on the battery and jack the price up $50.
I'd have to check my receipt, but I don't remember paying near that much for the one I picked up last month. Price does vary by dealer and mine is pretty competitive even before the CCA discount is factored in.

[kosta]

that sers battery sounds pretty impressive
wondering if it will mount oem style?

my optima battery is huge, from a big truck i believe
but it's not tied down which is why i dislike it

[Ron97M3]

Last time I was in sears I noticed that had regular die hards (gold, silver, pink?)
for like $80 to $100 and new Platinum ones for double?

If your are going to buy one for $180 from sears why not just get the OEM one.
People get 7 to 8 years out of the OEM battery, it's sealed with no service.

I always love to consider warranties, they are often next to worthless when you read the fine print.

[JPs325i]

Last time I was in sears I noticed that had regular die hards (gold, silver, pink?)
for like $80 to $100 and new Platinum ones for double?

If your are going to buy one for $180 from sears why not just get the OEM one.
People get 7 to 8 years out of the OEM battery, it's sealed with no service.

I always love to consider warranties, they are often next to worthless when you read the fine print.
I was just thinking...new technologies....usually a better product...

[OldM3]

I used to run optimas, their great if you have aftermarket stereos. But like others have said they dont hold their charge as well as the "normal" ones. I have a battery from costco(65 bucks!) and I've had zero problems with a year on it. I did the math and even buying the optima at costco, I could go through two normals for one optima. So it was a no brainer for me.

[DRatedA.W.D]

Optimas used to be good back in the day, but now they're crap in my eyes. Always have to get different tie downs and they drain fairly easily if not used.

[shim]

i <3 my optima red top. 800cca/980ca. 2.5 yrs and was running strong until the car sat for 2 weeks with battery being used....

too bad sears went gay and dropped autozone from their stores. but optima was awesome enough to still cover the 3 yr free replacement warranty when autozone confirmed to the optima tech person that it wouldn't hold a charge.

the die-hard platinum seems ok, but i hate maintenance batteries. optima is completely sealed and will not leak acid like the platinum possibly can. when i lined up the optima to the die-hard, they seemed to be the same length, so you'd still have to modify it in order to keep it held down in the battery tray.

[Ron97M3]

If it lasts like original OEM battery it will do 7 to 8 years.
So that is about at good as it can get.

Now Sear platinum battery is suppose to last about as long and it costs
about the same. Go figure.

If I could get a AC DELCO sealed battery that fit I would consider that as
another great choice.

But all the three above will not come at a cheap price. The real trick would be
getting a high quality battery for maybe $80 to $100 instead of $180?

[racer m]

i liked oem battery but then after it died , switched to braille batteries.

[myltz400]

I've had three bmw batteries since the car was new- too lazy to use the battery tender. After the last one died my mech. talked me into an Interstate. Its smaller in length but your car has two positions for the mounting bracket at the bottom of the battery well, it fits perfect in the smaller slot. It also comes with more cold cranking amps and a vent tube. So far the Interstate has outlasted my old oem batts. I can look up the model on saturday if you can wait that long and are interested......

[Ron97M3]

Note the current BMW batteries are completely sealed with no service.
That is current technology.

Prior version that came with my 97 m3 had to have water added and had
a drain pipe to the outside under the car. Still this battery did last like 8 years
which is the longest I have ever had a car battery go.

My conclusion is a BMW battery is top notch, and you pay for it!
I think it is important to have a no service sealed battery given where the
battery is located.

[Balthazarr]

I'm quite certain I paid $132 for my OEM BMW battery last October.

[ParadigmGuy]

I run an Optima Red in my DD. No issues, ever.

We only sell Interstate at the shop, and have always had excellent results.

[epj3]

Keep in mind that there are only a few (read: 2 or 3) companies that produce car batteries. I think the sears (Diehard??) are EXACTLY the same as the autozone batteries, down to the casing. The only difference is sticker, and the price.

[CarbonBlkE36]

i run a interstate battery in all my cars. they have a local warehouse here in san diego off mirama and you can get a STEAL one one. their top model is called the mega tron plus, something like 73 dollars i paid for it. 6 year warranty.

thansk

[PenguinScotty]

I have a Red Top in my M3 and have no problems at all. Main reason why i bought it was because of the experience i've had with my jag.

It's a 89 XJS V12. I've always had problems starting that thing. Batteries would not be able to crank the car. Also, it stands quite a bit nowadays. I have the Yellowtop in there.
Not only does it crank the car, but i can do repeat cranks with it (Which most other batteries did not survive) if something is not working out or if i'm testing something. Also, like said before, the car has been standing for a while. The battery was dead and i mean completely and utterly dead. I wasn't sure if i could get it going again, but i hooked up the charger anyway. Lo and behold, it's back again, still cranking strong. i really didn't expect it.

For the M3 i have to say that it sucks that it doesn't fit like the standard batteries do, but you can fab up a box for it (Which i'll be doing soon).

If you don't want to get a Optima nonetheless, make sure it's a Sealed Battery. It has been said before in the thread. The Mercedes dealer i bought the car from dropped in a Mopar battery (Funny isn't it?) and didn't route the vent-hose out of the car. Resulted in a nice acid-bathed battery tray.

[JPs325i]

Wow, thanks for all the replies! So it looks like the Optima batteries migh tnot be as bad after all. Maybe for those of you with Optimas, you got them when they 'were' good. It looks like the main argument is to get a sealed, service-free battery. I had an acid leak in my 325, I guess the PO didn't replace the OEM battery with a sealed battery.
What do the different numbers for the battery mean? Is it just the physical size of the battery? (Not the CCA number, but the other ones I keep seeing)

[BJO]

I have an Optima red top in my auto-x/track car. I got tired of dealing with a 15lb odyssey battery/trickle charger.

[slopokdave]

I just put a red top in yesterday, Advanced Auto Parts was $160 with tax. Like the others said, there is no tie down but my battery cables barely reached so its really snug back there. My interstate only lasted me a year or so, but my alternator was bad too so that may have been the culprit.

[PenguinScotty]

What do the different numbers for the battery mean? Is it just the physical size of the battery? (Not the CCA number, but the other ones I keep seeing)

Are you referring to the numbers Optima gives their batteries (Like 75/25 75/35 etc.)?
Those are the different models they provide. They're all the same type, basically, but the connectors are different, some are higher, some are wider, some can be side-mounted with the connector on the side so pretty much, they are there to fit specific car needs.

I don't quite remember which one i got, but i think a 75/35 will fit (Has extra connectors on the side IIRC), but i'm sure there are quite a few out there that will fit.

I hope that helped a bit :D

[MJFX328]

You can easily make a custom tie-down.

Go yellow top if yorue worried about longevity

[Ron97M3]

When I was considering batteries I too found the interstate. Two years ago it
was the only battery that also fit the hole I found. It WAS NOT a sealed battery and it's venting hose didn't apparently line up with the M3s hose position as I recall from research. It was maybe 40% cheaper like $120?


I've had three bmw batteries since the car was new- too lazy to use the battery tender. After the last one died my mech. talked me into an Interstate. ..

[Ron97M3]

I'm quite certain I paid $132 for my OEM BMW battery last October.

On 11/27/04 I bought a part number 61-21-8-381-738 battery with 70 month warranty for $166.05 with an additional $17.00 core charge for a total without tax of $183.05. So I paid $166.05 for a battery for my 97 m3 at Crevier BMW like 3 years ago. $132 was better!

[Ron97M3]

Total with tax $197.24 - $17 core == 180.24

[MJFX328]

I paid about $150. But I got a good deal on a yellow locally. Gotta love cg

[BJO]

I got mine from Costco for $150ish after tax.

[JPs325i]

So I called the dealer after work today just out of curiosity. $126 for an OEM replacement with a trade it. Plus a 10% BMWCCA discount. I don't think I can beat that. $113.40 +tax..... I think my problem is solved. Thanks for all you help everyone :)

[myltz400]

Interstate model number is MTP-91, works good-lasts a long time. $105

[tEckniks]

i can get a brand new OEM battery from the dealer for $92, thats with a employee 40%.. i wonder if i can get it lower with a trade in

dont know if i should go with another battery since i heard usa oem replacement batteries are not as good as the batterys that came with the car (german battery)

[BimwadM42]

If you're dying to get an AGM battery like the Optima, and don't want to hassle with rigging up a hold down, take a look at the Deka/East Penn EN series 9AGM48. It uses AGM construction in a Group 48 form factor. Drop it in and go. Cheaper than an Optima, too, at about $130.

The price/performance ratios of the OE BMW replacement batteries still don't make sense, unless one is a stickler for originality. The quality is probably better now that they're sourced from East Penn; I'd stay away from the Exides.

However, there are better alternatives for less money, like the aforementioned Deka, or the tried-and-true 48/91 battery from Johnson Controls (Kirkland/Duralast/Bosch/Interstate/DieHard). It ranges from ~$80 to $130 depending on whose sticker is applied, and what kind of warranty is attached to it.

[weld]

i had an optima red top for 2 years. only problem that i had was that one of the autozone techs incorrectly charged it and ruined the battery, but it had a 3 year warranty anyway and I got a new one. i let it sit for 4 months over the winter, and it worked perfect when i started it in the spring.

optima red top CCAs are hard to beat. cold weather starts with high power ignition systems were no problem. i've killed crappy diehard batteries in a week just from normal starting. the fact that they're gel cell batteries makes them great for mounting anywhere in any position, and not needing a vented box for track events.

also, i really doubt you see anyone with a huge aftermarket stereo setup running an OEM battery. you'll see the optima yellow/marine batteries mostly, if that tells you anything.

[gerry_miranda]

I had my reds 1.5 years and my car only gets driven on weekends. So it sits normally for 5 days and no issues starting. It will also do a lot of multiple starts, like when temporarily testing mods. Im also constantly running an aftercooler pump and fan.

[erikerikerik]

I have had a red top in my M3 for 3 years. Same battery... It has sat for weeks at the airport while on vacation and now gets started and driven maybe once a week...

Only problem is you will need some type of hold down as they don't fit with the OEM tie down.

in the '97 the tie down was adjustable. and will fit it perfectly. :D

[98dinan3]

Yellow-top for two years now. It's never been out of the car, and has never failed to start the car. Got it @ Costco for a great price, so i can't complain.

[zmmnm3]

In two M3 I used the Duralast with great results. Bought one at autozone and the other at Farmers supply. FYI, farmers supply was by far the best price. No issues and great for the price. I forget the size but it was a direct fit and going on 4 years for one and 3 for the other.

[mike02]

i bought a optima red top for my car when i fist got it... 95 M3. i worked fine for 3 years. then it died. of course it only had a 3 year warrenty. took it and had it tested.. it was bad just like yours.

BUT.. even though it was out of warrenty, they offer a thing called "pro rated". since i still had the recipt and had bought it from this store they gave me $70 off a new optima red top. i paid 130 for the first one, they now sell for 150. i got my second one for 70 bucks. it has the same warrenty and all as the first one...

so if you still have your recipt for your optima, and its not 3 years old, you can probably get a free new replacement. if its older than 3, since it tested bad, you can probably get a discount off a new one.

later
mike

[ibrahim83]

i'm running a redtop. and with two alternators dying on me my optima still holds an excellent charge with no ill effects, another battery would've been toast. i <3 my optima.

the only other brand i'd go with would be interstate. our family business runs about 20 cars and they all use interstate. you can't go wrong with either.

[hc1001]

i've had experiences with optima red battery and interstate.

the interstate has lasted a really long time. great battery.

i had a red top optima in the M3 and it went bad because the previous owner didnt drive the car and it was mostly sitting. i replaced it with another red top 3 years ago and havent had any problems. yes, these red tops cannot have long breaks b4 recharging..

[m3/4]

The "OEM" replacement batteries from BMW do NOT last as long as an OE
battery. I won't even go into the pricing scheme, however if you must have
a roundel on your battery and it has to be white...

Go to Sears. I've been buying their batteries for BMW replacements for ~20
years. I've had one or two replaced under (Sears) warranty. The Sears BMW
battery is a BEAST and has very good longevity. It is vented. and comes with a little plastic L and a hose.