Optima Battery, is it worth it? Options

[lagos]

im thinking of buying an Optima batterie and would like to know if you guys think they are worth getting.

i have 2 10in subs in the car and the lights dim when i put the clutch in, would an optima help fix that?

sometimes, on a warm day, my car will hesitate to start. it only happens when i shut the car off, and then try to turn it back on again. im thinking that it happens because my subs, indiglo, fake hids, are draining the batterie. would the optima help with this issue too ?

[Klaus9000]

This is my first post here, glad to finally connect and register

My .02 on Optima batteries - As a offroad truck owner I have had 6 Optima batteries in my vehicles over the last several years. My two trucks currently have Optimas in them and my '96 Celica will have a red top in it as soon as I pick it up from the seller tonight.....

However, I want to caution you on a few things I have learned about them. I currently have two dead red tops sitting on my garage floor. They are dead and I mean dead. Will not take a charge at all and they are less then 2 years old. I have also had a yellow top die on my after 2 summers. I have done some research and talked to the dealer I get them from and a bunch of other Cruiser owners about similar problems with Optimas. This is what I have found:

They do not like to be run down to almost dead and then fast charged back up to a full charge. I use my winch alot in the summer at offroad events then jump in my truck and drive it down the road with the alternator pumping in 14amps etc. My dealer told me they need to be slowly recharged at 2amps or so.

They don't do very well in a vehicle that sits alot of the time and rarely gets driven. One of my trucks sits most of the winter and the red top slowly drains until it won't start. Charge it up and it's decent but never like it was when it was new. Could have something to do with fast charging after it dies.

Anyways, I could go on and on but just be careful how you use your battery. Don't run it down with your stereo and then jump on the freeway and do 80mph - you will wreck your $100+ battery.

Klaus
1996 Land Cruiser
1988 4Runner
1996 Celica GT