Optima Red top battery install Options

[trdproven]

I have a red top that i just got, for dirt cheap. but its the wrong one where the positive terminal is far. I am assuming already the wires wont reach but I've seen dustin brown running it so it seems like there is a way to work it or extend it. Also i heard to our battery terminals won't fit over the battery posts. Worse case, I'll try to get the red top part number that actually has the pos terminal closest to the harness.

This post has been edited by trdproven: Sep 24, 2009 - 10:55 AM

[MaskedMan]

Wow how strange, I just got an optima red top battery for my car last week that didn't fit correctly. But my + and - wires were still able to reach the battery and my terminals worked just fine.

[Batman722]

you have the wrong battery kinda

you have this



and need this instead to make it easier for installing in our cars



site for resourse

http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/

^^scroll down

[trdproven]

yea dustin, i know its wrong but was wondering if the wires and terminals would still mount. Look at dustinbrowns profile, he got it to work. The one made for our cars don't look as good and with less CCA.

[trdproven]

Oh well, I guess no one really knows about the optima battery. Anyways I gave it a whirl today. The positive terminal actually reaches the battery posts if you bend the positive terminal because it is shaped like an L. You bend it to almost make it straight. Battery is strong, I noticed a big difference in my sounds with my capacitor as well. I had to lower the bass. Not sure if this is psychological but the ear db meter says so.

[cjh4l22]

I was gonna say you could always mount it upside down or laying on its side...

[trdproven]

mount it upside down? ok that won't work right. sideways just looks too ugly plus you have to think about how the battey holder is gonna hold it in place right.

[yellowchinaman]

If anyone doesnt have ABS, you could always get a Caterham Banner battery and do what I did.

[6strngs]

I would just extend the positve cable some with some 4 gauge wire, and a new battery terminal, connect it to the stock wiring and wrap it up nicely with electrical tape or similar, then hide it out of view. Then just completely move the negative over and connect the wires to different spots or run new wire altogether with a new battery terminal. Should be cheaper then buying another $160 battery. I just ordered a model 35 for my 2000 GTS

[trdproven]

its cool, it actually reaches.

[dustin15brown]

I honestly dont think I changed anything to get mine to work..... I dont remember though

[Random_Stranger]

I have a Red Top Optima in mine. I didn't have to modify anything and I laid it down so the hood can close over it. Only thing I did prior was change out the negative battery terminal because the one I had before was looking nasty and wires were exposed to dirt. I am not sure what this whole thread is about or why it is so hard to put a battery in a car, but I just thought I would share that information.

[trdproven]

batteries are not all the same, height, size, negative and positive terminal placements. Some negatives are dependant upon battery location in the engine for the ground, also, battery posts have to be in proper position for the wires to reach can be towards the top or bottom. Or you gotta flip it upside down to get it right. For me I had the wrong one, I had the posts in the bottom, so I had to stretch my positive cable. I think you get the point now. Just like how you can't just go to a tire shop and get anything. Everything on a car has specs, bulbs, struts, bolts, belts, even oil, the only thing general on a car really is coolant. You can't just go to a store and get any battery you want if you know what I mean. You can't just say hey "I wanna buy a battery".

This post has been edited by trdproven: Oct 7, 2009 - 5:47 PM

[Sinyk]

um. yeah. That's correct (better than saying "duh...")


You probably could notice an increase in your sound if the voltage is more stable than before. If you added the cap at the same time as the new battery, it will be more stable for sure. Have you tried testing your voltages under load and idle? Did you ever test them before for comparison? I know that my old battery was dipping below 10V at idle with the stereo on, but now i'm all good.

[trdproven]

um. yeah. That's correct (better than saying "duh...")


You probably could notice an increase in your sound if the voltage is more stable than before. If you added the cap at the same time as the new battery, it will be more stable for sure. Have you tried testing your voltages under load and idle? Did you ever test them before for comparison? I know that my old battery was dipping below 10V at idle with the stereo on, but now i'm all good.

yea actually when I had the old battery and the cap, it was rated when the car was turned on between 12.x to 13.x now it is 13.x to 14.x with the new battery. this all with sounds playing.

[Random_Stranger]

um. yeah. That's correct (better than saying "duh...")


You probably could notice an increase in your sound if the voltage is more stable than before. If you added the cap at the same time as the new battery, it will be more stable for sure. Have you tried testing your voltages under load and idle? Did you ever test them before for comparison? I know that my old battery was dipping below 10V at idle with the stereo on, but now i'm all good.

yea actually when I had the old battery and the cap, it was rated when the car was turned on between 12.x to 13.x now it is 13.x to 14.x with the new battery. this all with sounds playing.

The car is supposed to be 13-14.3 or so with the car running and 12 when it is not, right? I thought so. Honestly, there is like 3 types of optima batteries, right? Red, Yellow, and Blue. The lady said I could throw anyone in the car, and my friend had a red in his eclipse, which I am assuming our cars are recommended for yellow. They are 12V batteries, right? So it doesn't really make a difference other than fitment issues. Voltage is voltage.

[6strngs]

um. yeah. That's correct (better than saying "duh...")


You probably could notice an increase in your sound if the voltage is more stable than before. If you added the cap at the same time as the new battery, it will be more stable for sure. Have you tried testing your voltages under load and idle? Did you ever test them before for comparison? I know that my old battery was dipping below 10V at idle with the stereo on, but now i'm all good.

yea actually when I had the old battery and the cap, it was rated when the car was turned on between 12.x to 13.x now it is 13.x to 14.x with the new battery. this all with sounds playing.

The car is supposed to be 13-14.3 or so with the car running and 12 when it is not, right? I thought so. Honestly, there is like 3 types of optima batteries, right? Red, Yellow, and Blue. The lady said I could throw anyone in the car, and my friend had a red in his eclipse, which I am assuming our cars are recommended for yellow. They are 12V batteries, right? So it doesn't really make a difference other than fitment issues. Voltage is voltage.

red is a standard starting battery, yellow is a deep-cycle, which means you can run it til it's dead and recharge it and it won't hurt it; good for car shows or something where you need lights or stereo to be run without the car running. Blue is a marine battery, for boats and stuff.

All of them are 12V batteries, which are actually 12.6V, the alternator runs the car at 13-14.5ish when it's running. You really shouldn't have seen a change in voltage unless your old battery was on it's way out or you happened to correct a bad connection at the battery terminal by removing it and putting it back on.

[trdproven]

the change in mine was from the cap voltage reading and there is a change between the two types of batteries. Ive read here that more people had their yellow tops go out.

[soulshadow]

Whats so special about these batteries? Most customers I sold these too in the past complain that there pieces of expensive crap.

[presure2]

Whats so special about these batteries? Most customers I sold these too in the past complain that there pieces of expensive crap.

these are people who dont select the proper battery, install it improperly, or whatever.

the advantage to an optima battery is that it is sealed.
you can mount it in any position and it wont leak, and you can mount it inside the cabin without worry of fumes, or leaks.