Well I just discovered yesterday that the exide battery that came in the jeep is broken around one of the posts. I was looking at optimas for a replacement but wasn't sure if the yellow was necessary. I do not frequently use my winch, and I do not use most of my electrical accessories without the engine running. Would a red top be ok for my application or would it be worth it to go for the yellow?
Optima Red Top vs. Yellow top
- Thread starter CLynn85
- Start date
Scott Brady
Founder
For your application, rock on with the red top 
Blue and Yellow are more for "house" battery applications.
Blue and Yellow are more for "house" battery applications.
HenryJ
Expedition Leader
Redtop=SLI battery : "An automotive battery is an SLI (starting, lighting, ignition) battery. It's plates are designed to deliver maximum power for a short duration. Starting a car typically discharges an SLI battery only 1% to 3%. When an SLI battery is used in a deep cycle application, or in a vehicle with heavy accessory loads, the battery life will be shortened proportionally to how deeply it is cycled on a regular basis. "
Yellow top= Deep cycle battery : "The OPTIMA deep cycle battery utilizes a different chemistry for the active paste material on the plates, and a slightly stronger acid. This chemistry changes allows for a much longer life in cycling applications, with only a slight reduction in power. "
Red top= more cranking power, lots of power for short time. Less resistance , quicker recharge.
Yellow top= less power delivered over longer time. More resistance to both discharge and recharge.
Think of it as a five gallon can. One , the Red top, has a 1" pouring spout. The other , a Yellow top is the same size can with a .25" vent hole for filling.
Pour either into your gas tank and it will start. One will be a faster drain and fill. The other will retain the fuel longer.
That may or may not be a very good analogy. Hopefully you get the idea.
A regular battery is designed to be charged and accept a charge rapidly. This gives the alternator time to cool.
The deep cycle batteries take a longer time to recharge and have greater resistance. This works the alternator for a longer time and can lead to heating.
It is all in how you use the vehicle. In a cold climate the extra cranking amps available may be an advantage. If you frequently draw the battery down with accessories and no charging system, the deep cycle may be better.
Everything has its compromise. Use what works for your situation and accept the consequences.
If you all were not paying attention over the last month...Optima batteries took a rather harsh price increase. Everywhere I have checked they are now $50 more than a month before :yikes:
I bought one for $129 not more than a month ago from our local D&B farm supply. The "usual" parts store told me theirs took a price hike and were at $154 Shocked WHAT! I had been getting them for $125 not long ago! I told them that was ridiculous and bought one at the farm store.
The other day I was in the farm store and glanced at the two Optimas left on the shelf...$169.99 :yikes:
So I check the price at the old "usual" parts store... My cost on the Optima....$189. I explain "Not a yellow top or marine, I just want a price on a red top." , He replies, "that is the red top. Add another $100 for the blue or yellow probably."
This is pretty crazy.
I just checked Summit. The red top is $179. Add the "handling charge" and you are right there at the $189.
Hmmm, the Odessey batteries are now starting to look very attractive
Yellow top= Deep cycle battery : "The OPTIMA deep cycle battery utilizes a different chemistry for the active paste material on the plates, and a slightly stronger acid. This chemistry changes allows for a much longer life in cycling applications, with only a slight reduction in power. "
Red top= more cranking power, lots of power for short time. Less resistance , quicker recharge.
Yellow top= less power delivered over longer time. More resistance to both discharge and recharge.
Think of it as a five gallon can. One , the Red top, has a 1" pouring spout. The other , a Yellow top is the same size can with a .25" vent hole for filling.
Pour either into your gas tank and it will start. One will be a faster drain and fill. The other will retain the fuel longer.
That may or may not be a very good analogy. Hopefully you get the idea.
A regular battery is designed to be charged and accept a charge rapidly. This gives the alternator time to cool.
The deep cycle batteries take a longer time to recharge and have greater resistance. This works the alternator for a longer time and can lead to heating.
It is all in how you use the vehicle. In a cold climate the extra cranking amps available may be an advantage. If you frequently draw the battery down with accessories and no charging system, the deep cycle may be better.
Everything has its compromise. Use what works for your situation and accept the consequences.
If you all were not paying attention over the last month...Optima batteries took a rather harsh price increase. Everywhere I have checked they are now $50 more than a month before :yikes:
I bought one for $129 not more than a month ago from our local D&B farm supply. The "usual" parts store told me theirs took a price hike and were at $154 Shocked WHAT! I had been getting them for $125 not long ago! I told them that was ridiculous and bought one at the farm store.
The other day I was in the farm store and glanced at the two Optimas left on the shelf...$169.99 :yikes:
So I check the price at the old "usual" parts store... My cost on the Optima....$189. I explain "Not a yellow top or marine, I just want a price on a red top." , He replies, "that is the red top. Add another $100 for the blue or yellow probably."
This is pretty crazy.
I just checked Summit. The red top is $179. Add the "handling charge" and you are right there at the $189.
Hmmm, the Odessey batteries are now starting to look very attractive
HenryJ
Expedition Leader
Optimas have been holding up really well. I have one that has been going strong for a decade now. Another that is over eight years old. The Optima batteries are dated with a "burn code" this is the four digit number melted in to one end of the case. The first digit is the year and the last three are the number of days into the year. Example: 8365 = the 365th day of 1998 another 6090 the 90th day of 2006.asteffes said:
Everthing I own with the exception of the motorcycle has one now. That makes six in my vehicles
Here is a story from a year ago:
I wonder if some of the reported problems were blamed on a bad battery, when the battery was not to blame? It well could have been in my case had I not taken the time to charge it back to life and find the real problem.HenryJ said:
Yes I went to Advance to price one and was utterly shocked over the price. I priced one out a year or so ago at ~$120 for a Group 34 and called over today to find the price is now $148 for the red, $188 for the yellow, yikes! My jeep also gave me a nice merry christmas in the form of a leak from the radiator end cap and I lost the left rear brake line on my way home. :yikes:
offroad_nomad
Adventurer
Go with a Blue Top. You get a starting and deep cycle battery. I installed a D34M in my 4Runner. The extra post and wing nuts aid with wiring accessories too.
Wanderlusty
Explorer
Whew! Glad I picked up my Yellow Top when I did!
And believe me....if/when I swap vehicles, I am swapping in a cheapie battery come sale/trade time and keeping my Optima for the next vehicle.
My wife's Nissan had the alternator go out. It died in the road on her stock battery. I swapped in the YT, and even though due to different battery sizes the cables were on at a funny angle, it still powered her along and even after we got to the garage it was not showing the symptoms of 'about to die' that her stocker did. Swapped it back in to the Jeep, started it up...good to go.
I have a 62 Bel Air that so far has killed 3 batteries. I think something with how an aftermarket radio and guages were set up. Anyway, swapped in the YT for a drive, and again...performed great. Swapped back into my Jeep...good as always.
It distresses me to see that big of a price jump, because I would eventually like a DUAL setup, and would like two YT's...but man, $50 extra kinda stings. But....I have the utmost confidence in my Optima, and love it...so...I may spend it anyway...
And believe me....if/when I swap vehicles, I am swapping in a cheapie battery come sale/trade time and keeping my Optima for the next vehicle.
My wife's Nissan had the alternator go out. It died in the road on her stock battery. I swapped in the YT, and even though due to different battery sizes the cables were on at a funny angle, it still powered her along and even after we got to the garage it was not showing the symptoms of 'about to die' that her stocker did. Swapped it back in to the Jeep, started it up...good to go.
I have a 62 Bel Air that so far has killed 3 batteries. I think something with how an aftermarket radio and guages were set up. Anyway, swapped in the YT for a drive, and again...performed great. Swapped back into my Jeep...good as always.
It distresses me to see that big of a price jump, because I would eventually like a DUAL setup, and would like two YT's...but man, $50 extra kinda stings. But....I have the utmost confidence in my Optima, and love it...so...I may spend it anyway...
devinsixtyseven
Explorer
hmmmmm...i wish i were getting those same results from my optima. i'm getting an odyssey next...actually a pair of them, in all likelihood, after my recent experience with the optima.
it's five years old, never been abused, it was discharged fully, slowly, ONCE, recently--the truck wasnt started for three or four weeks, i keep wondering if i left a light on but i know all the doors were closed and lights were off. the charge slowly disappeared over the first week. the electrical system is stock, there is a subwoofer but it receives a power signal from the HU...and i am gonna check with a multimeter to make sure it's dead when the engine is off, now.
after a jump, it did start again and charged up...but last week i left the headlamps lit for a little more light while i shoveled the driveway...maybe 45 minutes tops...and it was really, really reluctant to start. almost had to get the cables. sure, it's five years old...but that is the first time it's ever let me down, and it's not the first time i've kept the lights on like that.
duals, and i think i'll try an odyssey to see if it's any different. honestly my experience may have nothing to do with optima, just the life of a battery.
btw a blue top is just a yellow top with extra posts.
-sean
it's five years old, never been abused, it was discharged fully, slowly, ONCE, recently--the truck wasnt started for three or four weeks, i keep wondering if i left a light on but i know all the doors were closed and lights were off. the charge slowly disappeared over the first week. the electrical system is stock, there is a subwoofer but it receives a power signal from the HU...and i am gonna check with a multimeter to make sure it's dead when the engine is off, now.
after a jump, it did start again and charged up...but last week i left the headlamps lit for a little more light while i shoveled the driveway...maybe 45 minutes tops...and it was really, really reluctant to start. almost had to get the cables. sure, it's five years old...but that is the first time it's ever let me down, and it's not the first time i've kept the lights on like that.
duals, and i think i'll try an odyssey to see if it's any different. honestly my experience may have nothing to do with optima, just the life of a battery.
btw a blue top is just a yellow top with extra posts.
-sean
HenryJ
Expedition Leader
Be sure to use a battery charger and give it a full charge. Jumping a battery is a temporary / emergency fix. The alternator is designed to maintain the battery , not charge it from a deep discharge. Trying to do so will not only take a long time to recharge the battery , but will drastically shorten the lifespan of the alternator. The heat build-up is really hard on an alternator. They are designed to charge for short periods and have time to cool before the next cycle. A badly discharged battery can kill an alternator in short time.devinsixtyseven said:
There may be more to it than that. My Blue top does not have side posts. I think the blue top uses heavier plates for the starting amperage and a different chemistry for the deep cycle performance. Some research on the optima website should shed light on the differences. I am sure that it, like the yellow top, requires a low and slow charging. This is not what most automotive alternators are designed to do. A hard fast charging cycle may shorten the lifespan of the deep cycle batteries?
Scott Brady
Founder
Jeff,
I looked at the 680 as a second battery. The AGM's all have better AH than the spiral models.
I based my battery size on three days in camp with warm weather. Running the fridge, laptop, water heater, etc. I ended up with two AGM 31's (lifeline) and two Powerfilm solar panels. Now I have "POWER" :REExeSquatsHL1:
This might help too: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134&highlight=solar
I looked at the 680 as a second battery. The AGM's all have better AH than the spiral models.
I based my battery size on three days in camp with warm weather. Running the fridge, laptop, water heater, etc. I ended up with two AGM 31's (lifeline) and two Powerfilm solar panels. Now I have "POWER" :REExeSquatsHL1:
This might help too: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134&highlight=solar