AGM Batteries

[Aron Gleason]

I had an Odyssey in my airplane, saved 10 lbs. They usually have an average life of 8 years. They are fussy about being charged correctly, can be life limiter if you are not in the window, 13.9-14.2. Yes, a dead battery can be recharged.

Yes, they can be recharged. But I had to put my batteries on the tender on average every 2-3 weeks. Thinking there's a draw somewhere that ultimately killed the batteries in my diesel.

 

[Budnicks]

I've had 2 AGM Red Top Optima batteries in my now
24 year old 99 Dakota SLT 5.2ltr 4x4
1st one, I took out the battery out of my Yamaha gas Golf cart,
in 2007-ish when I sold it (it was a newish battery, 2001-ish)

I took the org. now 8(ish)-year-old org. MoPar Lead Acid maintanance free
battery out of my truck...

I replaced it with the AGM Optima Red Top Group 34 800 cranking amp
battery out of the Golf cart, already 5-6 years years old (while used in the GC)
I put the Nov. of 1999 org. MoPar LA battery, from when I bought the 99 Dakota truck
off the lot, it was a few months old, even before I got the truck...
A MoPar org. battery out of my truck, I put in the trunk of my RR
A Battery relocation deal...
&
I 'threw away'/recycled here, the 'cheap *** shitty' newish heavier
Interstate 550 Cranking Amp (lead acid, group 34)
that came with the car when I bought it in late Dec. 2005 (looked sort of new-ish)
that wouldn't hold a damn charge, for a week, had to constantly disconnect the battery
& it had no draws/drains, on the battery at all (I checked)

I just replaced that 24 y/o MoPar org. battery out of my 99 Dakota 4x4 truck,
that I had in my 68 RR, till this last summer, it was at a min. that make it
probably 24-ish years old...

It started to not hold a charge for over a week or so, even unplugged
in a mostly temperature-controlled garage,
from like 55* winter to about 95* summer
(a record for me, any battery lasting that long no matter the material inside it)
With a new Optima Yellow Top 800 Cranking Amp Group 24 battery...
$303 Summit Racing 2 days delivered to my door step, free shpping...
about 10lbs lighter too

That 1st Optima AGM 800 CA that came out of my Golfcart & put in my 99 Dakota
battery was just replaced in fall 2021-ish
so it was 20+ years old when it started to die, it started to swell actually
It still would start the truck & hold a full charge, I just didn't want to take a chance...

I replaced it with the exact same style & brand of battery,
Optima Red Top AGM group 34 800 Cranking Amp, so far so good...
$279 Summit Racing, Delivered to my door in 2 day & no shipping cost...

after all the juggling of batteries,
so I had all the best & newest batteries I had possible,
on my 3 vehicles/now 2
My 2nd truck/tow rig
Is/Was a 2002 F350 4x4 PS Diesel 6 speed
It had the Motorcraft LA battery, they lasted maybe 5 years if that
& then later the replacement Autolite lasted maybe 3 years,
all mentioned/both new & were matching batteries
always the recommended 2) were 550 amp group 27 batteries (IIRC)
3rd time I got the cheapo 2) Interstate batteries, I was in a pinch,
it was all the place had, I was on a road-trip & Autolite battery took a ****
on the side of the road, Near $500 to replace both each time
so I bought them, knowing they were ****/junk, that lasted maybe
2 winters & 1 summer...
F-ing Junk
I put 2) Optima Yellow Top Group 27 (IIRC) AGM 600 CA batteries in it,
$303 ea. delivered to my doorstep from Summit Racing free shipping
(cost $100 for 2), more than those 2) shitty LA Motorcraft/Autolite/Interstate batteries)
Money well spent in my book...
I should have done the 1st time, still in it today I assume,
that was in it when I traded it in at the Ford dealership in Nov 2022...
That was over a (10+ with the Optimas) 20+ year span of time...
for the Diesel Dog


The Optima AGM Red Top & Yellow Top batteries were well worth
every penny I spent...
How many $100-$125 batteries would I have gone thru

Except for that one rare MoPar Battery out of my 99 Dakota,
it's life totally blows me away...

Your opinions no doubt & your personal experience will vary,
but that's mine...
Take it or leave it, I don't care...
My $1.25

 

[Budnicks]

I use an approved/rated for AGM batteries, or Lead Acid
from Schumacher it has 2-12-50 'boost' Amp charger,
when if I ever need it...
I like it it's near 20 years old now too, it's also never failed me

 

[biomedtechguy]

The Optima AGM Red Top & Yellow Top batteries were well worth
every penny I spent...

I put a red top Optima in the 65 GTO. A little over a year old, it died, wouldn't charge, and O'Reillys Auto Parts did a warranty replacement, that IIRC was to my benefit, a "good regular customer" thing because of the time that had passed, and that prompted me to find the problem. It turned out to be a current draw (the main reason why the battery died) the main draw caused by a bad dome light switch on the driver's side door. The draw wasn't the dome light coming on, but a partial closing of the circuit, that was passing the slightest bit of current to ground through the crusty metal body of the switch. The other draw is a relay I hear energize when I close the manual disconnect, but never tracked down w/100% surety, and I installed the disconnect anyway, AND I had added Dakota Digital gauges etc that draw a bit 24/7.
The manual disconnect is good for safety anyway, a theft deterrent, and I never had another problem.

I put a yellow top Optima in the Roadrunner,
YES, I LIKED THE COLOR,
but the yellow top series Optima has good Cranking Amp specs, and High Reserve power, that helps offset steady but small current draws, like comes from Dakota Digital systems like I had, running the clock and so on. I used the 200 Amp breaker as my power disconnect switch, and never had any problems.
I got a blue top Optima for the pontoon boat, blue top has the greatest longevity (deep cycle) but again, like the GTO before I added the battery disconnect, it failed from a slight but persistent current draw.
I got a Duracell AGM from Sam's Club, and a main power disconnect made for a boat, and that's worked fine.
SO power disconnect switches are one way to assure the lifespan of a battery, I don't like trickle chargers because a friend had one on his motorcycle and when it failed it caught the battery on fire, the motorcycle it was in, the gas in the tank, the garage around it, and part of the house the garage was attached to.
To each their own, JMO, YRMV..

---

 

[moparedtn]

Well, the AGM battery in the 2012 Charger R/T laid down this morning...
It has 11/18 date stuck on the side for manufacturing date, so it was around 5 years in service.
Those things don't give any warning - they have enough to operate the car or they don't.

Me being me (meaning, pissed off that yet another AGM didn't manage to last as long as a common
old lead-acid battery), I dragged that dead *** thing over to whence it came - Advance Auto.
And I do mean dragged....damn thing weighs a ton compared to a "regular" battery.
Hard as they tried to sell me another, I opted for the non-AGM (at a $50 savings) with a 4 year warranty
instead, popped it in her car and all is well again.
I'm done with AGM batteries.

 

[33 IMP]

The red top in my Opel appears to be on its last legs. I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but I think my own stupidity killed it
I trickle charged it to a nice solid 12.5 volts....... and then left the battery switch on for a month or so. Yep, 1.5 volts when I found it .
Jumpered it with a known good battery, paralleled a charger to get it running, agm correct charger..... and I can't get the red top over 10.5v.
I have done like MoparEd, and compared lead/acid with agm for my trucks, and the agm is about $60 more, offers NO more power, and NO better warrantee (at least at Sams), so I saved about $240 by buying lead/acid (two for the diesel pickup,, two for the boxtruck lift gate)
Still, with the absolutely MISERABLE battery access, I think I'm still gonna get an agm for the Opel, but it might not be a red top.

 

[moparedtn]

The red top in my Opel appears to be on its last legs. I'm not sure exactly how old it is, but I think my own stupidity killed it
I trickle charged it to a nice solid 12.5 volts....... and then left the battery switch on for a month or so. Yep, 1.5 volts when I found it .
Jumpered it with a known good battery, paralleled a charger to get it running, agm correct charger..... and I can't get the red top over 10.5v.
I have done like MoparEd, and compared lead/acid with agm for my trucks, and the agm is about $60 more, offers NO more power, and NO better warrantee (at least at Sams), so I saved about $240 by buying lead/acid (two for the diesel pickup,, two for the boxtruck lift gate)
Still, with the absolutely MISERABLE battery access, I think I'm still gonna get an agm for the Opel, but it might not be a red top.

I guess I should mention that the AGM's that have failed in my case have been all "store brand".
No experience with those $$$ color-top rascals.

 

[33 IMP]

I guess I should mention that the AGM's that have failed in my case have been all "store brand".
No experience with those $$$ color-top rascals.

I had a couple red tops in my (used) diesel pickup when I bought it, but they went south shortly after buying it.
Fortunately, my friend that worked for the shop owned by the previous owner, got em replaced under warranty.
When the replacements went sour, I thought they still might be under warranty, but they were eight years old.
But even then, several years back, the red tops were more than twice what a Costco interstate cost. If I get half as many years (got about 3/4) out of the lead/acid, I figure I'm ahead. (I was).

 

[moparedtn]

I had a couple red tops in my (used) diesel pickup when I bought it, but they went south shortly after buying it.
Fortunately, my friend that worked for the shop owned by the previous owner, got em replaced under warranty.
When the replacements went sour, I thought they still might be under warranty, but they were eight years old.
But even then, several years back, the red tops were more than twice what a Costco interstate cost. If I get half as many years (got about 3/4) out of the lead/acid, I figure I'm ahead. (I was).

Yep, exactly where I am with the AGM/lead acid thing. If the AGM isn't any longer lasting, I don't see the
justification in the additional cost of them.

 

[Darter6]

I once bought the cheapest battery I could find at Auto Zone for about $79.
It was their Valuecraft,a type 24. The warranty was 1 year. 6 years later the damn thing would not die.
I hated to trade it as a core as it load tested perfect. Thinking that 6 years I was on borrowed time I replaced it.

 

[67SniperHockey]

Optima's used to be good - about 20 years ago. Used to use and abuse them all the time in racing applications - then they moved their production plants to Mexico and QC went to crap - now they are junk in my opinion.

 

[R413]

I bought a Sears Die Hard AGM in May of 2014, it is still working perfect 10 years later. Used in the hobby cars so summer use only, sits in winter. Heaviest group 24 I can remember.

 

[67SniperHockey]

When I grew tired of the red tops lasting a few months and replacing under warranty - finally got a AGM Platinum battery from Sears as well and it was awesome - better than the original Optima's we were used to running.

 

[R413]

How many people have good luck with optima batteries? Do they ever last more than a few years? I don't hear of any failures, but I see different batteries on these folks vehicles. Lol

Now the optima worshipers change them after two years, "just to make sure they are fresh"

 

[33 IMP]

I bought a Sears Die Hard AGM in May of 2014, it is still working perfect 10 years later. Used in the hobby cars so summer use only, sits in winter. Heaviest group 24 I can remember.

Since there's no Sears anymore, I bought a couple diehards (not the agm however) from Sam's Club.
If I need a battery in Cali, Costco here I come! But the nearest Costco in my part of AZ, is 100 miles away, so Sam's my man in Az.

 

[Budnicks]

How many people have good luck with optima batteries? Do they ever last more than a few years? I don't hear of any failures, but I see different batteries on these folks vehicles. Lol

Now the optima worshipers change them after two years, "just to make sure they are fresh"

I've had 2 that lasted 15 years on 1 in my golf cart 1st,
I had several other golf carts I used them in too
then the one I had in my Yamaha gas cart, I put in my 99 Dakota 4x4
it was 17+ years old, it was still working well, after years in my truck
it was starting to swell, so I got a new one

another in my last Sliver 68 RR but back in 2007 sold it,
it was easily 10+ years old, trunk mounted, when I sold it (the car)
both were group 34 redtops

I now have a group 34 Yellow Top in my trunk mount of my current LL1 68 RR
&
I also have another 'newer red top' group 34 on in my 99 Dakota 4x4,
it's going on 5-6+ years old now...