Optima Battery

[ekam]

Well guess what, I needed the longer positive cable after all!!! Yellow Dog told me I don't need it and I have a 04 base, manual.

The aluminum adapter plate is good quality(for an extra $20 over the plastic version, it's worth it IMO), and won't hurt to get the thumb screw set as well, makes it so much easier to remove the cowl vent to replace the cabin filter, etc.

Install is pretty much a breeze. It came with 4-5 pages of instructions but the install is straight forward on its own. Don't have to be a qualified mechanic to do the job. The Redtop (34R) is smaller, lighter than the factory battery - just perfect.

It was easy to deal with Yellow Dog over the phone, they processed & shipped the items to me very quickly.

[ddb]

Sweet! Good thing you ordered the cable despite their advice. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty on which cars need a longer cable and which cars don't. I'm glad I ordered the cable as well, just in case. My luck, I won't need it.

I'm sort of looking forward to needing a new battery so I can order and install an Optima. Only because I know I have limited time on my 6+ year old Interstate and like the idea of a sealed battery.

Was your OE cable close to working or was it way off in length?

[ekam]

I didn't measure exactly how much longer, but I'd say it needed good 1.5-2" longer to go on top of the post. The negative cable is a tight fit but it fits.

The plate comes with 2 mounting locations for the battery but I used the mounting points closer to the driver's side or else the negative cable won't reach.

[blue2000s]

In my products, cable cutting tool capabilities dictate a fairly wide tolerance on cable length. It can be as much as +/- 0.5 inches on a big cable like the battery cable on this car. Normal manufacturing tolerance probably explains the length differences seen here.

[JFP in PA]

2 inches is not a manufacturing tolerance, it is a different length cable............as also indicated by different part numbers……….

[eightsandaces]

I knew a dude that ran Optima batteries in his Searay, they didn't last any longer than lead acid and I don't think they are much lighter. I'll wait till 10 lbs lithium batteries are not 1,200 a unit, easy, serious, weight reduction.

[JFP in PA]

Optima's are lead acid technology, just in a patented AGM sprial wound format. They are lighter by a few pounds than a comparable flooded unit, and they do live a lot longer; often more than twice the life of a conventional flooded design unit. I own four of them, including one that is approaching its tenth birthday, and it recently load tested as though it were brand new.

And don't hold your breath waiting for lithium batteries to come down to the price level of lead acid; it will never happen...................

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by eightsandaces

I knew a dude that ran Optima batteries in his Searay, they didn't last any longer than lead acid and I don't think they are much lighter. I'll wait till 10 lbs lithium batteries are not 1,200 a unit, easy, serious, weight reduction.

I had a red top in a seldom driven car for over ten years. It was completely drained at least twice in that time. It was still working great when I put it into another car and then sold the car. I've since put red tops in three more cars over the past seven years and am a true fan.

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

2 inches is not a manufacturing tolerance, it is a different length cable............as also indicated by different part numbers……….

Some need a longer cable, some not. All the same part number, correct?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by blue2000s

Some need a longer cable, some not. All the same part number, correct?

No, depending upon the cable source, there seem to be multiple part numbers, some cover 97 to 03, then another number from 04 to 05, others list a separate 99 to 05, plus another for the Tip equipped cars, and so on. But even the same part number OEM cables seem to have been shortened somewhat, probably in a cost cutting move (copper is getting expensive)............. If we are replacing a factory cable, we pull and measure it, then order by length. If the car is being switched over to an Optima, and the factory cable is too short, again we measure it and then order up one with a couple extra inches of length. Most parts stores stock a ton of cables is various lengths.