I bought a yellow top optima battery 3rd november 2008 - was recommeded it as they are meant to be really good batteries and it was working as it should up until 3 weeks age when it died which i found odd as im not running alot of power from it anyway i worked out i then thought i may be having power drained when the car is off - surely enough there isnt anything.

i had the battery tested and it is faulty im now lucky if i can run it for a full day and every night i have to take it out and charge it then re install it.
i rang optima with all my details and date of purchase because they have a warranty of 12 months on them and replace them if its not working properly free of charge as clearly stated in all the paperwork from them.
as my phone call went on the guy said they werent going to replace it because it was my fault and that my vehicle has a fault which all tests have said it doesnt.
The guy then continues to tell me that they are expensive batteries and "last a lifetime with proper use" what the hell?? im using it in a datsun 1200!!

the guy said that they would not replace it as it is alot of paperwork to go though to claim the warranty and for the store that would need to be replacing it
" it takes alot of time and filing of paperwork to claim the warranty and the battery does not fail with in 3 months of PROPER use"

i have checked left right and centre for leaks of current through out my car - none found i even took it to an auto electrician still none found i took the battery to be tested - result was the battery was faulty and would not charge to proper capacity.

i expected alot more from a company that is meant to make some of the most talked about batteries.

Most cars will not charge a dead battery.

Yes they can charge a low battery but a completely dead one they cannot.

Try trickle charging it overnight then putting it back in the car. See if it dies then. You need to help it over the hump. I had a mustang 5.0 and that would not charge a dead battery either my girlfriend left the lights on all the time.

Take it back to the shop you brought it from and then let them deal with it.
Thats what id do, walk in there with your dead battery and demand a new one and tell them to take it up with their optima sales rep. Good luck.

Make a phone call to small claims,photocopy all the documents..keep the originals and do what they suggest.
Good Luck

Are you able to put in another battery - even if it's a standard one so you can see how long IT lasts.
If you've changed nothing else in the meen time, it will prove that it is the Optima Battery.

Some of these batteries aren't allowed to get flat.
They should be stored on a trickle charger. I killed my odyssey by not keeping it charged after 12 months.

Another option is to spend $8 and get a battery isolation switch from your local marine supplier..





I now use a Pulse (Cheap copy) battery and have had no issues for 2 years.

This is why I did not spend the $$$ on Oddy or Optima. They need to be kept 100% charged and charged straight after discharge. Which is why they dont last in a weekend or minimal use vehicle. Unless you are trickle charging.

I went for a Euro style DIN battery. Which is legal to fit in a vehicle if the vent tube goes to the outside of the vechice. BMW, Audi and the like use them and they are only $160 bucks.

Better value than Oddy I think if you nont need huge craking.

Id go with the option of taking it back to the dealer and get them to deal with it. They will have the gear to test it on the spot, and should replace it on the spot. If you find out that the type of battery is not suitable for your use, then thats their fault for not providing the right advice, and they should do the righty by you to keep you business.

I have had this conversation with a few friends, and they all think that a battery is a battery. Not the case.

Traditional Lead acid?
Calcuim calcium acid?
Dry cell?
Gel cell?
Deep cycle?
(plus heaps of others)

They all have differnt specs depending on the job they do.

The calcimum calcimum batterys are good for weekender cars, as they hold max volts/amps for a longer peroid of time without charging, but they fail very suddenly. They come with a 3 year warrenty for cars, and 2 years for commercial applications. They are also a little more expensive.

Lead acids on the other hand, are cheap, have awsome CCA capacaity, and degrade slowly before they finally die. But they can leak nasty acid about the place, need maitaince (usually), and are very heavy and large for the CCA they provide, and prefer reasonally regular charging (ie daily use).

After all that. Take it back to the dealer, be nice to them, plead a sob story, or better send in the girly, and go from there.

Never had good luck with yellow top optimas. That's rediculous that they won't stand up to their sales-pitch "warranty" though.

On the other hand, I've had the same red top in my truck for almost 6 years (2 more months). Ran it flat at least 6 times and didn't drive the thing for almost two years at one point. I'll be replacing it with another red top when it finally dies.

since they changed contract to another company to produce them cheaper and in much larger runs they are far from what they used to be. My advice is never ever ever use SLA without having your alternator adjusted for SLA charging.