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Optima Battery Worth It

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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 10:33 AM
  #76  
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Tedster9
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From: Waterloo, Iowa
Originally Posted by GABAR

American Muscle, which sells Mustang and F150 parts, has the Northstar battery with free shipping.
Well.. when you get down to it, there ain't nothin' free, especially shipping, they just roll the shipping cost into the price of their product. The only question is whether they can be competitive with a local store? That AMazon prime though looks pretty good.
 
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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 04:30 PM
  #77  
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Originally Posted by HRTKD
My Odyssey batteries have arrived in good shape. The packaging they put around their batteries is substantial. I've bought four so far. Two for my prior truck and two for my side-by-side.
I've purchased three from Amazon and can confirm the same. Two for an 04 Cummins and one for an 04 4Runner. Perfect service from the lot and I wouldn't hesitate to buy them online again.
 
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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 04:40 PM
  #78  
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Blwnsmoke
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Originally Posted by mhoefer
750 CCA is the minimum for our trucks. I don't know that is a good spend. How old are your original batteries because they do have a warranty and if they load test fail they should be getting a percentage replacement. the downside to the Motorcraft right now is when they shake they leak acid and you get corrosion everywhere. Charge them up and load test them, I bet they are not as bad as you think.

I am going to try and fit larger when I get around to replacement as well. A group 31 at 100 Ah would be better especially for your heat, and for my cold weather and starting. I wish I could find actual Odysey's around here.
Incorrect, original batteries are 3yr/36k.. full replacement within bumper to bumper, zero replacement (no proration) after 3yr/36k.

it is only if you BUY replacement batteries do you get a prorated warranty. Motorcraft max tough has a 3yr free replacement and prorated after 3 years up to 100 months.
 
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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 05:16 PM
  #79  
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Originally Posted by jbrnigan
My hat is off to you sir! I'm not sure I could have been so charitable. It's good to have an adult in the room.
Exactly...and to you.
 
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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 07:33 PM
  #80  
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Originally Posted by sreddin1
Hi, I have a 2003 superduty with the 7.3. I put 2 new red top optima batteries in two years ago. I had been through 4 sets of batteries of different types since it was new before the Optimas. I LOVE these batteries. My truck sits for long periods as it is not my everyday driver any more. I did find two things that were draining power, my brake controller, and my radio. I take the brake controller out and keep it in the console now, and the radio is an aftermarket one which does not turn off with the key like I thought it did. I have to turn it off with the power button and then turn the key off.

Also, these batteries have both top and side terminals for both positive and negative. I added two new negative cables to the side connection points. One, I connected to the motor and the other to the body. No problems ever getting it started. Great batteries. Well worth the money.
i too have the red top Optima batteries with the absolutey necessary side posts for accessories in my 05 Dodge and they’ve been there for over five years now and they are still going strong.
C’mon guys, are these Optima’s really junk as you say? I know the had quality issues for a while but I was told that they have cleaned up their act and make a good battery again. This is why I purchased them 5 years ago.
 
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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 08:05 PM
  #81  
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I had an issue with Optimas also.
I built an interstate batteries location in town and they gave me a pair of what they called ‘ambulance’ batteries for my 6.0 years ago. I must have had them for 5 years before I sold it.
I never did copy down the model of those.
 
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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 08:08 PM
  #82  
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They will only replace the batteries that fail, they won’t replace both. On original batteries, correct. However the replacements are prorated. That’s what I am talking about, if the OP is inside his 3/36,and only one battery fails load testing, then he will be eligible for one battery or 50%. Bart’s at Ford are for me, 140 Cdn, so two new ones is a no brainer if you get one covered, and are buying one of two. After that original warranty, then for sure other options. However.in my previous experience, originals lasted 7 years, replacements only 3 years.
 
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Old Jan 11, 2019 | 09:07 PM
  #83  
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My one year old passenger side battery was bad. The indicator eye was showing "red" and the drivers side indicator eye was showing "green".

The local Batteries Plus store had the X2Power Premium AGM (Re branded NorthStar) for 20% off and no core charge. I picked up two for $524.85.
 
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Old Jan 12, 2019 | 02:54 PM
  #84  
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From: GA
Originally Posted by Martin6
My one year old passenger side battery was bad. The indicator eye was showing "red" and the drivers side indicator eye was showing "green".

The local Batteries Plus store had the X2Power Premium AGM (Re branded NorthStar) for 20% off and no core charge. I picked up two for $524.85.
Sounds like a great price to me.
 
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Old Jan 13, 2019 | 09:23 AM
  #85  
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Finally got my battery out last night. Discovered a complete crack all the around the positive post which I assume lead to the corrosion. Also noticed aproximatly 2 inch by 2 inch melted area on front of battery. Corrosion was so bad it ate the bottom half of the terminal away. I put a walmart battery in for now. I ordered (2) X2 power (northstar) but they are back ordered and it will be a another week. Battery started boiling while it was sitting. I could not wait any longer. I'll use the walmart battery for my project jeep after northstars come in. This was clearly a defective battery or install and ford really should have stepped up but they didn't. I got everything cleaned up with baking soda and water and put everything back together. I will probably replace the hold down and battery when I put the north stars.
 
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Old Jan 13, 2019 | 12:31 PM
  #86  
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From: GA
Originally Posted by Davparks2
Finally got my battery out last night. Discovered a complete crack all the around the positive post which I assume lead to the corrosion. Also noticed aproximatly 2 inch by 2 inch melted area on front of battery. Corrosion was so bad it ate the bottom half of the terminal away. I put a walmart battery in for now. I ordered (2) X2 power (northstar) but they are back ordered and it will be a another week. Battery started boiling while it was sitting. I could not wait any longer. I'll use the walmart battery for my project jeep after northstars come in. This was clearly a defective battery or install and ford really should have stepped up but they didn't. I got everything cleaned up with baking soda and water and put everything back together. I will probably replace the hold down and battery when I put the north stars.
Wow, I’ve never seen a cracked terminal like that before. It looks like a stress fracture.

Very interesting.
 
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Old Jan 13, 2019 | 01:57 PM
  #87  
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Oh terminal was eaten away by battery acid, the crack was in the plastic on top of battery around post. The leaking acid ate away the terminal. Only the top half is left.
 
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Old Jan 13, 2019 | 02:03 PM
  #88  
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From: St Louis Suburbs
Originally Posted by Davparks2
Oh terminal was eaten away by battery acid, the crack was in the plastic on top of battery around post. The leaking acid ate away the terminal. Only the top half is left.
KTP keeps tightening the battery clamps so tight the batteries are literally breaking especially on the drivers side.

My my saving grace was I removed my drivers side battery when I upgraded to LED bulbs after the truck was home for just 2 weeks. That clamp was ridiculously tight.
 
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Old Jan 15, 2019 | 12:24 PM
  #89  
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For cold climate i would not recommed optima batrerys...
god i tryed with three sets... just dont work...
never ever again buy a optima..
did all kind of charge tests and drain tests... and normal basic batterys beat optima evry time...
for example charge batterys in -32*f the optima take amps in a lot less than normal battery... so if you dont run like 4 hours after start it wont charge back the amps you used on glowing and start the truck...
and in my case i use webasto heater it use a lot of amps before start so if the battery take amps back slowly i end up with low or empthy batterys in a week...
problem solved with two 95amp exide premium batterys...
 
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