Hello Fellas,

Driving a 2018 6.7L CCSB Lariat with dual batteries. About a month ago, one battery crapped out in the summer heat. Replaced the faulty one with a yellow Optima battery (pain the butt to change out), and left the OEM battery that still tested good (driver side). Now the other battery has crapped out as well. I have a few questions. First, should I have replaced both batteries at the same time? Second, do I need to match the new battery with the other yellow Optima I put in last month? I've read a bit about them (after I installed it) and people don't seem to be too impressed with them. It has 750 cold crank amps. I've been looking at other batteries for the second one and was thinking about the X2Power Premium battery with 950CCA from Batteries Plus. Is there a problem that this battery doesn't match the yellow Optima one?

Thanks for your help!

 

Rule of thumb is to replace in pairs with identical batteries

 

also

whan you buy new batteries....

1.) check the date of the battery to make sure it is a fresh battery. some batteries sit on the shelf for years. gone are the days where the battery man comes buy to rotate out old stock for new stock.
2.) check the voltage of the battery. batteries with low initial state of charge and have been sitting, will not charge well and not provide full rated amp hours.

 

Absolutely have any and all new batteries load tested prior to purchase. I didn't do that once and it cost me a trip back to the store same day as I had a dead cell in one of them.
As mentioned above always replace dual batteries in pairs with matching batteries. Because they are wired together a dead cell in one is pulling off the other one that isn't designed to support the load of two.

 

Okay, so would buying a matching Optima one be okay since the first was placed just a month ago? Or do I need to place two new batteries together?

 

I would just get another battery just like the new one you have and you will be good to go. Optima has been around for a long time. I know many people that have used them and I’m sure they fail but I have never known anyone that has had any problems with them.

 

If money isn't an issue, I would put 2 new AGMs in. Odyssey, Northstar, or the Batteries Plus house brand (Extreme?) which are made by Northstar for them supposedly. Put that yellow top on FB marketplace and recoup some cash. These trucks are so sensitive I would not mess around with an Optima. Things went south with that label, when I was in high school they were the best but not anymore. If money is tight then I would second what Beast said, and put both batteries on a charger for a night and know you are starting off full.

 

Batteries plus AGM is what i put in our Lincoln and Tauras. Been real good so far.

 

Just did this a few hours ago. One tested at 890, the other 880 with the big tester.
Always do both at the same time.

 

I did Costco interstates after the ferd batts failed at 18 months & 39k miles

 

One of the Batteries on my 21' is leaking. I realize it's under warranty, but Instead I thought about investing in AGM's. I was told the BCM ( Body Control Module ) will need to be up-dated if I change from the stock Flooded type Batteries to AGM Batteries ( you can use ForScan )
Our Charging system only knows Charging Rates by these settings. Unfortunately, each type of these Battery have different Charge Rates. Apparently the difference is substantial enough to compromise future Battery Life and potentially invite future electrical issues by not addressing this.

 

Can you point me to some reference material for this? Just got new AGMs a month or so ago at Advance, and all we did was swap them out. Not how to do it in Forscan, but something that says it should be done?

 

I've had 3 or 4 fail over the years. 2 red tops and 2 yellow tops. 1 red top cracked and was venting battery acid.

I'd never put one in a vehicle of mine again.

 

I've had good luck with every Interstate battery of the dozen or so I've ever bought. I've had them in my class C and my 5th wheel now. My last truck battery was 11 years old when it just quit.