optima battery specs

[draven898]

i am looking to put an optima in my bug does anyone use one or know the group numbers for the battery to fit in the stock location ?
thanks

[Tony M]

This is a close to stock size that they make - SC 35A - Red Top. Hope that helps

[draven898]

ty sir ! 

[Tony M]

No problem 

[Chris W]

Mine is a group 78. Rear mounted post, and fits under the seat no problem. The ALU mount is bolted through the floor.

[Bruce]

Sorry to add to the confusion, but mine is a Group 75.  With this little bracket, the stock clamps hold it down.

[BeetleBug]

I'm using a blue top Optima and the same bracket as Bruce. The bracket is a free option from Optima. But please be warmed, the Red Optima do not handle deep cycles very well and you can end up with a dead battery that does not accept charging. When that happen it's basically a brick. The blue Optima is a litlle better but you will find better gel batteries out there for under the price you have to pay for a Optima.

[DWL_Puavo]

There's also an option to go LiFePO4 -battery route - in many ways clearly superior (for example, 4-5 x lighter for the same capacity!) than any lead-based battery but usually shitloads more expensive (~500-600 euros). I'm currently discussing with one dealer to make a group-order of them but it's still at least a couple of weeks to go.

[deano]

I just purchased an Optima battery and found that Amazon.com had the best price (including free shipping to the US).

[draven898]

first place i looked 

[Bruce]

, the Red Optima do not handle deep cycles very well and you can end up with a dead battery that does not accept charging. When that happen it's basically a brick.

You can bring them back. 
When mine was a couple of years old, I killed it so dead, the oil and gen lights wouldn't even come on.  I put my normal battery charger on it for 2-3 days, and that did nothing.  Then I learned you have to hit it with high amperage for a short time to wake it up.  After I did that, it charged up.

[Bruce]

There's also an option to go LiFePO4 -battery route - in many ways clearly superior (for example, 4-5 x lighter for the same capacity!) than any lead-based battery but usually shitloads more expensive (~500-600 euros). I'm currently discussing with one dealer to make a group-order of them but it's still at least a couple of weeks to go.

Get two of these batteries and put them in parallel.
http://www.solomotoparts.com/Ballistic-Battery-12-Cell-EVO-2-Lithium-2lb-5oz-for-Built-1000cc-Big-Twins/?page=1
Two of them weigh 2.1 kg, and will cost you €258 plus shipping.

[DWL_Puavo]

I've also checked out those Ballistic batteries, but I consider the 6,9Ah battery too small to be really useful - and as I have studied the battery chemistry I find the 360A cranking power to be quite optimistic in a battery as small as that (something like 200A is more plausible - still enough to start an vw engine).

http://www.solomotoparts.com/Ballistic-Battery-16-Cell-EVO-2-Lithium-3lbs/ This one is on my list, still a little bit small but should easily start up even an higher CR VW engine.

[Diederick/DVK]

Alright, I gotta ask this out loud. What's the advantage of running such a (high tech) optima battery? Are they lighter, by much? Are they stronger? Why do you need a stronger battery? I have a "normal" battery and I can fire up my 1915cc with 30 degrees locked ignition without issues.

[draven898]

67-indeed, i live in a small town in the us of a called las vegas, we have a very brutal summertime here that destroys normal battery's, in my 2005 dodge ram i am on my 3rd one since its purchase. my friends optima in his single cab 2 litre w dell 44's he goes sometimes weeks at a time and it fires right up so thats the dependability im looking for! thanks for the help everyone 

[Bruce]

I've also checked out those Ballistic batteries, but I consider the 6,9Ah battery too small to be really useful - and as I have studied the battery chemistry I find the 360A cranking power to be quite optimistic in a battery as small as that (something like 200A is more plausible - still enough to start an vw engine).

http://www.solomotoparts.com/Ballistic-Battery-16-Cell-EVO-2-Lithium-3lbs/ This one is on my list, still a little bit small but should easily start up even an higher CR VW engine.

I'm a little more pessimistic than you.  I don't think the 16 cell is enough.  That's why I suggested getting two of the 12 cells to make your own 24 cell.

[Bruce]

  What's the advantage of running such a (high tech) optima battery? Are they lighter, by much?

They're actually quite a bit heavier than an antique battery.
IMO, the big advantage is the fact that they don't leak.  By that, I also include that they don't outgas like your antique battery.  Just think of all the cars you've seen that have had the battery part of the pan rotted out.  On one of my cars, I was able to find genuine VW floor pan halves.  I don't ever want to have to patch them, so I'm willing to carry around a heavier battery, and pay more for it.

[Chuck Fryer]

I have 2 optima batteries. When hooked up to a tester they both read internal cell short. Can this be fixed by your high amp charge Bruce? Just curious, hate to toss them if they can be saved.

[Chuck Fryer]

Ok, I did just the bare minimum of research on the internests here and found a solution! They don't have enough resistance at very low voltage to get the charger to charge them. If it is hooked to a standard battery in parallel with jumper cables it seems to take a charge.

[johnl]

I've been watching this topic and feel that I need to comment.  For over 20 years I've used Optima Batteries in my collector cars and daily drivers.  Just replaced one last week in one of the collector cars.

Back in the early existence of Optima Batteries I persued becoming a distributor but the requirements were a bit stiff and the company has changed hands numerous times since those days. 

My experiences have been good and bad.  I've had them FAIL without warning on daily drivers in the worst spots.  Normally you will hear a battery start to drag down when it is going.  Not so with my experience.  One minute it worked great and the next time it was toast.

I keep all of the collector cars on chargers and usually the Optimas will be hot (charged) as soon as the connection is made but if not it has taken a week or more to go to green (charged).  Sometimes they will not come back to life no matter what you do. 

I thought by using Optimas I'd eliminate the corrosion factor but that hasn't always been so.  I've had terminal post that leak and these (more than one battery) were replaced.  Back in the day before they were readily available this was a bit of a challenge but today they are sold most everywhere including Costco.

The cost kept rising and after a period I saw no point to continue to use them.  These days I go to Costco as I did last week and purchase their wet batteries and with the charger or regular use with a daily driver they work just fine for about 1/3 the cost.

Not trying to be negative but just share my long time experiences with the product.

[Jason Foster]

I've had the same red top in my car for almost 7 years. I've overcharged it when my regulater failed in my alternator to the point of acid coming out the top vents. And I killed it dead twice from sitting. It still lives on and fires my 10.7 to 1 lump with a stock starter without fail.  Charged it back from dead the 2 times with a standard battery charger.

[John Palmer]

I've been watching this topic and feel that I need to comment.  For over 20 years I've used Optima Batteries in my collector cars and daily drivers.  Just replaced one last week in one of the collector cars.

Back in the early existence of Optima Batteries I persued becoming a distributor but the requirements were a bit stiff and the company has changed hands numerous times since those days. 

My experiences have been good and bad.  I've had them FAIL without warning on daily drivers in the worst spots.  Normally you will hear a battery start to drag down when it is going.  Not so with my experience.  One minute it worked great and the next time it was toast.

I keep all of the collector cars on chargers and usually the Optimas will be hot (charged) as soon as the connection is made but if not it has taken a week or more to go to green (charged).  Sometimes they will not come back to life no matter what you do. 

I thought by using Optimas I'd eliminate the corrosion factor but that hasn't always been so.  I've had terminal post that leak and these (more than one battery) were replaced.  Back in the day before they were readily available this was a bit of a challenge but today they are sold most everywhere including Costco.

The cost kept rising and after a period I saw no point to continue to use them.  These days I go to Costco as I did last week and purchase their wet batteries and with the charger or regular use with a daily driver they work just fine for about 1/3 the cost.

Not trying to be negative but just share my long time experiences with the product.

John, I don't think Costco is any longer an Optima dealer.  At least they were not able to sell me one for my current canned ham trailer rebuild last month. 

I just run a normal "deep cycle" acid battery and a Battery Tender JR. in my camp trailers which lead the same kind of abused life (sitting un-used most of the time) as we see on our collector cars.  All "low charged" batteries sulfate the lead plates and die.  In my experience the Optima's do better at sitting, but they still die at some point.

[John Palmer]

Ok, I did just the bare minimum of research on the internests here and found a solution! They don't have enough resistance at very low voltage to get the charger to charge them. If it is hooked to a standard battery in parallel with jumper cables it seems to take a charge.

Chuck, that is correct.  If you have a new, state of the art battery charger it will have a "special setting" to retrieve these dead batteries.  But using another good battery, connected parallel, then hook up your "old style" charger to both and you should be good.

[danny gabbard]

I havent checked, But does optima make a 6Volt battery ? Getting ready to buy a battery and this topic came up at the right time.

[BeetleBug]

I havent checked, But does optima make a 6Volt battery ? Getting ready to buy a battery and this topic came up at the right time.

Yes they do.

[Donny B.]

I havent checked, But does optima make a 6Volt battery ? Getting ready to buy a battery and this topic came up at the right time.

Yes, they are half the size of a 12V battery.  I have one in my  '49 Ford pick up.

[JS]

I havent checked, But does optima make a 6Volt battery ? Getting ready to buy a battery and this topic came up at the right time.

Yes, they are half the size of a 12V battery.  I have one in my  '49 Ford pick up.

I used to have one of these on my 2276, plenty of cranking power even with high compression. Highly recommend it.

[Chuck Fryer]

I had a 66 6v westy years ago. I used two 6v optima batteries.  they are only 3 cells instead of the 6 you see on a 12v battery, so, side by side 6's are the same size as a regular optima. That thing had some reserve :0