Could my 18 month old optima battery be shot?

I have heard that Optima has been bought out and/or using new factories to produce their batteries. Are their newer batteries of poorer quality?

This is my first one, and I paid three times what I did for my previous two walmart batteries, and they lasted 5-6 years each...

 

put a voltmeter on the battery and observe a big voltage drop when cranking to verify that a load IS being placed on the battery. AGM's main benefit is an extremely low self discharge rate. They can sit for a year no problem. Wet /flooded batteries lose 1/2 percent of their total charge per day!
AGM's are great for boats on trailers, cars in storage. The battery will last longer on a small maintenance charger.. I suggest a "Guest" brand 3 step integrated circuit type. The 6 amp one for @ 60 dollars.. it can do a little charging and then drops to zilch. They will maintain a floating voltage, and will not cook the battery.
If the voltmeter test shows big drop.. a drop to 10 v. would be normal...with the engine rotating trying to start. if your starter is "clacking" and the engine is not turning over, and the battery volts stay high, it's not the battery; it's a bad connection. If the volts drop to 4v or something really low then the battery is bad. It is this simple.
Any charger can charge an AGM (absorbed glass matt) battery..Optima is an AGM. AGM's have the ability to charge to a slightly higher finishing voltagethan flooded batteries, and automobile regulators dont allow the alternator to charge that high so don't fret if your portable charger doesnt either! Just don't fry it for 10 hrs with some 40 amp jump start charger..lol
A slow charge is a longer lasting charge.. WWI / II sub mariners would spend days on the last taper down phase of charging their batts on their diesel electric subs... to stay under critical minutes longer... OK I'm rambling.
http://www.optimabatteries.com/product_support/charging.php

 

The one in my Green Grabber is from 2006, no issues, I disconnect the negative terminal in the fall, hook it up in the spring and start the car. The one I had that I took to Wal Mart was the one in my spare service van, I had let it die over last winter. I could boost the truck, and it would run, but wouldn't hold a charge. It was from 2005. I had another in my wife's Blazer, it was probably from 2003? never had one issue with it either.

Either way, Optima's website says "36 month replacement"...
If they were so crappy now, why would they still be in business?

 

I am starting to get the feeling that they "weren't so crappy" but now are, so they will need to boost up their product to get it near the quality it was in the early 2000's if they want to stay in business.

I have always heard of their reputation being top-notch, but by the time I got wealthy enough to buy one, I guess when went down the crapper, so I got crap.

 

These put " Optima " to shame!

http://www.odysseybattery.com/

 

ITs not just Optima Scoop. I find all of our different batts the quality has dropped but the price has shot up. We see more failures,less warranty coverage and higher prices. Our batts/Mopar still have the long warranty but they changed the math for the pro rate when we switched to Exide as the suppliers.

 

Thats the same AGM design I have in my car from Carquest. We have had great success with them over the spiral batts. in heavy applications. Some of our 2011 models at work are using the AGM batts now.

 

So the gist is "now that I can finally afford top-o-the-line optimas, they are crap"?

 

I use a regular $100.00+Motorcraft, AA, AZ type battery and keep a Tender on it in the winter w/o removing the neg. I drive the car sometimes if it's nice and dry - don't have to hookup batt. If I get 5 or 6 gd years frm it, that's all I expect - I ditch it and get another.

 

I picked up a red top optima about a year and a half ago.(I'll check the date)

It's flawless, it's in the falcon which only gets driven about 5 times a month or less..

No battery maintainer, I just charge it and off it goes. Although I have been meaning to get one.

 

Nope just means they have a higher failure rate than they used to.
Main reason I went with the AGM in my car was so I dont ever have to worry about acid in the batt. box. Unless something goes horribly wrong of course.

 

Wow ! these battery's cost more than I paid for my Comet over $300 bucks, must be one heck of a battery tho...lol

 

Well, yesterday, I charged it with a 4 amp trickle, and it just ratatat-ed when I tried to start it after fully charged.

So last night, I put the 2 amp trickle on it, and it started right up this morning...

I guess the 2 amp trickle is not recognizing "full charge" switching off until later?

 

I have a friend who is a Mechanic for the USPS. He changes lots of these Optima Batts every day, he says they are crap. I like the Sears racing Batt. for my wifes Handicaped Van. It has all electric lift, doors, redundant steering and all the goodies. She drives it to work every day. That means without the motor running she opens the doors runs the wheelchair lift stores the lift closes the doors locks down then starts the motor, 4 times a day. We olny live 8 miles from where she works, not much charging time off the motor. The Batt. is 2 yrs old, no problems yet and its never been on the charger. I figure 2 years is the life of any Batt. So when the batt. starts to go I take it back to sears, they prorate it and it usually cost me 50 bucks for a new one.

 

I use the Optima too and the Ford GT customers I service have some of the same complaints(the GT battery is an Optima in a Ford wrapper). Ford's fix for the complaints was a Battery Tender that plugs into the power point(hot with key off/on). I have found that a fully discharged Optima will (if it 's good) will recharge on a Battery Tender type charger in about a week. Fast charging or most of the capacitance type chargers tend to overheat the battery, destroying it.