Yellow Top Giving Me Problems

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

My old battery was not holding a charge like it used to so i needed a new battery and chose a yellow top. First few days were fine and had no problem and in the last 3 days it has been dead twice. The battery has only been installed in my car for 1 week. With my old battery, when it was in good condition, my car would read about 14 volts after running for about half an hour. And right after i started the car it would read about 12 volts. Well with my yellow top it reads about 12 volts after running for about half an hour and reads about 10.5 volts after starting. Is it me or does it seem like my new yellow top is bad. My alternator is also good, so that is not a prob. It is in the battery. When i take the battery out of my truck and put it in my car it works just like my old battery does. Does anyone else think my battery is bad? BTW i bought it at Advnace Autp Parts so is it possible that i could have sat on their shelfs too long.

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[jujumantb 10+ year member]

Well put it on a charger first and make sure it is fully charged, then give it another chance. A yelloe top is not an ideal starter battery. It doesnt take charge well from your alternator and it doesn have th cca's of a real starter battery, close, but not as good. It CAN be used as a starter, I just wouldnt. Thats what a redtop is for.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

when i replaced my stock battery with a yellow top, I noticed a voltage drop as well - that's just part of the design. However, 10 volts is awfully low...I'd check and maybe you could get a replacement.

 

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

It doesnt take charge well from your alternator

I thought a yellow top was made for quick recharge and discharge

 

[bigpeen 10+ year member]

I thought a yellow top was made for quick recharge and discharge

That's exactly what a red top is for.

Yellow tops discharge very slow...explaining the reason people use them for having their stereos playing while their cars are turned off.

For more info check out http://www.optimabatteries.com and look at the starter and the deep cycle.

And to charge your yellow top check this out... http://www.optimabatteries.com/usingOptima/charging.asp

 

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

so do i want the red top instead. I can only can put one battery in my car right now. Should i get a red or yellow

 

[jleecong 10+ year member]

so do i want the red top instead. I can only can put one battery in my car right now. Should i get a red or yellow

I will be using a Yellow top for starting, and my battery should be here next week.
General Information.

1. My yellow top was advertised with "Ultra-Fast Recharge"

2. Optima ONLY makes a yellow top for my car.

If you don't play the radio with the car off the main advantage of a yellow top is not used.

 

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

So if i play the stereo with the car on which would be better yellow or red

 

[jleecong 10+ year member]

I don't know which would be "best" for your exact situation.

My logic tells me that if the Red Top was best that would have been the battery produced for my car, but it isn't. The only battery to fit my Honda by Optima is the yellow top.

From Optimas site:

"What is the difference between your deep cycle and starter battery?

The OPTIMA deep cycle battery utilizes a different chemistry for the active paste material on the plates, and a slightly stronger acid. This chemistry changes allows for a much longer life in cycling applications, with only a slight reduction in power."

"When should I consider a deep cycle?

Any time you need the battery to supply all the operating power for a vehicle or other device. Additionally, deep cycle batteries should be used in vehicles that have heavy accessory loads where the alternator cannot maintain the battery in a fully charged condition."

"When should I use a Deep Cycle OPTIMA as a Starting battery?

"Deep Cycle" batteries are designed for applications that require deep, repetitive amperage drain, like trolling motors, golf carts, and electric wheelchairs, or RV house power sources. However, there are other applications, called "Heavy Cycling" or "High Cycling", when a Deep Cycle OPTIMA can successfully replace a starting battery to provide longer life and better performance.

In heavy cycling or high cycling applications, a vehicle will pull unusually high amperage levels from the starting battery due to extra accessories or limited alternator capacity. Public safety professionals, such as police, fire, and ambulance fleet managers often find that traditional starting batteries cannot provide adequate life and performance due to heavy cycling. This is an excellent opportunity to provide your customer with longer life and better performance by using an OPTIMA Deep Cycle battery in this type of application.

In any vehicle or equipment that will use the battery only for Starting, Lighting, & Ignition requirements and has a properly working alternator, the OPTIMA Red Top Starting Battery will perform extremely well, often providing up to two to three times longer life than conventional batteries. If the vehicle has few or no after-market accessories and uses a stock or upgraded alternator, the OPTIMA Red Top Starting Battery is the appropriate choice."

 

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

so after reading that the yellow is the better choice?

yellow is made for more aftermarket accesories such as stereos/lights/etc.?

Red is made for pure factory?

Hence yellow would be the better choice for me?

If so would you say that mine is bad then and i should get a replacement

 

[jleecong 10+ year member]

I would say the Yellow would be the better choice (note this will be my second yellow top so I may be a little biased). My last yellow top lasted me 2 years before I sold it.

Your battery I would think is bad/defective. In looking at your sig do you have a HO Alt?

 

[monte_carlo97 10+ year member]

I would say the Yellow would be the better choice (note this will be my second yellow top so I may be a little biased). My last yellow top lasted me 2 years before I sold it.
Your battery I would think is bad/defective. In looking at your sig do you have a HO Alt?

Why did you sell your last battery.

No, but i am getting one custom made from a place arround here

 

[jleecong 10+ year member]

Why did you sell your last battery.No, but i am getting one custom made from a place arround here

Threw a rod in my engine, car was sold to a junk yard. Battery sat in my closet for 3 months running my car cell phone charger. I was offered $90 for it one day and couldn't say no. That was 1997.
Drawing that much power I'm not sure one battery without a HO alt would work. Also notice on the comments Optima implies that if you have a HO Alt the red top would be just as good.

 

[mikedean]

who sells a HO alternator

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

do a search around here...

also remember that once in service, a battery does gain some capability in both voltage and recharge/discharge. So brand new off the shelf, you might notice a bit of a voltage drop to begin with...or on the other end of the spectrum, it could be sulfated, but i doubt anybody leaves their batteries on the shelf for that long, off a charger.

WRT the yellow top as a primary battery, I'd recommend it. I've been using one now for almost a year, and never had a problem starting. Once. Of course, I don't live in an extremely cold climate, so that might be something to consider too...