The deep cycling ability of the YellowTop is like an added feature - that's why they cost more. In comparison to a RedTop, they should theoretically be less performant at starting, but for almost anyone this is going to be unnoticeable. Winching is one of the best use cases for a YellowTop. There is no way any stock alternator and probably almost any high output alternator can keep up with the electrical drain of a winch.
A winch pull in fender deep mud can easily result in a nearly amp load on the electrical system. Do that for 30 second spurts until you get out. The battery will be deeply discharged and need to be filled up again with electricity. Using a RedTop like this will eventually destroy it. That means not only while you're driving, but also while you're sleeping, hiking, eating, sitting around a campfire, or whatever else you do. A good 12 volt fridge coupled with a YellowTop can keep your food cool for a few days without being charged.
When you do charge it, the YellowTop can deal with it. If you have a monster sound or video system, you need to think a little differently than with our above examples. If you'll only use your system while cruising and it isn't too big, you can use a RedTop. If you plan to park at meets and parties and show off or your system is watts or more over stock, you need a YellowTop. You should choose an Optima YellowTop for any situation that will result in a deep discharge of the battery.
This includes things like:. You see, Optima kind of made this a little confusing for us. Where RedTops and YellowTops are differentiated by being either starting or deep cycle batteries, the BlueTop line has both.
Because of the extra staineless studs, these batteries are good for adding more accessories on a boat or for hooking up to a trolling motor. If you need to choose between a dark case and a light case BlueTop Optima, it's just like choosing between a Red or YellowTop:. If you're a landlubber, don't worry too much about BlueTops unless you find a good deal on one. If you're easily confused and you already know what you want, you can skip this section.
If you want a little more trivia, this is the section for you! We just wanted to emphasize that you can split Optima batteries by cap color red, yellow, blue or by case color dark gray and light gray. Most people know about the different cap colors, but they don't know about the different case colors. BlueTops have dark gray and light gray cases.
Some are starting and some are deep cycle batteries. The thing is, you probably can't walk into an auto parts store and ask for a light gray case Optima - nobody will know what that is.
But they will know what a YellowTop Optima is! Let's talk a little about fitment. Once you choose the best color, you need to pick a post layout. For large electrical loads like a winch, you always want to be pulling power through the large top terminals.
For small accessory loads, side terminals are fine for running things like rock lights, GPSes, or other low draw accessories. If Optima doesn't actually recommend a specific battery for you, here's what you need to know about terminal layouts:. The battery terminals are offset to one side. If you're looking at the terminal side of the battery, the positive post can be on either the left or the right. You'll want to match this terminal orientation to whatever you have in your rig.
If you don't, your battery cables will likely be too short. As we said above, aftermarket battery trays from performance companies tend to produce battery trays that'll fit these batteries. If you go with a different Optima model and want to use it with an aftermarket battery tray, be careful:. Some Optimas, like the 34R have feet that will prevent you from using some trays.
The tricky part is that the outer case is the same size as a normal 34 - it's just the feet that stick out! We've heard of some people carefully cutting off the feet to get the battery to fit a particular tray. Unless you have a particular reason not to, we suggest you stick with one of the "standard" Optimas:.
Many aftermarket batteries trays are specifically made to fit Optima batteries. It clamps to the "foot" of the Optima, so it doesn't stick up. Of course, once you have this tray, you're committed to Optimas until you swap the tray out. For dual battery setups, we recommend either a side-by-side or inline mount from a company like RuffStuff Specialties or Trail Gear.
Battery trays like the RuffStuff have battery clamp "wings" that make them impossible to flush mount. If you need that capability, look at the Trail-Gear battery trays:. Tyler came out of the womb with a Birfield in one hand and a stick of in the other, ready to weld any piece of trail-busted steel back together. He has wheeled, broken, and modified a variety of rigs, from Toyotas to Jeeps to Fords to Chevies. He likes doing long distance overland travel and would happily spend every night in the bed of a pickup under the stars.
Toggle navigation. Home Winch Database Articles Contact. Table of Contents. Starting Battery Use this for a vibration resistant, bulletproof, non-leaky starting-only battery. This is why it is popular and classified as one of the qualities and reliable battery types you can use for your vehicle.
Any battery type that will work perfectly in cold weather conditions has a good reserve capacity. Optima batteries perfectly fit into this description. Its reserve capacity is CCA and 50 amp.
It will perfectly start your vehicle no matter the weather condition. The best battery type for a daily driver is the Optima battery. Optima has a high discharge rate when not in use and the only way to stop this is to use it on a daily basis. Optima batteries in addition have high efficiency and have long reserve capacity and this is all a daily driver needs.
Interstate does not make Duralast Platinum batteries. The most common of the three is Johnson Control. Separate cranking and deep-cycle batteries are the kind of batteries that will work perfectly in a marine vehicle, e. The YellowTop Optima batteries are best referred to as marine batteries as they can serve the purpose well.
Yes, a dead battery can be made to work again. A prepared mixture of baking soda mixed in distilled water is all that is needed. Even though the interstate and optima battery manufacturers have their power output to be similar, they have other separate key features.
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Skip to content. Interstate Battery in relation to Traditional Batteries — Overview and Key Features Interstate battery types are well known and have been in existence for a very long time. The Pros and Cons of an Interstate Battery There is nothing that is so good and appears so perfect without a disadvantage. Highlighted below are the Pros of an interstate battery It is easy to transport because it comes in a portable and compact form.
The battery is durable because of its hard plastic exterior and so can handle bumps and scratches well. It is easy to mount into a vehicle.
It is also easy to dismount when you are done using It is very easy to maintain because the absorbent glass mat AGM is the main technology being used in it. So it can be used over a long period of time. The price for an interstate battery is fair enough and so it is affordable.
The Cons of Interstate Battery There are different types of interstate battery and some of the types might be of poor quality. A case of a bad egg amongst good eggs The batteries come with unclear terms of warranty in most cases. Optima Battery in relation to Traditional Batteries — Its Overview and Key Features The Optima battery performs much better than the traditional lead-acid battery because they make use of strong and clean power sources.
BlueTop Batteries The uniqueness of these types of batteries comes from their assessment of some very good quality characteristics that are absent in the other two — YellowTop and RedTop batteries. BlueTop batteries have A faster recharge rate compared to the other Optima battery types A higher durability. It will serve much better if they are used in water vessels like RVs and Boats. A higher efficiency when handling with applications that tends to drain other batteries of their power.
Here's what to do:. Touch the red probe to the positive terminal on the Optima and touch the black probe to the negative Optima terminal. Then have a helper try to start your 4x4. Tip: If we're solo, we put the multimeter on the windshield and use long alligator clips to reach the battery.
Watch the multimeter as the starter motor is turning, not when you're started up! When the starter motor is turning over the engine, that is the heavy load we're using to see how the battery performs. Once started, the alternator will start push the voltage up - we aren't interested in alternator voltage since that tells you about charging, not the condition of your Optima.
If the voltage doesn't hold at 9. This is usually one of two things:. A warm battery can expand inside and things that should touch don't touch anymore. Similarly, terminal contacts can break or crack internally. When cold, they may touch and flow current, but when they warm up they break contact.
Normal chargers won't always work with an Optima battery. It depends a lot on how deeply it's been discharged. The low internal resistance allows them to put out a lot of electricity and be discharged more than a regular battery.
Although repeated discharging a dark-cased RedTop or BlueTop is not good for longevity. When a regular battery charger is hooked up to an Optima, it often won't even turn on - while the Optima could be charged, the charger thinks it's totally kaput like a regular battery would be and doesn't even come on.
This usually happens when the Optima measures around You hook it up and go. There are some additional benefits:. If you don't want to buy an AGM charger, no problem. You can DIY a charging setup in a pinch. Here's what you need:. The general concept here is that you charge the discharged "regular" battery with the battery charger, but you also hook up the Optima to piggyback on the regular battery. The charger sees the voltage in the Optima as too low to charge. The regular battery has a higher voltage, but still needs to be charged - the charger will want it to be at least This is not too low to charge, so the charger will turn on and flow current.
By attaching the Optima to the regular battery, we can draw off some current to charge the Optima. The goal here is to get the Optima up to Tyler came out of the womb with a Birfield in one hand and a stick of in the other, ready to weld any piece of trail-busted steel back together. He has wheeled, broken, and modified a variety of rigs, from Toyotas to Jeeps to Fords to Chevies.
He likes doing long distance overland travel and would happily spend every night in the bed of a pickup under the stars. Toggle navigation. Home Winch Database Articles Contact. Table of Contents. A Quick Word on Battery Expectations Optima batteries work a lot like regular batteries with some added features.
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