# Optima Red or Yellow Top????



## mavenali (Nov 22, 2002)

According to autozone, pepboys and etc... they dont have a red or yellow top optima for a B14 Sentra GXE (95) ---
Does anyone out there have one in theirs? if so can you tell me the size you have and if it fit right in or did you have to do a little work w/ it? 
thanks


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## LaRon (Aug 22, 2002)

Your local autozone and pepboys are idiots. The optima redtop will fit any 4cyl. and the yellow will fit any 6cyl. The red will fit in your car without any probs.


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## mavenali (Nov 22, 2002)

thanx man


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## cranium (Oct 8, 2002)

optima red top, yellow top and blue top are all the same size! i have one of each.


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## JayL1967 (Apr 30, 2002)

I have a optima red top in my car


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## RacinConcept (Jun 22, 2002)

After talking to guy at a local shop, he informed me that the red top is the low line optima battery. The yellow is supposedly able to cycle about 150 times more than the redtop. The bluetop, which is in my car, is the exact same thing as the yellowtop, but has the marine posts on it.

I swear by my bluetop. My alternator was dead for about 3 days and my bluetop never quit on me. Its quite amazing.

-Andrew-


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

*Right*

The red-top is for most automotive applications while the yellow and blue top's are for deep cyclet applications such as marine use and car audio apps. 

As stated all are the same size and will fit a B14 without any additional brakcets, I did have to bend my mount back a little for it to fit perfectly though. Nothing a vice couldn't cure.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

you don't need a yellow top for a 6cyl....

red top is for most applications, yellow top is deep cycle for car audio and cars rigged with extra power robbing equipment, and the blue top is for marine vehicles.

it's pretty much a 1 size fits all deal so long as your car doesn't use some wierd sized battery (aka honduh shivic)


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## Pretty White (May 6, 2002)

Hell, I had an Orange Top. What was that for?


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## sentravis (Jul 7, 2002)

For people who need to get a new Optima because their Red top has faded.. or their Yellow top is dirty and needs cleaned.. :loser:  j/K
Travis


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## Sethticlees (May 30, 2002)

Pretty White said:


> Hell, I had an Orange Top. What was that for?


The positive & negative positions are switched!


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## LaRon (Aug 22, 2002)

Okay, I'm a mgr at store AZ #0352 and I agree, whoever you was speaking to at your AZ are idiots. The red and yellow top will both fit in your b14. Whoever you're speaking to about it is looking it up in the witt (comp) and doesn't have enough common sense to know that you can put a battery in a car as long as it will fit and that it doesn't have to be the one listed in the wittjr. *shakes head*

The red top will do fine for you unless you got a system. The yellow top is better than the red top only in the fact that it's deep cycle. That means it'll handle your system or whatever else is pulling on your battery better than a non deep cycle battery. The red top actually has more CA and CCA than the yellow, if my memory serves me correctly, but the yellow as I said has the advantage of being a deep cycle.


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## NotAnotherHonda (Aug 7, 2003)

i have the red top and i love it, and i recommmend it whenever i can


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

LOL, I've drained my red-top more times than I can rememeber, at least it charges back up well. I like to listen to my system in the garage and I sometimes forget how fast 2 amps will drain a battery.


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## SleepERr (May 20, 2003)

my red top is the shit, i have drained it down to nothing at least 9 or 10 times (no bullshit) and it still prefroms perfect 12.9v to 13.8v on a daily basis


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## Captain Obvious (Jan 2, 2004)

hell I had an optima blue top in mine for a while only cause my brother gave it to me out of his boat and my oem one was dead.
I saved up though and I have a red top now.
Oh the blue one is a deep cycle marine battery for those that dont know


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

im sure they are nice, but ill stick to my die hard gold and the lifetime warantee, ty  

just dont see paying 140 er so for a battery just cause it sayd deep cycle. most of us, will not benifit from a deep cycle battery unless pushing over 1500w er so. good clean watts, not like RF, er sony 

IMO.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

Slayer2003 said:


> im sure they are nice, but ill stick to my die hard gold and the lifetime warantee, ty
> 
> just dont see paying 140 er so for a battery just cause it sayd deep cycle. most of us, will not benifit from a deep cycle battery unless pushing over 1500w er so. good clean watts, not like RF, er sony
> 
> IMO.


I only have 800 watts and I'm starting to wish I had a deep cycle. I like mine b/c it'll prolly last as long as I own the car. The lifetime warrany is great and all, but I rather jus have one battery than having to deal with jumps so I can get my ass to a die-hard dealer. besides, lifetime usually means as long as you own the car, 5-10 years for most people.


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## NotAnotherHonda (Aug 7, 2003)

Slayer2003 said:


> just dont see paying 140 er so for a battery just cause it sayd deep cycle. most of us, will not benifit from a deep cycle battery unless pushing over 1500w er so. good clean watts, not like RF, er sony




im at 2200 right 

and DONT compare ROCKFORD FOSGATE to SONY...


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## sentravis (Jul 7, 2002)

optimas are lighter.. thats why i have one.. and have gell.. i dont know if the gold does.. Travis


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## Chuck (Nov 19, 2003)

optimas arent acid filled.. they are gel filled.. so you can mount it however.. and it doesnt make fumes (i dont think)


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## Sethticlees (May 30, 2002)

Slayer2003 said:


> im sure they are nice, but ill stick to my die hard gold and the lifetime warantee, ty
> 
> just dont see paying 140 er so for a battery just cause it sayd deep cycle. most of us, will not benifit from a deep cycle battery unless pushing over 1500w er so. good clean watts, not like RF, er sony
> 
> IMO.



Slayer I too had the Die Hard Gold and you know what, 3 years later it dead! So oh well, I say, it's got a lifetime warrantee right... WRONG!
I was so pissed to find out, no lifetime warrantee. WTF?

So if that don't sell ya how bout maintenance... Optima has none, while the Die Hard you need to add distilled water and check and test and check and... 

Finally, Optima RED can be found at GIJoe's for $89 and Costco $90. 
What did that Die Hard run ya 60, 70, 80, more?

Sorry man, but I'm anti- DieHard. It makes since to go Optima... I've never once regretted it.


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

1999GXE1.6 said:


> optimas are lighter.. thats why i have one.. and have gell.. i dont know if the gold does.. Travis


Lighter than what? Optima's are very heavy batteries, good batteries but very heavy.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

Sethticlees said:


> Slayer I too had the Die Hard Gold and you know what, 3 years later it dead! So oh well, I say, it's got a lifetime warrantee right... WRONG!
> I was so pissed to find out, no lifetime warrantee. WTF?
> 
> So if that don't sell ya how bout maintenance... Optima has none, while the Die Hard you need to add distilled water and check and test and check and...
> ...


it's also easier to mount and remove, it's resistant to shock, it's prettier, it's got 2 sets of terminals for those with accessories and audio equip, it will last 5 years or more, it holds a charge longer, it charges up better, more CCA, mount anywhere in any direction with no fumes.


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## 95 SentraB13 (Jun 14, 2002)

I'm just a little curious as to why most people that buy Optima batteries go with the Red top Model 34 over the Orange Model 34R? The price is the same, just that the 34R has reverse posts/terminals as said earlier, which is the type most if not all Nissan vehicles and other imports use. If anything this allows easier connection for the battery cables since the posts are located further to the rear.

I bought an Energizer(JCI) 1000CA/800CCA battery from Wal-Mart as the price was good for the size only to realize when I dropped it in location the terminals were switched and the cables wouldn't reach when I turned it around. Fortunately they had a reverse post Energizer battery in 683CCA(same size as stock Nissan) which I chose instead of the dinky, 500CCA slim, Honda style batteries on the racks as well.

If you want a higher quality battery stick with most any type made by Johnson Controls, Inc. These include Energizer(Wal-Mart), Duralast(Auto Zone), TrueStart(Toyota), ProStart(Pep Boys), Kirkland Signature(Costco), Optima, some Sears Gold Diehard and the top of the line acid/gel cell, Interstate. Most import vehicle manufactures such as Nissan, Mazda, Honda, Toyota, etc. use JCI batteries.

The other large manufacture of car batteries is Exide, although quality and performance generally isn't as good. They're more prone to failure and are a common complaint of most domestic vehicle owners, as a result of battery electircal related problems and recalls. Labels include Exide self branded, ACDelco(GM), EverStart(Wal-Mart) some Sears non-Gold DieHards, NAPA brand and for the Canadian folk among us, Motomaster from Canadian Tire!

For all your battery questions and interests check out this site:
http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/

Sections of interest may include:
- WHAT DO I LOOK FOR IN BUYING A NEW BATTERY?
- HOW DO I CHARGE (OR EQUALIZE) MY BATTERY?
- WHAT ARE THE MYTHS ABOUT BATTERIES? **See Point 14.6 for all the old school tuners or fathers that tell you how to test the alternator, mine being one of them.

Just read the whole site, I'm tired of typing. It's a very informative and interesting read. It was for me, atleast.


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## Sethticlees (May 30, 2002)

95 SentraB13 said:


> I'm just a little curious as to why most people that buy Optima batteries go with the Red top Model 34 over the Orange Model 34R?


Availability! The orange top is quite uncommon, especially 2-3 years ago when I bought my first Optima.
Honestly, when I purchased my first Optima I was only aware of two kinds... Yellow and Red. Hell, I didn't even know what side the Sentra polls were on.
Everybody claimed Optima was the shit so once they hit $80 I bought one. 
Granted I was a little upset the cables were so tight, but that’s all been fixed with new longer cables now.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

95 SentraB13 said:


> I'm just a little curious as to why most people that buy Optima batteries go with the Red top Model 34 over the Orange Model 34R? The price is the same, just that the 34R has reverse posts/terminals as said earlier, which is the type most if not all Nissan vehicles and other imports use. If anything this allows easier connection for the battery cables since the posts are located further to the rear.


I could name a few reasons, 1. Red top is more available 2. not many people heard of the orange top 3. red matches my engine accenting 4. Optimas have more centrally located terminals (model 34) than other batteries so it really doesn't matter if it's installed backwards. 5. price may be an issue, especially due to availability (competition draws the price of red-tops down while orange-tops stay up at MSRP)

BTW, back when my batt was in the engine bay, I had NO problem with he cables reaching the red-top.


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## LaRon (Aug 22, 2002)

Slayer2003 said:


> im sure they are nice, but ill stick to my die hard gold and the lifetime warantee, ty
> 
> just dont see paying 140 er so for a battery just cause it sayd deep cycle. most of us, will not benifit from a deep cycle battery unless pushing over 1500w er so. good clean watts, not like RF, er sony
> 
> IMO.



LOLOLOL lifetime warranty? Haha, year don't you wish. See you gotta pay attention to the details on that warranty stuff, as I said earlier I work for AZ and the FREE REPLACEMENT WARRANTY is only valid for 3 years... NOT lifetime. Therefore, you take your batt back after 3 years with its "lifetime" replacement....... and they'll tell you to kiss their ass. 

Secondly....... most people won't benefit from a deep cycle unless pushing over 1500wts?? Yea.. okay. Well I am pushing 600w all fosgate and my headlights STILL dim with my big ass duralast gold with 1000 crank amps and 800 CCA. So...... tell me how you wouldn't benefit unless pushing over 1500wts? Deep cycle will help you PERIOD if you have a system or lots of accessories on your ride. Don't post shit like this unless you know what you talking about. 

Finally....... as mentioned above, don't even compare RF to sony. Like I said, I'm pushing only 600wts and my system hits harder than most peeps pushing 1000wts that I've come across with systems composed of other brands such as sony, alpine, etc. 

Kthx now flame away :dumbass: :loser:


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## sentravis (Jul 7, 2002)

thank you Mr. Know-it-all... 
you may bring up some good points and maybe right.. BUT.. why the hell did you feel the need to bash someone.. GOD.. do you search through the threads looking for someone to bash? You should probably stay cool in these threads or maybe you should get lost.. You can make your point without treating someone like they own a Honda. (no offense to serious honda owners).. Here's an idea.. Relax, enjoy life, and try NOT to find all the trivial little mistakes and misguided terms they get. This is a community for us to share our problems, not to make them. Geez.  Travis


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

LaRon said:


> LOLOLOL lifetime warranty? Haha, year don't you wish. See you gotta pay attention to the details on that warranty stuff, as I said earlier I work for AZ and the FREE REPLACEMENT WARRANTY is only valid for 3 years... NOT lifetime. Therefore, you take your batt back after 3 years with its "lifetime" replacement....... and they'll tell you to kiss their ass.
> 
> Secondly....... most people won't benefit from a deep cycle unless pushing over 1500wts?? Yea.. okay. Well I am pushing 600w all fosgate and my headlights STILL dim with my big ass duralast gold with 1000 crank amps and 800 CCA. So...... tell me how you wouldn't benefit unless pushing over 1500wts? Deep cycle will help you PERIOD if you have a system or lots of accessories on your ride. Don't post shit like this unless you know what you talking about.
> 
> ...


yay. 3 years. woooo. looks like i wasted 80 bux on a shit battery. cause, you work at AZ and know everything aboot cars. :loser: 

hm. lesse. 1500w, and my lights dont dim. hah. now stfu.  i have that, 5 neons, 2 strobes in the trunk, indiglo HVAC overlays, and indiglo gauge overlays. hm, lesse, also, a power converter for my incar computer, screen, and additional interior lighting. still not dimming. why are you? :thumbdwn: 


i started with a sony amp, deck, subs, then switched to RF. wow, a little difference, but my 6 yr old JL's still slaughter my 9 month old RF. and they are only 500w. and what.


only wish i was a mod


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## Slayer2003 (Jun 4, 2003)

also, when saying sony, as in sony ICE, i was meaning the ENTIRE XPLODE LINE. as most will probly agree it is shit. the only thing i like from sone ICE is their monitors. thats it.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

If it even was lifetime, it's still not a great deal, you may only use 1 or 2 batteries for as long as you own the car. If you buy another car to replace urs, they'll tell you to suck it.


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## LaRon (Aug 22, 2002)

Slayer2003 said:


> yay. 3 years. woooo. looks like i wasted 80 bux on a shit battery. cause, you work at AZ and know everything aboot cars. :loser:
> 
> hm. lesse. 1500w, and my lights dont dim. hah. now stfu.  i have that, 5 neons, 2 strobes in the trunk, indiglo HVAC overlays, and indiglo gauge overlays. hm, lesse, also, a power converter for my incar computer, screen, and additional interior lighting. still not dimming. why are you? :thumbdwn:
> 
> ...



Know everything about cars? I only wish, cause if I did I wouldn't have to browse these forums and read crap like this. Oh, and btw Mr. Smartass I mentioned I worked at AZ showing proof that I know how a warranty works so peeps around here understand that a lifetime warranty really isn't a lifetime warranty. It's just there to make you buy a more expensive product. Now what you got to say about that? Sounds to me like you need to pull your exaust pipe out your ass :thumbdwn: 

Hm... so you're pushing all of that and your lights don't dim. Hm.. well let's see here... tell us all what kind of alternator you have. Also tell us whether or not you have a lightning cap for that ICE of yours. Because if you don't have either that cap(s) or an upgraded alty then IMO you're bullshitting us all saying your lights aren't dimming. 

And why am I still dimming? Let's see...
1) No deep cycle batt
2) stock alty
3) no light caps


And about the RF, ty for clarifying on your remark. But perhaps you should also mention the MODEL subs you had that was "little difference" versus the model subs you had of Sony and JL. I have yet to hear a sony explode system that was worth a damn. Well... besides the van that was at a show here on the coast that had like 50 explode 10's


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## LaRon (Aug 22, 2002)

1999GXE1.6 said:


> thank you Mr. Know-it-all...
> you may bring up some good points and maybe right.. BUT.. why the hell did you feel the need to bash someone.. GOD.. do you search through the threads looking for someone to bash? You should probably stay cool in these threads or maybe you should get lost.. You can make your point without treating someone like they own a Honda. (no offense to serious honda owners).. Here's an idea.. Relax, enjoy life, and try NOT to find all the trivial little mistakes and misguided terms they get. This is a community for us to share our problems, not to make them. Geez.  Travis


Sorry if I came off as an ass, that wansn't intentional.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

I know deep cycles are good for lots of accessoreie, but can someone tell me how they're different? What makes then different from the red-top (technically)?


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

I'm sorry but batteries are next to useless in a serious system with high current draw. Capacitor's, batteries and the like are all band aids. I higher output alt. is the correct way to solve any power delivery issues as it supplies the current and runs the system when the car is on. If you are drawing so much that the alt cannot keep up then the battery will back it up. If your alt cannot keep the battery charged then a deep cycle will help as it can be completely discharged and re-charged without losing any storage life.

And how did I let this stay in the B14 forum.... tisk...tisk....


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## sentravis (Jul 7, 2002)

wes said:


> And how did I let this stay in the B14 forum.... tisk...tisk....


i dont know.. but im unsubscribing to this thread.. lol.. Travis


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