19 Months and one day Orangina will not start, and I mean no lights of any kind. Got my Schumacher charger out, and it said it had a short in the Optima battery.

Now the directional switcher doesn't work in the tack, the center console clock and voltmeter are fine. The temp gague stopped working. I have one of those $40 temp gauge that is the oil stick, and on Sunday, a hot day, I took it at 2 for a 65 mile jaunt across LA and SBDO. Temp stayed at 225.

Any ideas on the gauge or the tach directional box? Think that is on the inside of the fuse panel.

THANKS!

John

sounds like t alternator / voltage regulator failed. this destroyed everything. i don't think the battery is the cause.

Common failure in the Optima's actually. Plates break loose=short=takes out the charging system. It's the Red Tops that do this BTW.

FWIW you're supposed to use a AGM type charger on an optima.

PLease elaborate for retards like me. AGM is?

Absorbed Glass Mat

I have had 4 red-top and 1 yellow-top Optima fail repeatedly. Unrelated to car issues. I have an AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat)-compatible electronic charger, but that is not the issue. When they go they will not accept a charge, period. Very frustrating as I thought I was buying the best for $180-$220+. I have seen a brand new one fail in 30 days, verified by the distributor. Amazingly, when you have a good one, they are apparently invincible. Distributor showed me one that has never been charged in 8 years and had perfect voltage. Production switched outside of the USA and this could be the problem with internal quality.

That last sentence pretty much sums it up.

Too funny. I just replaced my Red top this morning...funny things were happening!

The first red top i had laster 8 years starting the little diesel,porsche,dozer, what ever.

The second one lasted 60 days in the toyota 4x4. A missed Q with a stump jar-ed the battery hard enough to break one of the plates loose and fried it.

I have heard rumors a hard drop on the counter at the parts store will bugger them up? Chin-Sing quality.


jcl

I have a yellow Optima that is acting up, it is less than 2 years old.

I've got a red top that gets used in a car on occasion, but mostly floats around the garage and gets called upon to jump the kids cars. I use an old fashion charger on it 1-2 times a year to top it up. It is 7+ years old and still works fine. Guess I've been lucky...

This is why they shortened the warranty to just 24 mos. IIRC about 2-3 years ago - when they combined with Interstate (another formerly invincible battery - don't know who bought out who), moved production elsewhere & cut warranties - just selling off the former good name apparently!

Bad Luck John!

Text me when you're going to AX the dark knight next!

Cheers!
Tom
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had my yellow top 5 years and running with no tender and sadly sat for 3 months at one point without even a start. Still cranked up no problem

My experience is that these batteries do not stand up to recharging, if you do not use the car regularly and keep the battery near full charge they do not last.

I've spent to many $$ on Optimas and seen no benefit for the extra money.
The last one I purchased would not hold a charge.

I'm not buying them again.