Optima and Stock battery?

[scz28]

I have a yellow top from a car I am selling and I want to put it in my truck for the stereo I am doing. Any problem with running one stock battery and an Optima or do I need two of the same for some reason?

 

[illflem]

Best to replace in pairs. One weaker battery can draw down the other decreasing the life of the good one. You probably would be better off for now running just the one yellow top till the cold weather comes, though in So. Cal one battery is enough year round.

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Illflem is right, use the same type of batteries or you are asking for greif. Have seen what happens if you dont.

 

[JR2]

I have a buddy that owns a Batterys Plus store here in Ak. He had to go to a month long training class about batterys and such and he relayed a very interesting story to me that relates to this very well.

What they did was take a dual battery set up (like our trucks have) and hook up one huge semi battery and one little punny battery for some rice rocket car. (both batts are 12 v). They used this to run some 12v contraption that put a good load on the batts. They hooked it all up and left it over night. In the AM the contraption had stopped working and the batts appeard dead. They unhooked the little battery and hooked a battery load tester to it and it was dead. Then they hooked the tester to the big battery and it was fine. They hooked the load contraption to the big battery and it worked fine. Moral of the story, a two battery system is only as good as the weakest battery.



So I would say just run the yellow top by its self or leave the batts alone.

 

[Lordsman]

Optima Blems

Just got 2 Optima Blems (800 cca @ 0') for 150. 00. May want to see if they are available where you are. Beats payin' 120. 00+ per battery. They are grey tops and are supposed to be the same as the red tops. Just to give you an option.

 

[Dave MacArthur]

Another option is to get a battery box and mount that Optima underneath the cab and run your stereo off the Optima.

 

[fj40charles]

Costco is the cheapest place I've found for the Red Top Optimas. 99. 00 each.



Charles