Optima Redtop dead battery dilemma and recommendations ask

So first time posting, been lurking awhile, but as I finally had a problem with this 2006 Tundra DC SR5 V8 I got earlier this year. Has a 2in toytec lift, big bumper with many lights, camper shell, tow hitch and brake controller, relay switch panel and rock lights. No winch yet, still gotta steal that outta my Tacoma that died.

It has an Optima Redtop battery size 35, with 2020 date on top. My 2 year old has a few times left a light on in the truck overnight and I've had dead battery in the morning. Jump start it and it's been ok so far, hasnt been let drain like that for at least a month with no issues. Today it seems to have bitten the dust, drove it to work all started fine, took it out to lunch started fine going to lunch, drove 5 mins to fast food, then it wouldnt start up, my scangauge said 12.0v before it wouldnt light up anymore. AAA jumped me as i didnt have any cables and i drove it home 20 mins, at home i turned it off and it barely started up on its own, battery showed 12.3v. Anyways charging it now and looking at a new battery.

New battery I searched and found DC has 24f or 27f size battery stock. The 35 i had would be for like a low end v6, so likely was too small from beginning.
( https://www.tundras.com/threads/battery-size.141554/ )

Just want some feedback on if the Yellowtop 27f would be the best option???
Yea the Redtop 35 have more cranking amp (720 CCA 44ah) than a yellowtop 35 (620CCA 48ah), but the Yellowtop 27f (830CCA 66ah) should be more reliable with a potential of drains from a 2 year old, and the larger 27f should be better overall as it has more CCA and AH also, if I can make the 27f fit, which i think it will.

 

Optimas at one time we’re great batteries but no longer what they used to be. If you want a flooded battery can’t go wrong with interstate. My truck had had a diehard AGM for years. Be sure your terminals and cables are clean and free of corrosion.

 

Spendy, but great batteries... https://www.odysseybattery.com/products/odp-agm27f-battery-27f-850/

 

I would agree with that. Back in the mid-90’s, the Red Top was THE battery to buy. My buddies and i would only buy the red top to install whatever vehicles we owned at the time. It didn’t matter if it was 4wd truck or a clapped out $150 auction car, red top went in. Then around the mid 2000’s all of us started having battery failures in the red tops. So much so that none of us have ever bought an Optima battery since. Ironically i still have a pair of Optima Yellow tops that i bought back around 2005? I had them in my Jeep CJ, but i eventually took them out and installed them both in my JD tractor. No joke, those Yellow Tops are still starting up the tractor about 20 years later! I did just buy a couple custom steel battery holders (for a different vehicle project) that only fit an Optima, so i might just have to buy another pair sometime soon?

 

Every single person I knew that purchased an optima red or yellow top had to have it warrantied out within 12 months. My odyssey extreme performed flawlessly. Probably just going to go with an interstate AGM from Costco soon since the battery that was in the truck when I got it is starting to show signs of weak start.

 

Does your truck have the diode kit? If not, your alternator won't be able to fully charge that AGM battery.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/1st-gen-lunch-table-general-discussion.60450/page-2134#post-3596792

https://www.tundras.com/threads/click-but-no-crank-05-4-7.140012/#post-3529879

https://www.tundras.com/threads/turn-the-key-and-nothing.125540/page-2#post-3244770

 

+2 on the Interstate AGM from Costco. Another great choice.

 

Wow thanks for all the quick reply guys!!

I dont really want to get into AGM and adding other charging stuff on the battery currently. So I don't plan to go that route. I dont think i have anything like that currently on the truck, fuse boxes were stock as I recall.

Seems I should just go cheaper and could almost buy 2 in the time of one yellowtop 27f cost @ $360....... especially since Optima went to mexico and went to crap which I'm sure is what my Redtop was ( at least I can keep the redtop for now and trade in another older battery i have laying around for core charge)

No costco near me I could find a 27f online, maybe have to go in store manually, ugh, can't find a lot of 27f close to me anyways it seems if I don't want to spend around 400 for odyssey or yellowtop etc.

Advance has Diehard Silver 27f for like 200, which I'd rather over Autozone Duralast.

 

I'm not going to get into the finer points of checking voltage drop -- but try a couple things before you write off the battery. Do you have a multimeter? If so:

1) Start the engine and check the voltage at the center of the battery posts. Not at the clamps, but the actual battery posts that the clamps go around. (this will isolate the battery from any poor connections.)
2) With the engine still running check the voltage at the alternator: positive on the alternator output post, negative on a good clean ground.

 

whatever agm Costco sells that fits (might be 24f?) is less than 200 bucks. Kind of a no brainer here.

 

Had the battery on a charger all night, this morning it's giving 12.0v directly on battery terminal before trying to start it. Started 5 times in a row ( just start then off, no driving), battery now shows 11.9v and truck barely started on 6th try.

With truck started, direct to battery terminals showed 14.0v.
I dont know how to test voltage from the alternator or where the positive connection is.

Didn't really want to get into AGM currently and adding a bunch of stuff to the charing stuff in the truck. Maybe my next battery would be AGM if it's really better then I can get the correct stuff I might need.

 

If you're getting 14 volts on the battery terminals with the engine running, then you don't have any bad connections. Your battery is toast.

Frankly, I'm impressed that it will start the engine 5 times when it's only at 12 volts. But I guess that's how AGM batteries behave. If it was a standard flooded lead acid battery, at 12.0 volts I would expect it would be cranking the starter really slowly.

 

Should I of had some other charing stuff on the truck since I had a Optima Redtop which seems to be an AGM battery anyways? I didn't know the Redtop was AGM to begin with until now, and didn't know of anything added for it that came on the truck when I got it earlier this year.

 

If using AGM, to avoid premature issues with the battery there’s stuff you needed to do. See Riverdale’s comment above.

If you are planning to run stuff off the battery in a way it may regularly drop below 10-11v, you really should install a deep cycle battery that can handle excess (or complete) drain.

Furthermore, I’d also be testing for parasitic draw to ensure nothing on the truck is installed that may be malfunctioning. Aftermarket or dealer installed (non factory) alarm, wireless OBDII dongle, that kind of thing.

 

My battery and fuse boxes.

 

I dont plan to run anything really with the truck being off, just lights but that's with the truck running/driving. All that's added on electrical wise is Mictuning fusebock panel to control lights, scangauge, pedal commander, trailer brake controller and electronic tailgate lock.

I did see a cheap diode thing can buy to add in place of the 7.5 amp fuse on the Alt-S port in fuse box, I didn't see anything ike that in there already, attached pics a few mins ago.

Costco has Interstate 27f flooded for like $120, and AGM 24f for $180 (both 36 month warranty), hopefully either in stock website kinda sucks currently and doesn't seem to tell me if in stock. Would the AGM be ok without the diode for a week, suppose I could order it and put it in later? Leaning this route currently.

 

I'd go Interstate, they make good batteries.

I wouldn't trust your current AGM if it already has issues.

 

I dont trust my Redtop anymore, especially at only 12.0v. It seems I should be fine getting the 24f AGM at Costco, hopelly they have it in stock. Then I'll order the diode and get that soon after.

 

The Interstate 24F that was in my truck was 13 years old before it bit the dust. Coincidentally, the battery in my other car is also an Interstate 24F that's about 7 years old. When I replaced the battery in my truck last year I got a non-AGM Interstate 27F. Been super solid so far. 100% recommend Interstate, especially with their warranty and price point.

 

I stick with SLA batteries and buy the 7 year Napa brand. I get 7 years plus out of them and usually replace them at the 7 year mark preemptively before they die because I don't want to be that guy standing around with jumper cables.

 

Flooded lead acid cranking batteries are designed to only be used for maximum 10 years. That's why there is only one digit for the year on the install date sticker.

It's recommended for best reliability to replace them every 5 years in a passenger car application. Most folks, myself included, will let it ride until there's an issue. If you have a vented lead acid battery, as long as you keep the electolyte topped off with distilled water to 3/8-1/2" below the vent, the battery should be good for a long time.

In my Tundra, I run a heavy duty GP24 maintenance free Caterpillar battery because I can get them from work for about $78 without a core charge.

My wife's old Buick I ran Interstate. Her new Lexus it's OEM, for now.

I used to run Optima Red Top but had so many issues I got rid of it. But that was before I knew about the diode. I still think I'll be sticking with flooded lead acid. I see no reason to switch for now.

 

And pics to prove i wasn’t exaggerating one bit (i figured i was exaggerating a little bit). Check out the date on the batteries May 2004! Than means the batteries are 20-1/2 years old! I dunno how that’s even possible, but no doubt i’m getting my money’s worth. I think they were about $160~ish back then? They started out in my CJ7 years ago, but they now reside in the tracker.



ENHANCE…



ENHANCE…

 

You know I couldn't avoid saying that in my head, in Eric O's voice right?
Dude is a wizard in my book.
Sample "enhance" video
https://youtu.be/inLqa5VE4QU?t=1361