Choosing The Right Car Battery

Mark Quitter — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 06:24:21 +0000

Choosing the right car battery for your 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO. It’s a beautiful day out and you just got done washing and waxing your car. The car looks great, and you feel great, so it’s time to go for a drive. You put the key in the ignition, give the key a turn to start your car, and all you hear is “click, click, click, click”.

We all know what this sound is. Time for a new battery. So which car battery should you buy?

I personally only use “Optima” car batteries. They come in two (2) different applications for automobiles, Yellow Top and Red Top. What’s the difference you ask? I’ll tell you.

AGM Battery
Optima batteries are often mistaken for a “gel” battery. They are actually “AGM” batteries, not gel. The name AGM stands for Absorbed Glass Mat. Optima batteries are completely sealed. There are no caps to remove or water to add ever. The internal design of the Optima battery using AGM keeps the electrolyte in place in the entire battery, meaning no battery acid is “sloshing” around inside the battery. This excerpt is taken right from the Optima website:

“Sealed Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries like OPTIMA^® Batteries do not spill, sulfate or degrade like flooded batteries do. AGM design holds the electrolyte in suspension while keeping it in constant contact with the active lead material on the plates. This results in higher efficiency when both discharging and recharging.

AGM design offers lower internal resistance and greater plate area, which provides superior starting power, the ability to recharge much faster and higher voltage characteristics during discharge.”

Optima Battery Charging
Charging and maintaining an Optima can be confusing and tricky. Some battery chargers have a “gel” setting on them, and as we just learned, these are not gel batteries. You can not charge Optima batteries like a normal acid/water-filled battery either. So how do charge and maintain an Optima battery if I can’t use a normal battery charger? You need to purchase the Optima Digital Battery Charger. This can not be avoided and is a must when owning Optima batteries. The Optima Battery charger is designed for AGM batteries and will completely charge and maintain both yellow top and red top batteries. All Optima Red Top and Yellow Top automotive batteries come with a 3-year warranty. Should you need to use this warranty for any reason, the only way the warranty will be granted is if you properly used and maintained your battery. Only use the Optima battery charger on optima batteries. Click the image below to view Optima Battery Chargers:

Which Battery To Choose
Automotive applications have two(2) choices, Yellow Top or Red Top. What’s the difference you ask? Read below to find out:

RED TOP

“An OPTIMA REDTOP is perfect for starting applications where your vehicle’s engine requires high amperage output in short bursts. The discharge cycle is shallow and the alternator takes over after the battery starts your car. Daily drivers love the REDTOP, as do drivers of classic cars, show cars and SUVs.”

YELLOW TOP

“If you’re looking for a reliable battery for starting your vehicle and to support a load of electronic accessories, including winches, audio systems, an OPTIMA YELLOWTOP deep-cycle battery is the right choice. The YELLOWTOP battery is also ideal in vehicles that don’t have an alternator or have electrical demands that temporarily exceed the alternator’s output. It helps meet those high electrical demands until you’re able to recharge.

YELLOWTOP batteries provide deep-cycle power. This allows you to enjoy all of your electronic accessories while your vehicle is off, such as audio systems, DVD players or underbody lights. For off-roaders, your battery will allow you to winch your way out of precarious situations. There are also a number of key-off draws that pull energy from your battery, including clocks, alarm systems, digital radios (station settings) and onboard computer systems. You’ll be able to pull all of this power from your YELLOWTOP with the confidence that your battery’s energy will recover time after time.”

Conclusion
Personally, I use the Optima Red Top. I do not run a lot of electrical accessories in my car. I have a high compression engine and I still run an alternator. I need as many cold cranking amps as I can get to turn over and start a high compression engine as fast as possible. The Red Top meets and exceeds these requirements.

For those of you running high-end car audio and lots of LED lighting in your cars, you may want to go for the Yellow Top. But keep in mind, you may need to recharge and maintain the battery if you are running accessories without the car running for an extended period of time. The Yellow Top does have a deeper cycle than the Red Top but will drain if not properly maintained.

Hope this article was useful and helps to keep those cars starting. Thank you for reading and as always, thank you for visiting.

Free Battery testing and installation on most vehicles and most locations at AdvanceAutoParts.com!

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Choosing The Right Car Battery

Free Battery testing and installation on most vehicles and most locations at AdvanceAutoParts.com!