Red Tops at Costco

[K9Torro]

Hey -

Was stumbling through the local Costco on Sunday and low and behold they had Optima's new on the shelf,

the red top was $104

the yellow was $145

My parts store wanted $135 for the red top,

Todd

[Jack Olsen]

If you're interested in lighter and cheaper, see my recent thread on the $43 sealed lead acid battery (it's only 19 pounds).

[vesnyder]

Costco is where I purchased my last Optima - was $99 ~ a year ago. Best deal I've found!

[msk1986911]

Does the red Optima provide enough cranking power to turn a 3.2L? The battery currently consuming the trunk is an Interstate behemoth, weiging about 50lbs, rated at 850 CCA.

Thanks

[Don Plumley]

Red Top Optima is fine for your 3.2.

I'm an Odessey Fan myself...

[JTL]

I decided to order an Odyssey after reading a recent post. It is about 1/2-size of the Optima and lighter in weight, ~25lbs. Now I just have to figure out how to secure it in the car.
If you decide to get an Odyssey don't forget to order the automotive post kit.

jt
-84 targa

[hotshottt06]

i have a red top in my 91 silverado, its running my truck and my 2000w rms stereo with not a problem. great battery

[Eric86Red911]

I'm pretty sure I read on Rennlist that if you have any problems, Costco won't honor the RedTop warranty, but will send you somewhere else. Since their price was the exact same as Pep Boys here in Chicago, I bought mine from Pep Boys for like $115.

[Don Plumley]

Originally posted by JTL
Now I just have to figure out how to secure it in the car.
If you decide to get an Odyssey don't forget to order the automotive post kit.

The post kit is the -T option.

For a hold down, you can get one at Rennline, West Coast Batteries (Odessey distributor) or do it yourself.

[911pcars]

"I'm pretty sure I read on Rennlist that if you have any problems, Costco won't honor the RedTop warranty, but will send you somewhere else."

My Costco store merely replaced mine with one off the shelf. No questions asked. However, this was done during the free replacement period.

Sherwood

[scottb]

Let me first say that I'm not concerned about my car's weight -- it's just a weekend driver.

A couple of weekends ago, however, it wasn't driving anywhere. The battery was dead, and wouldn't take a charge. So, speaking of Costco, I went to my local store and simply bought a direct replacement Kirkland (Costco brand) battery. It has a 100 month warranty, with the first 36 months being full replacement. I think I paid $56, which is an incredible value for a battery with that warranty. And, it had a higher cold cranking rating than the Interstate battery it replaced!

So, for those out there reading this that simply need a direct replacement battery, and don't care about brand name or weight savings, the Costco battery sure seems like a great value.

My $.02. (Sorry to semi-hijack the thread.)

[911pcars]

Lot's of good replacement batteries out there. The difference is that only a few reduce the chance of battery acid spreading around the sheet metal.

Sherwood

[scottb]

Sherwood: You raise an interesting point. I've owned maybe seven cars in my lifetime (and a helicopter with a lead acid battery). Not once have I had a problem with acid leaking, yet I read here on the board time-and-time-again about people doing repairs as the result of leaking batteries.

Aside from physical damage or a defective case, what causes supposedly sealed lead acid batteries to leak acid? Is it due to alternator and/or regulator problems? Something else?

[911pcars]

Scott,
Most lead-acid storage batteries are not sealed. The individual cells vent to the atmosphere through the vent caps or other venting passage. When the battery is charging, heat is generated and the electrolyte (water and sulfuric acid) gets warm. Overcharging exacerbates this. If the vented gases aren't directed to the outside, they linger and settle around the battery. If the fluid level is too high, the heated electrolyte expands and overflows out of the vent caps.

If your vehicles haven't experienced any telltale signs of acid leakage (not even on the battery posts?), consider yourself fortunate. On our 911s, the battery (or batteries) are housed in a semi-enclosed area. If not inspected regularly, a little acid and some time can go a long way toward a lighter chassis.

Sherwood

[Wil Ferch]

Even normal "venting"..if not exactly leaking...can cause local corrosion of the VERY nearby electrical fuse box and components.

If you go "normal" battery...get the one with a vent nipple and attach tygon / clear vinyl tubing to that and ROUTE TO THE OUTSIDE !!!

- Wil