2007_Shelby_GT Posted December 18, 2013 Report Share Posted December 18, 2013 OptimaJim - I appreciate your coming here and discussing your batteries with us, this shows a great sense of customer care in my book! Yes, you are correct that there is parasitic drain on the batteries, even when the car is turned off and key is removed. The stereo in the SGT does draw current, (perhaps even the onboard computer as well), and there have been some issues reported with a relay that can go bad and cause the radio to be "on" even when it's "off". I'm not directly laying blame on the battery, however, I did not have a dead battery issue with the OEM battery, but I did with the Optima Yellow Top. Perhaps it's just a fluke, or maybe something in the electrical system (relay) decided to go south at the exact time I put in the Optima, I have no real idea. After I pulled out the Optima, and went with a standard OEM replacement, the issue hasn't reared its head again, and the parasitic drain is still there. If the problem starts again, a battery tender and a true disconnect for the battery may be in my future. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OptimaJim Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 Sam, parasitic drain problems don't go away with battery swaps. Flooded batteries have much higher internal resistance, which limits the amount of current they are allowed to receive and deliver. That resistance may allow a flooded battery to retain just enough voltage to start a car that has been sitting for a while. However, the problem could end up manifesting itself down the road because the alternator ends up getting cooked every time it has to try and recover a deeply-discharged battery. I just replaced the factory alternator on my 2003 Excursion two years ago (200,000+ miles). That may be on the high end of longevity (I do take care of my batteries), but for as little daily use as many of the cars on this forum see, alternators on these cars shouldn't be getting worn out from overuse, but it is happening. Jim McIlvaine eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlinetoys Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Jim, I appreciate your input here. I have a red Optima in my summer only Bel Air and have had zero issues after 5 plus seasons. Obviously there are many forums that have negative comments, and that has made me nervous but I have had good luck so far. For me, a regular battery makes as much sense as anything unless there are unique circumstances. In my case on the '55, the battery is mounted in the trunk and I liked the safety aspect of the Optima over conventional batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewnagle1964 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 andy Sorry to here about your problems, I currently have a red top installed and use this battery tray and have had zero issues with performance and fitment with that said I have odyessy batteries in my F350, my HUV, my mower and my son.s jeep Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyGJ Posted December 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 Thanks Andrew....did you have to alter anything else to get the battery and tray to fit? My installer had to notch that black plastic cowl piece that is just above the battery and runs from the left fender to the right fender. thanks, Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OptimaJim Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Bob, regular batteries do make a lot of sense for the vast majority of cars on the road. AGM batteries can last up to twice as long as their flooded counterparts, but the price difference up front isn't always easy to justify for some folks. It's only when you get into unique mounting locations (as you mentioned), extreme duty use or folks who would like to minimize the potential for battery acid damaging their vehicle, that AGM products become almost mandatory. Jim McIlvaine eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawdude Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Running a yellow top. Had it since September 2012. No fitment issues. Car sits for a week sometimes. No drain issues so far. Got it on sale at Amazon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobert Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 OptimaJim...thanks for coming on this board and helping us understand your product better. I do have one question? With these cars starting life as Mustangs and the Zillion cars that have been made since this body came out in 2005....doesn't Optima make a battery that is an OE type fit for a Mustang? Shelby GT's use the factory hood and Mustang GT battery tray so I would have assumed that the Mustang market would be a fairly lucrative battery consumer and business model to Optima. Seems strange that you have to mod a car to fit your product...or am I missing something here? Bobert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewnagle1964 Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Thanks Andrew....did you have to alter anything else to get the battery and tray to fit? My installer had to notch that black plastic cowl piece that is just above the battery and runs from the left fender to the right fender. thanks, Andy. Did not have to modify anything took out the OEM tray and installed the new one. no height issues but as you can see my hood insulation blanket is missing Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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