Optima Battery in Vue?

[Matt42]

Can anyone think of a good reason not to use an Optima battery in my wife's 2003 Vue? That's apart from the price and the fact that some rigging is needed to make it fit.

Regular batteries last about 2 years here because of the heat. The kind you can add water to will add maybe another 10 months. But that's just a maybe. When a battery quits here, it just quits with no warning. The Delco that the Vue came with is three years old, which is pushin' the envelope!:arr:

[insomnicide]

there really is no reason not to use an optima in a vue as far as i know. i have a yellow top in my sc2 and it's worked great. i had to rig the hold down because the yellow top is a little bit bigger than the regular battery, and i had to cut the hold down so it wouldn't hit the top posts. if you can make it fit, i'd say go for it.

[1993SC2]

In your wife's VUE, is there some really big radio system? Does it see much water or extreme angles (tipping)? Otherwise, no.

Try a voltmeter and perhaps you'll spot a failing battery before it really fails.

[Ritz]

Can anyone think of a good reason not to use an Optima battery in my wife's 2003 Vue? That's apart from the price and the fact that some rigging is needed to make it fit.

Regular batteries last about 2 years here because of the heat. The kind you can add water to will add maybe another 10 months. But that's just a maybe. When a battery quits here, it just quits with no warning. The Delco that the Vue came with is three years old, which is pushin' the envelope!:arr:

Any AGM battery should suffice in those conditions since they're sealed. The optimas can be a PITA because of their shape. I don't know the group number of your particular battery, but if you find that out, you might try this link:

http://www.dekabatteries.com/products/pdfs/0379.pdf

for a Deka battery of the correct size (with AGM in the part number). Their webite has a dealer locater.

Cheers,

[spencerb]

Regular batteries last about 2 years here because of the heat... The Delco that the Vue came with is three years old, which is pushin' the envelope!:arr:What's wrong with buying a new battery every few years?

[body-snatch-her]

Hey MATT42, as one that lived for years (until recently) in the Phoenix area I can definitely sympathize! The extreme heat is very hard on batteries, and I have both seen and personally experienced battery failures both sudden and slow there. I used to own a Jeep Cherokee there and installed an Optima in it and was quite satisfied with the results. Many hardcore 4-wheelers I knew swore by them not only because of the heat tolerance, but also resistance to shock and slightly lighter relative weight. They also do not leak when the vehicle is subjected to extreme driving angles. I liked the fact that acid vapor corrosion was non-existant, eliminating the need for baking soda cleanings, cable replacement, etc. That said, they are fairly expensive and can be hard to fit into some vehicles. If you go for one but have trouble getting the battery heat cover to go on in your VUE, you can probably leave it off since it would likely only provide "icing on the cake" additional protection. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

PS, For those that are unaware, ALL batteries (Optimas and sealed types included) are vented to accomodate pressure changes due to altitude changes. Even a small vent is enough allow sigificant evaporation when the temperature is very high, like Phoenix where summer high temps in the "One-Teens" are routine and overnight low temps may not be much below 90 for weeks. Conventional and especially so-called "sealed" batteries DO NOT tolerate it without frequent topping off with distilled water, which can be a pain!

[Matt42]

Hey MATT42, as one that lived for years (until recently) in the Phoenix area I can definitely sympathize! The extreme heat is very hard on batteries, and I have both seen and personally experienced battery failures both sudden and slow there. I used to own a Jeep Cherokee there and installed an Optima in it and was quite satisfied with the results. Many hardcore 4-wheelers I knew swore by them not only because of the heat tolerance, but also resistance to shock and slightly lighter relative weight. They also do not leak when the vehicle is subjected to extreme driving angles. I liked the fact that acid vapor corrosion was non-existant, eliminating the need for baking soda cleanings, cable replacement, etc. That said, they are fairly expensive and can be hard to fit into some vehicles. If you go for one but have trouble getting the battery heat cover to go on in your VUE, you can probably leave it off since it would likely only provide "icing on the cake" additional protection. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

PS, For those that are unaware, ALL batteries (Optimas and sealed types included) are vented to accomodate pressure changes due to altitude changes. Even a small vent is enough allow sigificant evaporation when the temperature is very high, like Phoenix where summer high temps in the "One-Teens" are routine and overnight low temps may not be much below 90 for weeks. Conventional and especially so-called "sealed" batteries DO NOT tolerate it without frequent topping off with distilled water, which can be a pain!


I couldn't have said it better, so I won't repeat. My Dodge diesel has two batteries, both Optima red tops that are four years old. I have two six year old red tops on the tongue of my trailer, and they came off of the Dodge. The issue with the Optima battery and the Vue is fitment. It's worth some time with a Dremel.

One of the side benefits of an Optima or other AGM is that there is only minimial (basically none) acid effect outside the battery. Many vehicles have the PCM (computer) mounted under the battery tray. Many cars have gone to a premature grave due to acid leakage onto the PCM, ruining it.

When a regular lead-acid battery goes bad here, it generally does it with no warning. Even when it is "dead," it will register properly on a voltmeter, but fail completely on a load test. I've lived here 20 years and been through uncounted batteries. If you will always be in a place where you can get a jump start, or AAA to respond, no worries. Just pick a place you like and buy an 84 month battery. It'll cost maybe $35 every three years to get a new one on the prorated replacement. However, if someone's life depends on a car (or ambulance) starting, a regular battery is trouble. I travel in the back country (not in the Vue) where temperatures can exceed 120F. Walking to get to a place where I can get cell phone service is no fun, and then the response takes time, and the service call costs big bucks. :dizzy:

[GearGuy]

The original Mopar battery just went in my wife's '99 Grand Caravan.

I live in Western NY so I don't really need a super heat tolerant battery. But which ones are considered good ones for a decent price?

[Mike94SL2]

There is no reason I can think of, i was going thru batteries every two years on a GMC vechile i have. I switched and this battery has lasted four yrs so far. just make sure to keep you termials clean.

[Ritz]

The original Mopar battery just went in my wife's '99 Grand Caravan.

I live in Western NY so I don't really need a super heat tolerant battery. But which ones are considered good ones for a decent price?

It mostly depends on convenience. If you've got a Sears or Autozone nearby, you might want to pick their "premium" brand only because it will be less of a hassle to get a new one if it craps out. My order of preference would look something like this:

Deka AGM
Exide maintenance free
Sears maintenance free
Napa maintenance free
Autozone (whatever's cheapest if you just want something cheap)

The optimas are nice too, but they're a bit expensive and can have fitment issues due to the shape. If you don't mind dealing with the fitment problems, I'd place them between the Deka and Exide in terms of my preferences.

Cheers,