battery change out

[HORSESCO]

Everyone in here has been great, thanks for the help. But ofcourse i have another question. This battery was changed out in July 2004, should i change it out now? i know they normally only last a couple of years. Had to do a re- charge on it (dealer recommended, he said battery was good) and it is doing ok, but i do live in colorado, not that i plan on driving it much come winter, but we already got snow today! i am a native and that is early. So just wondering would rather be safe then sorry but don't want to throw money away, if i should replace should i get the red top gel i hear so much about?

[mrm1149]

The newer redtops are having there share of problems from what I hear....Exide seems to be the battery of choice for many these days. Get an inexpensive battery maintenence charger that automatically turns off when the battery is charged........that's what I do and seems to work just fine!

[LLC5]

Optima's are spiral wound lead acid battery's, not gel cells. If your battery load tested good (1/2 CCA), then you don't need a new battery. A battery tender is a good idea for any vehicle that sits for extended periods to reduce sulfation.

[Roc]

cranking from a low battery results in diminished battery capacity. For a car that sits, either leave it on a tender or use the tender to bring the battery to full before cranking from it when vehicle has been sitting. Also, even on a car getting regular use, particularly in extreme heat or cold and short trips, put the battery on a tender overnight every month at least to bring the battery to maximum. You will find far increased service life that way.

[vettenuts]

My original AGM in my 02 finally went out with a "bang" and I went with the Exide Orbital. There seems to be a rash of Optima failures and I wanted something more reliable. I also keep it on the Tender when I know I won't be driving the car for several days.