green_henry

I'm interested in upgrading my battery and have seen a lot of positive feedback on the Optimas. However, I haven't seen any reference to a model number in the threads on this forum.

On the Optima site, I see a "51R" listed for the 2.4L Accord, but no references to a Yellow-Top.

Anybody out there have a Yellow-Top in their TSX? If so, how do you like it, and what's the model #? Did you need to modify anything to install it?

Thanks

green_henry

Ok, upon closer inspection, the 51R is a yellow-top with reversed terminals.

This puzzles me. The stock Panasonic battery is not reversed. (Left=positive, right=negative). However, I see that Optima batteries have the posts in "front" as opposed to the "rear" as on the Panasonic. So maybe the Optima needs to be installed backwards???

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Tsx536

I would try and post in the audio/video section:
https://acurazine.com/forums/audio-video-electronics-navigation-22/

Stock04

yeah they make one, i have it in my car but i dont know the model number off the top of my head. the terminals are reversed but it still works

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Not sure what you mean by reverse. The TSX battery is the same size, same terminal location and same CCA as the battery in my Civc, which is 51R.

green_henry

"R" (reversed) means that the positive terminal is on the right and the negative terminal is on the left.

If the terminals were on the centerline of the battery casing, it wouldn't make a difference, but since they're offset, it makes a little difference -- i.e. whether the terminals should be closer to the radiator or farther from the radiator.

Looking under the hood, the Panasonic's terminals are farthest away from the radiator, left=positive, right=negative.

So, I guess this means that a 51R would be installed "backwards" in the sense that the logo would be upside down if you're standing at the front of the car.

Is this how it's installed in your Civic?

JTso

iTrader: (2)

That's what I meant. The TSX battery has the exact terminal orientation as the Civic battery, which is 51R.

Bails

I have an Optima Yellow Top in my TSX, and the part number is 51R. Sears installed it with no problem. It's almost exactly the same size as the factory battery.

TSX Cman

i got my battery replaced from acura cuz it was drianing tooquick
the one they gave me loooks WAY smaller than the old one, it doesnt fit the housing too well. says 45 minutes worth of power with engine off, and 410V
any comparisions?

TSX 3Pedal

I just replaced my battery under warranty for a 100 Month Acura Battery.

dzuy

what's so special about optima batteries?

it's a battery.



:troutslap

cmf

I'll run my current stock battery with two doors and trunk open and stereo going for easily 1 hour before starting the car again. Wonder if I am decreasing battery life.

Tsx536

The yellow top is a deep cycle battery. It can go for hours and hours without draining completely. They are great if you have a high end audio system that uses a lot of power, or if you plan to run your for hours at a time without driving/recharging. I'm not sure why this user feels he needs one though.

XPLORx4

I run an Optima yellow-top in my 4x4 (which has a lot of high-current accessories). My wife's 93 Accord runs a red-top, too.

Optima batteries (and others built with similar construction) eliminate battery post corrosion and do not require maintenance of any kind (except for keeping them charged). That is, you never have to add water to them. They also can withstand more discharge cycles than a regular battery, which means they should last longer.

When the OEM battery in the TSX dies, I'll probably try to fit an Optima in it as well. Even though I don't have high-current loads on the TSX, I like the other benefits that the battery provides.

Alin10123

The reversed terminals means that the pos and neg terminals are backwards. You can always rotate the optima battery 180 degrees. If the terminal cables become too short you can actually flip an optima battery over and install it while it's on it's side. Since optima batteries aren't filled with liquid acid, there's no leaks or anything.

Also, as was mentioned before in this thread; the redtop should be sufficient for most people. I've only heard of people using yellowtops if they have a REALLY REALLY high voltage system or if they offroad and use a winch.

tsxondubs

I have a yellow top optima and a battery called bat cap for imports moutned in my trunk for extra power for my audio set up im pushing over 2500 watts of power. I need all the juice i can to keep my lights from looking like strobe lights, david

CCColtsicehockey

can we see some pics of you car dubs

tsxondubs

top secret for a lil while waiting on something coming up next month then ill post pics not suppose to let the cat out of the bag yet .I have made alot of changes to my car got a she got a makeover., ALL i can say is there is alot of suede and a half sheet of bullet proof plexi glass 2 12 inch led bars and 15" resonant engineering quad voice coil sub that slams hard as hell .I am waiting on a good friend at a big company to send me 2 lil 5lb gifts before i post pics .the 2 lil gifts are kind like scubba tanks but filled with something else.

green_henry

Well, I finally got around to ordering the battery and installed it today.

As noted by other posters, the 51R is almost exactly the same size as the stock Panasonic battery, and it went in without any problems. However, I completely forgot about the stereo having to be reset with a security code after the battery is disconnected; at first, I thought that I'd have to take it to the dealer, but after going through the owner's manual, I realized that Acura has the code printed on a nice little card for you. Punched in the code, and I was back in business; had to reset the clock, but the radio remembered all the presets -- nice.

Anyhow, the Optima 51R is rated at 500 CCA, which is over 20% more than stock. Now that fall's around the corner and temperatures are dropping, I hope this will result in quicker cold starts. I'm also hoping that this battery will be a little more forgiving if I accidentally leave the lights on.

The stock battery weighed in at an even 25 lbs. The Optima is a little heavier at 28.5 lbs.

NightHawk CL9

i was sitting in the car for 20 min and got out for 10 min to talk to somewone with the lights on and cd player playing, when i came back to start the car, dead........i think optima is calling my name........ however at the chicago tsx meet i saw that the other tsx's have big batteries, mine (from the dealership) came with a battery about 1/2 the size of moda_way's battery (thanks moda_way for pointing that out)...... interesting, did they install a small battery kit on my tsx, improving my 0-60 times , no wonder i ran a 15.163@90

Alin10123

hey explore,
Does the wife's accord use a 51R? I'm having trouble finding the 51R in the redtop version. i dont have a fancy stereo so i dont need the yellowtop. Where'd you get the redtop that fits the TSX? I can't even find 51 in red.

green_henry

My yellow-top died yesterday -- suddenly, without any warning. Went to the A's game in the morning, spent a couple hours at the ballpark, got in the car and it started without any problems. About an hour after getting home, went to Guitar Center, and again, no problem. Leave Guitar Center, turn the key, and nothing except all of the dash lights lamely flickering in search of some juice.

Since starting this thread, I've seen subsequent postings about the D51s dying prematurely and being discontinued, so I guess this is what happened to me. It's a shame because I didn't have any complaints about the battery until yesterday.

I needed the car today (Sunday), so I couldn't afford to wait to talk to Optima about the warranty. I replaced the yellow-top with a red-top group 35 battery.

I will call Optima tomorrow to see how they will make amends. Hopefully, they will send me a refund or perhaps a replacement battery for my wife's Highlander.

ACCURATEin

The 51Rs are being recalled due to failure rates.

I will have a problem in the near future due to the 51R's location underneath the supercharger in my TL.

matvey

I have just installed an Optima type 75/25 battery on my TSX. It is equivalent to 75/35 as far as I could tell. I have also heard of people installing the regular type 35.

These batteries are wider than the stock battery, so you will have to remove the plastic covers; but that's no problem because Optima batteries don't leak.

The 51R battery fits well, but has been discontinued due to high failure rates, as some have already noted.

The starter now cranks noticebly faster, although it still takes good 2 revolutions to get the engine started. Oh well. Guess I will live with that. What was Acura thinking? Low emissions while starting the engine??? Who cares?

MBA