Can’t complain about a OEM battery lasting (4) years. Question is what do I get now? Optima, Die Hard, Interstate or ???. Cost is not a problem, but LONG trouble free life is. I keep cars for a average of 12 years. I have heard that Optima batteries have a exceptional life span, can anyone confirm this? Which Optima # fits a stock, no sound system upgrade, 2001 CL-S? Any suggestions are welcome.
Dan

 

Too bad you weren't located a little further north. I'd sell you my OEM battery for $10 that I removed for the S/C install.

 

i had a die hard gold afew years back for an old camry. and it had more cca than other batteries. it was 70$ at the time

 

I would go with the Optima yellow 51R size battery if cost is not an issue. I think most, if not all, batteries will have a lifespan of 4-6 years.

That way, if you ever decide to upgrade your sound system or install the s/c, you're covered.

 

I went with interstate,, reason was it had the highest cca amps for our size,, high cca means more lead inside,, ie longer life,, I still change every 3 years max,, even if it tests good..

 

The CLS has a "group 24" battery. Optima doesn’t make one. However, they do make a group 34 battery, and you simply buy a spacer (it's an optima part) that sits under the battery.

Part #s from Optima:

Yellow Top: D34, 750 CCA (Cold Crank Amps)
Red 34, 800 CCA


(The info above was provided by a representative at Optima’s 800 phone number and doesn’t match CCA information on some vendor sites -- YMMV.)


If you're going to be running a large stereo or other electronic gear, get the yellow. If you leave the car to sit for a while during times where you are frequently out-of-town, or when you don't need the car, think about the yellow.

The Red has higher cold crank amps.

When consumer reports did their review, the Optima was not their first pick. In the 11-03 battery survey, the Optima was not included (I didn't see it included in the charts). In the 10-02 survey, the Optima placed Red top placed 2nd in the 34/78 size

http://www.optimabatteries.com/using...ionsYellow.asp

http://www.optimabatteries.com/using...cationsRed.asp

BTW, if you use the "Automotive Battery Selector" on the Optima web site, you will recieve a "There are no matches available for this vehicle" when selecting a 2001-2003 Acura CL/CL Type-S. Call Toll Free: 888-8OPTIMA (888-867-8462) for the info I got above (well, hopefully).



CS Reports Nov 2003:

"QUICK PICKS
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Best for cold weather:

1 DieHard $60 (75 North)
10 Kirkland $60 (34/78 North), CR Best Buy
12 Nascar $100 (34/78 national)
All deliver the best blend of life and cold-starting performance in their group sizes.


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If you live where it’s warm:

2 DieHard $80 (75 South)
13 Duralast $75 (34/78 South)
16 EverStart $60 (34/78 South)
The DieHard (2) excelled in our life tests, while the Duralast (13) excelled in our CCA tests, handy if you sometimes drive in cold weather. The EverStart (16) offers a well-rounded choice for less money.


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If reserve power matters most:

5 Exide $80 (75 national)
11 DieHard $90 (34/78 North)
14 DieHard $90 (34/78 South)
All three excelled in reserve capacity, though you’re likely to give up some longevity with the Exide (5).

 

High CCA does not necessarily mean more lead. You get high CCA from low resistance -- to the plates -- and a lot of plate area, and this depends on cell type and construction.

What you say may be possible with one brand or type of battery, but is not true in general.

 

Thanx for the information. I also found the optima customer service #. I do not think a spacer will be needed, the stock battery mesurements are within 1/8" of the Optima 34R, (a new part #?), Redtop battery. Off to Costco! Thanx again.
Dan

 

I was thinking of changing my battery out sometime before next winter. I've gone with interstate and die hard in the past, but with all the good said about Optima's construction and longevity, I may look that way.

I've noticed that I'm using my wife's car more and more during the weekends so my car is spending more time parked, slowly discharging the battery. Optima's (and other dry cell batteries) construction seems more oriented towards longevity under 'stress' rather then going for pure CCA.

 

Some what correct but more surface area is ussally more lead,,, new tech might have a way around.

 

While we're talking batteries, does anyone know about this one from Pro Volt availble for under $100 on Summit Racing.com. Some of the Subaru folks have nice things to say about it -- 1100 CCA, dry cell design, 33 pounds...but only a 2 year warranty.


The other dry cell battery that people quote a lot is the Hawker Odyssey. Nice specs too but also with a short warranty (3 years).

 

Quoted dims are to the top of the battery post. I will have to use a spacer WHEN I can find one Dealer where I got the battery never heard of it. I will call Optima tomorrow.
Dan

 

No! More surface area is not more lead. If you have a really primitive battery design, and just thicken the plates, due to the less than stellar current flow (electron mobility) in lead, you cut down on the number of plates per unit area, and actually cut down the peak current (CCA) of the battery. You will end up with a tad more lead, but the construction is what is important, and with it you are going to use more plate area. That means that you "might" use a bit more lead for a particular design.

There are two issues that effect how much current you get out of a storage device like a battery or a capacitor: That is, you need to optimize the construction to reduce the resistance to a lot of very thin plates.

The Optima takes advantage of the spiral design, to allow for a short path to a very wide electrode area.

If you look at some of the battery charts, you will notice that the weight of the high CCA batteries is very similar to those with low CCA. In fact, here is a table for the group 24 Delcos:

24R-5YR 24F Top Post L/H Neg. 12 90 475 10.8 6.8 8.8 36.2 $71.35
Add 24R-6YR 24F Top Post L/H Neg. 12 100 500 10.8 6.8 8.8 38.1 $81.71
Add 24R-7YR 24F Top Post L/H Neg. 12 110 660 10.8 6.8 8.8 39.2 $101.15

The 7-yr model, with a CCA of 660 weighs 39.2 lbs.
The 6-yr model, with a CCA of 500 weighs 38.1 lbs.

Hmmm. Let me do some math (these are conventional lead acid batteries):

39.2 / 38.1 = 1.03 (Weight ratio)

Now, comparing the CCAs: 660/500 = 1.32 (CCA ratio)

So, the weight -- which is basically going to be comprised of lead and electrode supporting structures -- only account for an additional 3 percent increase in weight. And, in this case, 38.1 lbs becomes 39.2 lbs. So, if your dead on, that means that there is an extra 1lb of lead -- AT THE MOST (I'm giving you the break and not giving any material weight to anything other than the lead.)

However, the CCA of the battery with the extra lb of weight has a CCA that is over 30% greater. That's a 10:1 ratio (CCA increase - to - mass increase)

 

I will just attest to the durability of the DieHard Gold battery from Sears...

Two nights ago I was talking on my cell phone in my car. The car was off and the radio on...I left my keys in the ignition and went inside (oops)

I came out the next morning looking for my keys and as I walked to the car I thought to myself , Oh Shit, my keys are still in the ignition!

But I got in, and my car started right up...Whew!

Gotta give props to the DieHard