Automan

iTrader: (3)

Do any of you guys have an Optima Yellow Top Battery in your GS? I have a 1998 GS300 and was thinking about getting one. Will any of the yellow tops fit or is there a certain size that I should be looking for?

Thanks guys I can't wait for the weather to break! Of course you guys in Florida, Arizona and California have no idea what i'm talking about.

TLW

I have one, I had to make a spacer for it to fit properly

Automan

iTrader: (3)

Ok just leave me hanging man can you elaborate on this spacer? How is it made and all that good stuff?

TLW

Whoops

I used a piece of wood ....I think i used a 1"x4" ?? I painted it black as to hide it from inquiring minds .

Ummmm... I think it's that easy If you need more I will pull my battery and show you the piece

The reason you even need a spacer is because the optima battery sits lower than the stock Lexus battery. In order to use the battery tiedown, you need to raise the battery, hence the spacer .

Automan

iTrader: (3)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh thanks man I got you now. You wouldn't happen to have the specs of the battery would you? 34/78?

TexasGS

I believe JEFFSAI has a yellow top Optima. You might try PMing him.

Indio

iTrader: (1)

Optima makes a riser that the battery sits in and you can't use the battery box, got mine at Sears.

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

Yes, 34/78.

diamondgs4

I have had one on my GS430 which only last 2 and half years.
It just die down on me and it will not hold any charge.
I swap the OEM one back on and the Toyota battery service pretty well
for another 6 months now.
Here is my battery conditions.
1. OEM on 18 months
2. Optima Yellow top 36 motnhs
3. OEM, the old one back on, 6 motnhs.

Can anyone help me to figure out why the
Optima only last 3 years ?
Am I just lucky that the OEM still OK after sitting quietly for 3 years.

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

Optima Yellow lasting 2.5 years?? Are you sure you didn'y buy a used one from some shady guy? When you bought it...it should of been in a plastic shrink wrapped package. Also, the manfuacture date is stamped on the top label.

I have had mine now for about 3 years. I have used it from my last car to this car! Also, my last car had a pretty banging system that would kill a new "normal" battery within a month. The optima survived thru 2.5 years of that, and has been in my new GS for about half a year now. Still its showing no signs of slowing down.

I heard/read some people get 5 years or more out of their optimas. This is about 2x the life of a regular battery (lead flat plates type). The yellow tops do cost about 2x more than regular batteries, but I think its well worth it. Very durable, unspillable, terminals dont corrode, and lasts a good while longer than most batts.

I just folded some carboard and stuck it under the battery. It seems like the battery is in there pretty good. So far it hasn't budged even after a barrage of doughnuts

chuckb

I've heard Optimas can be finicky. Something about if you run it down too far, it won't recharge unless it is slow charged back up.

Just get an Interstate oem replacement. That's what oem is, and my oem lasted 4yrs, which is long time for a FL battery.(the heat is bad for them)

e-diddy

I have also heard some mixed reviews on the optima battery in general. I replaced my oem battery about a year ago and it was the original one that the car came with back in 1998.

It was replaced with an Interstate and so far so good.

Lexmex

One of my friends has a Stinger battery and that to created all sorts of problems and finally needs replacing. I have had no problems with my Red Top so far.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

optima batteries have gone downhill ever since the new ownership of Johnson Co.

Many of my local dealers have stack of optimas ready to be shipped back to Optima for warranty.

Below 10.5v, the yellow top will start to fail. Once you go below that, the battery's potential is reduced from 100%. No longer can it have the same performance.

A year ago, everyone on the s2000 forum flamed me for telling them the exact same thing, saying how their new optimas are doing perfectly. Pass forward a year and now many of them are complaining that their optimas are dying (some have gone through two batteries within 2 years). Optima has built their reputation as a long lasting battery long ago. Their reputation has gotten big enough that some people aren't willing to acknowledge that the current optimas aren't going downhill.

Stick with regular battery that comes with a good warranty. It will last though many years.

Lexmex

The voltage drop you described is what happened in my friendīs Stinger. I donīt doubt that it could happen in an Optima. Time will tell for me.