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Which Optima Battery Fits In A Subie?


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I'd like to fit an Optima yellow top in my '00 OBS before next winter. Now Optima doesn't make an exact replacement for any Subaru, but it looks like the D35 will squeeze in if I widen the battery tray at one end.

 

I know folks have put these in, just curious as to which one? :confused:

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I have been very tempted by Optimas since they came out. The last time I looked at one I figured out that I could buy two oversized Interstates for the same price, and since I don't race and rarely roll my car over many of the benefits would be hard to realize. Regardless gel batteries just seem like a better idea.

I change my battery about every four years with the biggest one I can get in the tray and that seems fine for this mild climate. Let us know what happens!

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I've got a red top, 75/35-925, which is... according to the website:

9 5/16" x 6 13/16" x 7 5/8" (LxWxH). Advanced Auto Parts said it wouldn't fit, so i took that as a challange, bought the battery, poped the old one out, and threw it in. The only 'Issue' i had was that that cables weren't really long enough... so i didn't accept defeat there... i went into the engine compartment and cut some of the restraining plastic things, and hooked it right up :drunk: as for yellow top.. lemme check out the site here....

The Yellow Top D75/25 and the D35 have the exact same dismensions as my redtop. And i'm thinking that my 97 OBS is pretty much the same as your 00 OBS.. so you might have to pull on those battery cables a little bit, and cut some connectors... but they work oh so well.

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I have been very tempted by Optimas since they came out. The last time I looked at one I figured out that I could buy two oversized Interstates for the same price, and since I don't race and rarely roll my car over many of the benefits would be hard to realize. Regardless gel batteries just seem like a better idea.

I change my battery about every four years with the biggest one I can get in the tray and that seems fine for this mild climate. Let us know what happens!

Cookie, you gave me something to think about there, the Optima's are pricey. That yellow top would look nice alongside all the yellow caps underhood tho.

 

Who makes the best "conventional" battery currently?

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I've got a red top, 75/35-925, which is... according to the website:

9 5/16" x 6 13/16" x 7 5/8" (LxWxH). Advanced Auto Parts said it wouldn't fit, so i took that as a challange, bought the battery, poped the old one out, and threw it in. The only 'Issue' i had was that that cables weren't really long enough... so i didn't accept defeat there... i went into the engine compartment and cut some of the restraining plastic things, and hooked it right up :drunk: as for yellow top.. lemme check out the site here....

The Yellow Top D75/25 and the D35 have the exact same dismensions as my redtop. And i'm thinking that my 97 OBS is pretty much the same as your 00 OBS.. so you might have to pull on those battery cables a little bit, and cut some connectors... but they work oh so well.

The stock battery has the terminals at the top rear, whereas the Optima appears to have them located at the top front. Is this the issue?

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there are only a few manufacturers left. You can buy one from Pep Boys that may be identical to an Interstate and the only difference is the label.

Batteries are so superior these days compared to the ones I grew up with that they are all pretty good. I used to use Diehards when they were the only plastic case because they had more plate area in a given size. Now everybody is on that bandwagon.

For the past ten years I used Interstates becuse they always had a battery for every application, and the local distributor was a friend of mine. Now that Jim has retired I may just go to a store like Pep Boys as there is not much challenge to this climate.

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there are only a few manufacturers left. You can buy one from Pep Boys that may be identical to an Interstate and the only difference is the label.

Batteries are so superior these days compared to the ones I grew up with that they are all pretty good. I used to use Diehards when they were the only plastic case because they had more plate area in a given size. Now everybody is on that bandwagon.

For the past ten years I used Interstates becuse they always had a battery for every application, and the local distributor was a friend of mine. Now that Jim has retired I may just go to a store like Pep Boys as there is not much challenge to this climate.

Yeah, I've used Die-Hard in the past with good results. I was at Pep Boys & Advance Auto this morning looking at what they have and all the current batteries are in excess of minimum required CCA per Subaru for this car. I'm gonna take your advice and skip the Optima. My brother actually works for Exide, but he doesn't rave about the general quality of the product. :o

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Optima batteries are worth every penny. It has saved me multiple times. It is also cool to be able to have your sound system run for hours on end. You could leave your lights on for days, and it wouldn't kill the battery. If the bettery dies somehow just let it sit for half hour and it'll be almost fully charged. And in the winter it helps your car start soooooo much. I love Optimas.:banana:

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When I was a kid the advantages of the Optima would have sold it to me for sure.

I also like deep cycle boat batteries and used to run diesel batteries for a while. In the 190 E Mercedes I had the battery for the diesel was a drop in. I used those all the time I had that car.

I think you are right that you can easily get a battery that will handle your needs at a discount auto chain. When I was a kid in Maine I used to run two batteries in parallel to get my six volt VW to start at 20 below.These subies start pretty nicely when it's cold. Mine only gets a bit of cold at Xmas and New Years at my friend's place up north. The Subie is the first car I have not worried about starting up there. That was why I gave the Mercedes the diesel battery.

I currently have the biggest Interstate they had in stock that fit the Subie's battery tray with no mods.

Does your brother have a list of who Excide makes batteries for?

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Does your brother have a list of who Exide makes batteries for?
I'll ask him if he has a list. There's probably a whole bunch of house brands that are Exides. The Die-Hard switched from Johnson Controls to Exide about 10 years back ...probably a step down (lowest-bidder thing).
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Optima batteries are worth every penny. It has saved me multiple times. It is also cool to be able to have your sound system run for hours on end. You could leave your lights on for days, and it wouldn't kill the battery. If the bettery dies somehow just let it sit for half hour and it'll be almost fully charged. And in the winter it helps your car start soooooo much. I love Optimas.:banana:

Yeah, the yellow-top sacrifices a little CCA in exchange for a longer overall draw time and the ability to shrug-off the negative effects of deep or lengthy discharges.

 

Y'know, other than the steering column, parking-light switch thingy, all my Subie lights are auto-off, so I'm protected from my own idiocy on that account, and I have no sound system other than the stock stereo, so that's no concern. Mmm... now I'm confused.

 

How did you deal with the cables reaching the post problem? They're at the wrong end on the Optima, correct?

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I think we might be appalled to find out where some of our parts come from. I am fairly sure the Interstate in my BMW is an Excide product. The BMW Z3s and Ms use an odd size rear mounted battery that requires a vent tube. I have been told that Excide is one of the few producers of this odd size, and I have seen a couple of discount brands that are identical except for the label.

Making batteries is such a dangerous and environmentally sensitive field that the local firms that used to service many areas have folded. We had two manufacturers that I used to buy from in the Bay area here that are just marketing outfits for batteries made by others on contract now.

Johnson Controls makes an amazing amount of products for others. We have a branch in South San Francisco that ships all over.

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Hmm... I'm going to need a new battery for the upcoming winter. Maybe I'll drop a marine battery in there, if it can provide enough cranking power, and if a deep-cycle battery is worth the extra 30lbs of weight.

AutoZone has a Miata battery (deep-cycle) for $84, versus $120 or 140 for the Red or Yellow topped Optimas.

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i have one in my legacy gt.

 

9465optima_battery-thumb.JPG sticker says interstate but also on the top is molded in the words optima battery(i know it says optima something,can't remember)

 

also has terminals from monster cable along with a 4gauge ground but it still has stock size power an ground(goes to engine block,4 gauge goes to body)

 

even with the really cold weather we had this last winter,only thing that slowed the start was thick oil(3 cranks then VROOM)

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I've been pleased with my Diehard Silver that's in my 2000 Forester. I picked the Diehard because Sears is just about everywhere in case of a warranty claim. The Pep Boys around here in Philly are terrible; the installers are awful and it takes forever to get out of the store. Sears took about 1/2 hr. from start to finish. They have dedicated battery installers.

 

~Howard

:cool:

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Since you're playing w/ an OBS, here's mine w/ a redtop in it:

batt.jpg

 

And this next pic is where i had to disconnect the battery cable link, to make the calbes reach:

link.jpg

 

I love this battery, it'll be -20 out, you run outside wearing everything you own, stick the key in, and hear the gas pump trying to kill itself, because the gas is so thick. And it just cranks over, 3-4 times and VRMM! no problem at all.

I've also left my driving lights (KC's) on for about 5 hours by accedent, and came out... said oops, started the car and drove off.

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I just heard back from my brother. I'm almost certain he told me a couple years back that Sears (Die-Hard, etc.) are Exide. They may have lost that contract tho on account of some lawsuit regarding known defective batteries being sold anyway (or something like that).

 

He sent me these links:

 

http://www.exide.com/brands.asp#Transportation

http://www.exide.com/wheretobuy/wheretobuy.asp?categoryID=1

 

...and made this comment:

 

"I put an Exide 60 in the Subie. I don’t think these are full lists, because I know that NAPA is also a customer, as well as Kmart and Wal Mart."

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  • 1 month later...
i have one in my legacy gt.

 

9465optima_battery-thumb.JPG sticker says interstate but also on the top is molded in the words optima battery(i know it says optima something,can't remember)

 

also has terminals from monster cable along with a 4gauge ground but it still has stock size power an ground(goes to engine block,4 gauge goes to body)

 

even with the really cold weather we had this last winter,only thing that slowed the start was thick oil(3 cranks then VROOM)

 

 

i think mine's dead :( went out to go to the store earlier and nothing.wouldn't even crank over.put a j/y battery in an it started right up.alt is charging fine(13.89v) i have the yellow top on charger right now,hopefully it recharges.

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i think mine's dead :( went out to go to the store earlier and nothing.wouldn't even crank over.put a j/y battery in an it started right up.alt is charging fine(13.89v) i have the yellow top on charger right now,hopefully it recharges.

 

 

well as it turns out,it's dead.it charged up but as soon as i load tested it,volts dropped down to nothing (4 volts) but when load was removed,volts in battery went back up.so to be on the safe side i just went to walmart an picked up a new everstart battery.granted it doesn't have as much cca(525) but it is brand new soo.... :-\

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