bad optima battery...any other negative experiences? Positive

[David]

> 
> From: cobram at juno.com
> Date: 2005/08/27 Sat PM 02:02:07 EDT
> To: capnkidd at sbcglobal.net
> CC: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: bad optima battery...any other negative experiences? Positive
> 	with lead acid.....
> 
> "Jim Jordan" <capnkidd at sbcglobal.net> writes:
> 
> > I suspect that CostCo will have 
> > dropped them if they fail as regularly as this thread indicates.
> 
> Several of the large chain auto/parts stores have dropped them.  Bus
> companies that experimented with the batteries had less than acceptable
> results, none have adopted them.  It seems like this is one of those
> technologies that might, over time, reach it's advertised potential.  If
> we're to believe half the hype surrounding these batteries, makes you
> wonder why it's not OEM in every new car, truck, bus and motorcycle out
> there.  More so with all the long new vehicle warranties out there.
> 
> Besides, CostCo doesn't eat the return, the manufacturer/distributor
> does.  Warranty replacement is basically free for CostCo, even when
> installed by them, the tech only gets his hourly, which he'd get if he
> were sitting on his hands. 
> 
> BCNU,
> http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
> If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.
> _______________________________________________
> quattro mailing list
> quattro at audifans.com
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/quattro
> 

Something must have happened with the quality of Optima batteries. The early ones were GREAT.  I bought one back in 1993 or 1994 for my 1988 Audi 90 (RIP). When the Audi got totaled in 1997, it got moved over to the 1985 Impala 9C1. Still going strong today. I've never even needed a jump start and the cars frequently sits for months at a time without even being started and the battery just turned 13 years old! Of course the price of an Optima today is actually about the same as I paid for it back in 1993/4 (around $120) so they must have cut costs somewhere...

Dave
1987 CGT 2.3
SE VA