Which Optima Red Top battery fits in the Maxima?

The "best fit" is the Group 35, aka 35-910. Technically speaking this is a "reverse terminal" battery, meaning the negative (black) post is on the left, but if you flip it around, it becomes a normal (negative post on the right) battery with the posts near the back, which is ideal and requires no bending or stretching of the positive battery terminal. You will see pictures of this battery (Here and here for example) which show it as a normal (negative post on the right) battery with the posts in the rear. The folks selling these batteries have peeled the label off the top and rotated it 180 degrees so that it's right-side up with the battery "backwards". One other note about the "Group 35", this is a top post only battery. It has just a single set of posts.

75/25, aka 75/35. This is a dual post battery, with both top and side posts. It fits the Maxima just fine, although it may require a bit of "stretching" of the positive terminal. This used to be called the 75/35 but has been renumbered to 75/25. They are the same battery according to the Optima rep I spoke with on the phone.

34R, aka Orange Top 34R. This was the Optima battery which was recommended prior to the introduction of the Group 35 and 75/25 batteries. Technically speaking it's a "reverse terminal" battery, but if you flip it around, it becomes a regular (negative post on the right) battery with the posts near the back. It will require either some bending or "extending" of the positive terminal in order to fit. This used to be an Orange Top but is now a Red Top. Optima no longer makes an Orange Top battery, only Red and Yellow.

 

Which Optima Yellow Top battery fits in the Maxima?

75/25 - Same configuration as the Red Top 75/25, only in a deep cycle version. You give up a few CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) vs the Red Top (650 vs 720) but gain capacity (48 Ah vs 44, and a Reserve Capacity of 98 vs 90). For anyone with a high powered sound system, or who runs their sound system off the battery (car not running), this looks like the best choice.

D35 - Same capacity as the 75/25 in a top-post only version. Might require a bit of a "stetch" to reach the positive terminal. It's odd that the Yellow Top 35 is NOT a "reverse terminal" battery like the Red Top Group 35. That's too bad, since it would fit slightly better if it were.

David

 

A few factoids:

• What used to be the Orange Top 34R is now the Red Top 34R. They are identical except for the color.
• The 75/25 and 75/35 are the same battery (at least according to the Optima rep I spoke with). This battery was simply "renumbered". I don't know why.
• If the posts are switched, you can simply turn the battery around. You can peel off and re-orient the label on the top of the battery. At least a couple of sellers do exactly this with the Group 35 Battery, as seen here and here. Here is the same battery as shown on the Optima website.
• Note that some web sites show the wrong pictures. Might be a good idea to call to verify what you will be getting.

 

There is a bit of a mystery surrounding the "Group 35" Red Top battery. Four web sites list four different dimensions and weights. AFAIK, there is just one Group 35 battery, so the differences make me wonder what's going on.

To be fair, tna-sport is close enough to the official Optima specs as to make no difference, but the Remy battery is 1 INCH less in height and 3 POUNDS heavier. Why?

The other thing that bugs me is, why would anyone go to the trouble of turning the label around? The Group 35 is a "reverse terminal" battery, with the posts near the front, and yet some of the pictures I see show a battery with the posts at the back with the negative post on the right. Same battery, just one photographed from the "back". Except that the labels in both cases are right side up. This first picture is how I would expect it to look. The second is the "mystery battery".

 

So...go with yellow?

 

I still haven't decided whether the Yellow Top would be of any benefit to me or not, and the Yellow Tops are more expensive. On one hand I do have a relatively powerful audio system, and my son has a propensity for leaving the lights on and running down the battery, both of these arguing the case for the Yellow Top. On the other hand, he doesn't run the stereo unless the car is running, in which case the Yellow Top wouldn't contribute anything, and he needs to learn that the ding ding sound means YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON!

 

Well...how much more are the Yellow Tops? I was told there are Red Tops for sale at Costcos for $99.

 

Remy Battery has the 75/25 Yellow Top for $111.95 plus shipping. That's $27 more than the Red Top.

The Yellow Top is a "deep discharge" battery, which means it's really designed for things like Golf Carts, where you run the battery dead, or close to dead, on a regular basis. As a "starter battery" the Red Top is the better choice, although I'm not prepared to explain exactly WHY... I am struggling to understand what's real and what's "marketing" when it comes to these batteries. Bottom line, is there a reason NOT to use a Yellow Top, assuming (1) you don't mind spending the extra money and (2) you don't mind the slight decrease in CCA? For example, will a Yellow Top last as long, being constantly maintained at a full charge? Just as Red Tops wouldn't be happy being fully discharged on a repeated basis, are Yellow Tops just as "unhappy" with being maintained at a full charge all the time, or do they "need" to be heavily discharged on a regular basis? I don't (yet) have the answer to this question.

 

Most batteries have built in capacitors to discharge electricity at a certain rate. The Yellowtop stores more energy for quicker discharge for high power stereo systems. By doing this, it prevents "shock" to the battery and prolongs its life. If you have a high power stereo system, go with the yellowtop. Blue tops are better for golf carts and marine application because they are not affected by salt water. They are the same as a Yellowtop, however they are not meant to be used on a daily basis. The Red top is a cranking battery. It can be fully discharged and recharged. It will go dead. There is no reserved energy. The only thing that makes it feasible to buy is that it can be recharged even if it is fully dead. Meaning, no damaged cells.

 

Would it be possible for you to take another crack at this? I am not making any sense of it.

The Yellow Top CAN'T be fully discharged and recharged? It will NOT go dead? Clearly this is false, and therefore obviously not what you meant.

When you say "the only thing that makes it feasible to buy," which battery are you referring to, the Red Top or the Yellow? My understanding is it's the Yellow top that can be run completely dead without damage. I thought that's part of what "deep discharge" meant.

David