I got an optima red top battery today but my termials want fit right. People with this battery, what did you do?

 

I have the yellow top and they did not fit. Using a little bit of force I got it to go on. You might have to fabricate something for a perfect fit.

 

do you have problem with positive side? the big black wire of positive side is hooked on the pan, there's a socket thing. take the wire out of the socket thing , then you can move the positive side without problem and fit really well. just take a look of the positive, you will figure it out.

 

which model did you get? although it takes some minor modification, the best fit is the Red Top 34"R" which has "reverse" terminals to fit the max. the mod you simply involves purchasing a new teminal connector (slightly longer) from an autoparts store ($5).

 

i would have to disagree with you on that one. the BEST fit redtop is the 75/35 model. dont have to bend the terminals nor get new terminals at that.

 

I have the 34/78. I got it from Sam's Club. It was the only redtop they had.

 

I second the vote on that; I got the 75/35 since it was slightly larger with more plates and cold cranking amps than the 34. Notice from the pic that the terminals are located at the middle of the battery, rather than the back of the battery; this necesitated a bit a "stretch" of the positive cable but it fit fine with a bit of wiggling. By the way I used the shortest of the two "lifts" to raise the level up to the OE battery height to get a good fit. When I changed the battery I found a lot of corrosion in the pan supporting the battery from the battery acid, a GREAT reason to change over to Optima since it contains no liquid acid. If you find corrosion, make sure to sprinkle baking soda on it to neutralize it an then carefully flush with water. The baking soda will neutralize the acid to stop further corrosion.

Once the baking soda stops bubbling and you have rinsed, make sure to dry the entire area. I didn't worry about repainting the area since with no more acid, it shouldn't corrode any more. I hope this helps!

 

Where did you get the battery tie down from?

 

im gonna piggyback this thread...

for the 73/35 battery...does anyone know what terminal post i need to purchase in order to use the second top post for an audio cable? i wanna use that aux terminal closest to the air filter in the above pic, not the front side terminals.

thanks-

 

Hey redstratic,
Where DID you get that cool battery tiedown, make it yourself? FYI I just used the OE strap, not as cool but hey, it works.

djfrestyl, I think that you will find all the connections you need in the Optima "package" to access that second positive terminal. I really liked how complete the Optima Redtop came!

 

I got the same one. SWA from STEVE. I had a GD on that month and months ago. Talk to him or go to http://www.southwestautoworks.com. Good luck.

Also.... I have a 2k3 maxima... so do i just get the red top over the yellow top. Im going to be putting in a Infinity Basslink so i just need to know which one would be better. RED OR YELLOW?

 

oh yeah i found ebay listing for red top 75/35 model battery for about 73.45 + shipping. check this out.. .is it worth it??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33574

 

73.45 seems like a good price as long as they dont get u that bad for shipping

where can i get this optima "package"?

 

Why does raising it help it fit better?

So the 75/35 has the "reverse" posts as well, like the 34R?

 

The overall height of the Optima is shorter than a standard battery, even though it has far more plates inside and more reserve; the booster plate takes ups this extra space so that it will fit tight under the OE battery hold-down; does this make sense?

 

Yes, RsMaxMaggie, that makes sense. The alternative would be to either buy new J-hooks or cut down and re-bend the OE hooks.

BTW, what consititutes a "reverse" battery has me confused. In fact, the 34R is "backwards" from what I would expect, having the negative post on the LEFT. I thought the Maxima needed a "reverse" battery, but it needs the negative post on the RIGHT. In other words, it looks to me like the Maxima needs a "normal" battery, NOT a reverse battery.

Edit: I called Optima. The 34R was recommended because, at the time, it was the best fit. Although it is a "reverse terminal" battery, it has the posts toward the front, so if you flip it around, you have, in essence, a regular post battery with the posts close to the back, which is exactly what the doctor ordered. A slighly better option is the "Group 35" battery, again a reverse terminal bettery with the posts at the front. Flip it around and the posts are at the back, near the corners, which is perfect for the Maxima since all OE terminals can be used, with no bending or stretching.

 

I liked the 73/35 battery since it is designed for big GM V8s; plenty of cranking power and deep reserve. The "stretch" of the wires was no big deal and infact probably helps to hold the battery down. I hope this helps!