just wondering what kind of batteries you using on your maxima's. i m looking to get a new battery and hopefully will resolve the dimming headlight problem. Optima yellow top? or interstate Megatron plus?

 

I have a new OEM battery straight from the stealership.

 

Sears brand, DieHard (like the movie) These asre some hardcore batteries. They are the best bang for you buck, but their performance is nothing to the Optimas.

 

I have an optima yellowtop. my lights still dim a little bit under heavy bass hits. this is also with a 1.0 fahrrad capacitor. but I think that's just the alternators on our cars being slow to catch up.

 

Just bought a Red Top. Hopefully it'll prevent my battery from draining again from sitting.

 

According to consumer reports:

Best for cold climates:
1 NAPA $80 (65)
4 ACDelco $90 (65)
13 ACDelco $90 (75)
22 EverStart $40 (24/24F), CR Best Buy
24 EverStart $60 (34/78), CR Best Buy
32 NAPA $60 (35)
34 Autocraft $50 (35)

The EverStarts (22, 24) are especially good values within their group sizes.
If you live where it’s warm:
1 NAPA $80 (65)
2 Duralast $60 (65), CR Best Buy
15 NAPA $70 (75)
26 ACDelco $90 (34/78)
32 NAPA $60 (35)
34 Autocraft $50 (35)

All of these scored relatively well in life and reserve capacity. The NAPAs (1, 15, 32) and Autocraft (34) scored well for CCA, a plus for trips to cold areas. Also consider the Nascar (16) if you’re willing to trade some life for a low price.


What's odd is that the Optima batteries aren't even in the list of batteries tested or ranked.

 

optima may not have been tested because most places sell them as marine or motor home batteries.

I got the optima red top its pricey but its got a three year warranty and i have had no problems with it.

and for your headlights dimming if you have subs and an amp you should get a 1 farad or 1/2 farad cap depending on how powerful your amp is. if this is your problem your headlights would dim whenever your bass hits and if you get a cap you just install it on your power wire to your amp and it provides a miny battery for the subs to draw from

 

yellow top optima on both of my rides.

 

I use Duracell for my kid's toy truck.

Ba ha ha.

Now, joking aside, two weeks ago, I was in the same boat. Here is my thread.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=442129

I finally went for the Optima Red Top coz the Napa one only has a 18 month warranty and with the wife driving the Max half the times and having young kids riding, I don't want no troubles so I finally ponied up the extra cash for the Optima.

 

I use Interstate myself, but there was a thread a while back about headlights dimming, and the consensus was that there are several grounds that should be checked and cleaned. My headlights will flicker ever so slightly when I apply the brakes while driving. A new battery has never cured it. I'll live with it till it gets warm, since I don't have a garage.

 

Walmart battery (EverStart I think)

 

buy a lifetime namebrand, correct size, if it ever dies, they replace it,even if you leave your lights on....whatever

 

Interstate... came with my car

 

AAA Dura-cell.

Can't top the copper top.

 

Optima YellowTop

 

Red Top. You probably need a new battery if lights are dimming. If you have a big system you may have to consider like class d amps or do the "big 3 upgrade". Matter of fact if you do the big 3 upgrade that should cure it. Search in audio/electronics forum for more info.

 

i used dealer's oem battery. so far ok.

 

Everstart (made by exide) Wal-mart battery Maxx-1N $58.84 installed.

 

Die Hard Gold. new for this winter season.

 

If your battery is good and you have a dimming problem, clean out your grounds and get a grounding kit if you want to...

 

I use the Big Dog Regular Unleaded Knocker Sensor 36--it cost $15 and has a free 7 day replacement unless you lose the receipt or go to sleep, whichever comes first. The drawback is you have to plug it in at night or you wont have enough juice to start the car an hour later.

Interesting with the $40 Everstart, as it's the correct group size for a 4th gen that was sold in NY, MA, ME, RI, CT, VT, or CA (NJ was 50-states back then). I replaced with a group 35 and the thing is about 65% the size of the OEM. No problems, though it looks puny.

The reason Optima wasn't rated was CR doesn't usually award points based on colors or looks, and they would never compare a marine battery/deep-cycle when recommending a replacement for OEM, it'd be a bad read. (yellow-top)

 

Never Start...ftw!

 

OEM!

10char...

 

yellow top all the way, probably going to throw in a blue top

 

I personally got an Optima Yellow Top. Having said that, if your headlights are dimming, it is very likely, actually almost certainly that it won't be cured by replacing your car battery...period. A deep cycle battery is meant for the purpose of being able to handle deep discharges over and over and over and still keep truckin. Although replacing with an optima deep cycle, you may notice less dimming, this is still NOT the remedy for your problem. If you really want to cure the problem you may want to start with the "big 3" first cleaning and upgrading your ground connections. This also may help. Then the one real thing that will solve your dimming problem would be upgrading your alternator. The alternator is what supplies the electrical system with continuous power.

And don't look into a capacitor. This is a cheap inefficient way of TRYING to solve your problem which most likely won't. And even if you were gonna buy a cap I wouldn't reccomend anything less than a 2 farad cap considering the problem is so bad that your headlights are experiencing current draw. Trust me on this one, you don't want to go there.
And please don't buy a "hyper-ground kit" or whatever other names they like to advertise. These don't add HP and don't help with current draw that much.
1. Buy better battery (I recommend Yellow Top but I'm partial)
2. Do "Big 3" (cheap and easy upgrade hopefully bettering conditions)
3. Man up and buy a better alternator (which will noticebly change your car 12V system)

Kevin

 

die hard...3 1/2 yrs no problems on a 60mth battery

 

brought ACdelco from napa.

 

i have an optima blue top. has always worked fine for me.

 

Red top. I 'm also in the process of putting in a new alt, and a 40 farad hybrid capacitor.

 

yellow top

 

Red Top...Bought it at costco...love the return policy...

 

using optima yellow top

1800 watt amp and big3 upgrade under hood..

yea lights still dimm :\

but the battery is great, i love it

 

i didnt even hook up my system yet...lol..im going to be running a alpine mono amp 700watts with 1 12" alpine type r sub. i m trying to get a in-dash tv first before this goes on but mainly trying to figure out what is this dimming headlight problem. most likely i will be getting the optima yellow top and hook up the ground wires.

where can i get that plate that holds the ground wire cables and attach to the optima battery side terminal?

how much did you guys pay for the optima yellow top anyway?

thanks

 

Some random battery that looks like the ones you see laying on the side of the street. Had it for 2 years, fully drained it twice when my alternator went out and its still running fine.

 

Original Panasonic in the i35, and a replacement Nissan in the i30.

 

i payed 156 for my yellow top

 

Optima Red Top here.

 

Me too, awesome battery.... as far as batteries go....

 

Duralast Gold.
900 cold cranking amps.

 

Optima Red top, paid 175.