2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Exclamation point=MINI not starting?!

Always nice to see so many satisfied customers. Our production facility is now located in Monterrey, but the quality, while always excellent, has never been better. There are a couple of things that differeniate Optima from other AGM brands. We use 99.99% pure virgin lead (primary), which performs better and lasts longer than the recycled (secondary) lead used in the vast majority of car batteries. While our parent company, JCI, recently built a secondary lead refinery in South Carolina, there are no longer any primary lead refineries in the United States. That means anyone who wants to use pure lead in their batteries needs to get it from a mine, have it shipped to a primary refinery and then ship it again to their production facility, before shipping it again to their retail locations.

Another major difference between Optima and other brands sold in the US, is that although we are headquarted in Milwaukee, we are a global brand, available at tens of thousands of retailers. A significant percentage of our batteries are sold outside the US, so having a centrally-located production facility helps minimize costs associated with transportation, which account for a significant portion of the expense related to battery production. As for environmental standards, we operate on a global standard, regardless of where a production facility is located. Our production facility was built using Six Sigma methodology and is ISO 14000 certified for environmental management and ISO/TS 16949 for quality management. If anyone has any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
OPTIMA® Batteries on Pinterest

 

They make many different size's or Optima red tops and Yes they cost more but they last and last. Nothing wrong with OEM either I just like having more CCA in the Winter because I am in PA and it gets cold here.

 

Optima Red Tops work great in MINI's.

 

+1 Optima Red Top going strong for 4 years.

Just my experience which is limited to my MINI.

 

Biggest pluses with the redtop/other batteries of the same type is longer life, more power, and better recovery chances if deeply discharged.... The general type is becoming MUCH more common, even from the factories in some cars that have auto/start/stop or lots of electronics...there are several brands that have a premium battery similar to the optima....the optima was just the first well known brand....they are sized in battery groups like all batteries....
Optima production was moved from Colorado to mexico a few years ago...some say they are not as good...who knows, but many batteries are now made in locations that have "simpler" environmental rules.....

 

I have had Optima batteries in all my cars since the 80's and have never had to replace one. I live in the North East USA, outside Philly, and it gets very cold in the Winter. I have never needed a jump due to a weak battery.

I had a huge Yellow top in my audio competition car and it had so much power I did not need to add a high amp Alternator like most guys.

 

The Westco AGM in my Miata is 11 years old & going strong.

I do like AGM batteries.

 

This is a new one...be interesting to see what others have to say.

 

Strange stuff for sure. At least you have a work around to start it. I'm sure someone will chime in here with the cause. Not me though, just a bump for you.

 

Free bump

 

how old is that battery? you have all the symptoms of one or two cells failing.....as an aside, we only install world one or oem batteries-everything else has a short life in these cars.

 

Ditto!! About 5 in mine.....with LOTS of sitting when I leave for a week or even a MONTH a time for work.....no tender.

 

The battery type for an Optima is AGM. Absorbed Glass Matt.

I bought a battery (non-agm) for my wife's R55 at Advanced Auto Parts. The size that will fit your MINI is a group 47.

 

Good to know. I will strongly consider this when it comes time to replace mine.