optima red top in my A1

[DTolo]

Anyone have experience with an optima redtop in their a1. is there anything special i need (brackets)? just curious cus my batt wont hold a charge and optima are the best no?

[Drumrpunk]

Optima is da bomb diggity, I should know...my company owns them :D

[DTolo]

Was just doing some research and maybe it would be better for a yellow top. I was thinkin the D850U? Will I have too many problems fitting this? and Drumrpunk if you work for who owns Optima do you got the connects? IF anybody knows what yellow top would be the best for my a1 GTi please do speak up.

[karl]

Optima is da bomb diggity, I should know...my company owns them :D
when i had my mk1.....i ran a diehard------no problems....i even let the car sit for a couple of months without starting it and it started right up :tup:
pic of the lil rascals guts (i dont own it anymore :( )
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/ckay1/DCP_0899.jpg

[Drumrpunk]

I do get a great deal on them, just think of what a POS kmart battery cost, and thats my cost for an Optima. BUT I only can get them for myself, and I am limited on the amount per year. Sorry!

[SoCal_GLI]

for one you will need to get the reversed terminal, Optima's have the terminals on the wrong side, so you can either get longer battery cables or get the reverse terminal one.

why do you feel you need the Deep Cycle (yellow top)

[Tom (aka Godzilla)]

The yellow top is deep cycle, I think that'll be overkill for you. One good thing, since the Optima's are sealed, they're great for relocation in the back of the car.

[eurocabi]

i have a red top in the cabby, never had any problems,

[Monster8V]

The yellow top is deep cycle, I think that'll be overkill for you. One good thing, since the Optima's are sealed, they're great for relocation in the back of the car.



Why do people put deep cycle batteries in their cars?? I see this all the time and the fact of the matter is, deep cycle batteries are designed to be fully charged, then fully discharged. This is their designed function. Fully charging a deep cycle battery and then installing it in a car significantly reduces the life of the battery. They simply dont take a light usage followed up with a complete charging system. it kills em. Thats what they're used in boats.

Red top batteries dont fit in A1 cars and are heavier than regular batteries. They're too tall to fit and as mentioned, the terminals are swapped. You can be creative and flip em around and mount them that way in the stock battery location but then your having to fabricate a bracket to hold it in place. Or, relocate it to the trunk. Either way, its a waste of time and money for the average daily driven car. Regular batteries work just fine.

Ive seen and heard the redtop batteries dont last as long either.


I just got a Braille battery for my scirocco. Not cheap but its small, light and cranks the motor over no problem.

http://clam.rutgers.edu/~dreadsct/resell/battery/VWcompare.jpg

Stock battery on the left. New battery on the right.
360CCA. 11.5lbs. Works for me.

[DTolo]

Ok so I should add that I plan on putting a 1500w to 2000w system in. THe idea for the yellow top came from some searching I did on the tex. I was planning on 2 batteries though i have never done it before. i never had more than 1000w system either.

[Monster8V]

Ok so I should add that I plan on putting a 1500w to 2000w system in. THe idea for the yellow top came from some searching I did on the tex. I was planning on 2 batteries though i have never done it before. i never had more than 1000w system either.


Well then, thats different then, isnt it?

In an A1? :rolleyes:

[DTolo]

yeah, it's more for a project for me to learn from than anything else. I want to learn custom fiberglass enclosures and nothing better to mess it up in than my own ride. I just gotta get through all the mechanical problems first ya know. But I get the funny feeling that they'll never end. So with all known now, what do we think I should go with? 2 red tops, a red and a yellow, I am pretty sure I should run two batteries but am open to those of knowledge. Oh and the system willconsist of a JL 10, 12, and surrounds. (Don't know what surrounds yet but something that'll take some juice and have to be ear candy)

[RavinJetta]

Optima also has a great warranty. 3 year free replacement and then it is prorated after that.

[Drumrpunk]

Well I am running a Yellow top in my Scirocco. Fits nice in front (although it is going in the back in the next week), and cables fit fine. I run the yellow top because I RARELY drive my rocco, so instead of taking the cables off when its sitting, I use the deep cycle. Has worked awsome for years! If your car is a daily driver use a red top. If your going pro-stereo, you would use a yellow top with a nice Monster Cap. if your going to be competing you would use 2-3 yellow tops with battery isolators and monster caps. If u plan on driving your car on water, use a blue top. But since most of us are not sponsored in stereo comp, 1 yellow will work fine! :tup:

[A1pocketrocket]

Well I am running a Yellow top in my Scirocco. Fits nice in front (although it is going in the back in the next week), and cables fit fine. I run the yellow top because I RARELY drive my rocco, so instead of taking the cables off when its sitting, I use the deep cycle. Has worked awsome for years! If your car is a daily driver use a red top. If your going pro-stereo, you would use a yellow top with a nice Monster Cap. if your going to be competing you would use 2-3 yellow tops with battery isolators and monster caps. If u plan on driving your car on water, use a blue top. But since most of us are not sponsored in stereo comp, 1 yellow will work fine! :tup:

deep cyle is still unneccesary. i just have a crap autozone battery and mine starts up every time. want to talk about 'rarely' driving a car? how about im lucky if i drive it one weekend every two months.

[DTolo]

RIght now I am thinkin a red top and (2) 5 farad caps... I am expecting a very nice present from Uncle sam this year (just got back from doing taxes) so the GTi is gonna get a project boost! yayyyy!!!!!! Still wanna do everything right. Like I said, I am thinkin Red top and full on re wire of awg power cable under the hood.

[blackSDSUjetta]

i had a yellowtop in my old GTi when i had a 1500+ watt sound system. it made the car feel stronger for some reason. i cant explain it, but the car actually seemed so feel stronger. first i replaced the alternator to a 120 amp (from 90 i think) and that made a little bit of difference, then i got the yellowtop, it made all the difference in the world. you cant go wrong with it, it wont be over kill

[SoCal_GLI]

RIght now I am thinkin a red top and (2) 5 farad caps... I am expecting a very nice present from Uncle sam this year (just got back from doing taxes) so the GTi is gonna get a project boost! yayyyy!!!!!! Still wanna do everything right. Like I said, I am thinkin Red top and full on re wire of awg power cable under the hood.


apparently whoever is telling you this crap has no idea what they are talking about...(2) 5 farad caps????

you only need 1 farad per 1000 watts

so apparently you are gonna have a 10,000 watt system in your MkI.

while your at it you might as well get Lexan windows, cause there is no way your factory glass is gonna stay installed

[DTolo]

No the additional Farads is more of a competition between a myself and a buddy of mine. He bought a 10 farad PG cap for his 1600w system. I had a 1 farad cap in my truck though and was only running 800 watts and still had issues. Not major but I figure a nice display of the caps would look real nice and over kill in that dept (caps) shouldn't hurt at all as far as I know.

[Drumrpunk]

deep cyle is still unneccesary. i just have a crap autozone battery and mine starts up every time. want to talk about 'rarely' driving a car? how about im lucky if i drive it one weekend every two months.

Well since I WORK for the company that OWNS optima, Lets just say thats what they had advised me. And since I get them for practically nothing, thats what I did! I pit for a race crew and we have been running optimas in Class 7 all the way to Trophy trucks. Nothing but Optimas in them. After seeing some of these trucks after the races, and still be able to crank em on the same battery year after year, thats what sold me! :tup:

[Alan_One]

<Cliff_Claven>Yeah well it appears to me that we're all overlooking one very important detail here... If I recall correctly and memory serves me right, I along with my college physics professor and his 14 year old adopted refugee son from Pai Gow developed the technology that these Optimized batteries are based on. Professor Opti wanted to pay homage to his dear departed mother so he added "Ma" to the end of his name and so was born the Optima battery. And since I helped invent it AND I deliver mail I must know much more about it than any of you. I would give you guys all free batteries but I'm under a fictitious contractual obligation to tell you about it but not provide you with any useful information or resource that might help you obtain a free or discounted battery.</Cliff_Claven>

[Monster8V]

Alan to the rescue...

[A1pocketrocket]

pwn3d

[A1pocketrocket]

Well since I WORK for the company that OWNS optima, Lets just say thats what they had advised me. And since I get them for practically nothing, thats what I did! I pit for a race crew and we have been running optimas in Class 7 all the way to Trophy trucks. Nothing but Optimas in them. After seeing some of these trucks after the races, and still be able to crank em on the same battery year after year, thats what sold me! :tup:

well since i WORK for a company that builds a major component for class 7 trucks, CORR trucks, JEEPSPEED, and owns a JEEPSPEED Jeep that competes in MDR as well.....dont bluff about working for a race crew. Whos crew is this?

[Drumrpunk]

well since i WORK for a company that builds a major component for class 7 trucks, CORR trucks, JEEPSPEED, and owns a JEEPSPEED Jeep that competes in MDR as well.....dont bluff about working for a race crew. Whos crew is this?
Well to each his own i guess..never been to any races where peps were running traditional batteries, but like I said, to each his own. Ohh yea we pit for Andrews Racing and Fantelli Motorsports. One of the drivers was in a really bad accident and just got out of a coma. He flipped his class 8 truck and was ejected. He was from Ramona so if anyone knows him, wish him a speedy recovery!