Yeah, I was a big fan of the Yellow Top since my previous one lasted 5 years with a maintainer.
So I bought a 6 month old yellow top battery in 2017. Yah, call me dumb.
In addition, I bought the optima 400 charger to make sure I make this battery last forever.
I plug this maintainer practically everyday, 99% of the time with my ocd routine.
But Nooooo! It was all for nothing because this yellowtop only lasted a tad over 3 years.
The other day, my engine had trouble starting, and I blew it off because I had the radio and rear monitors on alot. Damn, I miss that red flag.
Then I listen to the radio and streaming videos while waiting for my mother to pick up her prescriptions with my engine off. It's a yellow top for using accessories for God's sake.
But then I couldn't crank my engine. So I thought it was just a drained battery. It was made for these situations.
Instead, it just made a single click. I couldn't jump the stupid battery either and I thought it was the starter because my battery was reading 12.9 volts. Well my multi- meter said that, even as high as 12.92. I thought my maintainer was doing a fabulous job.
The jumper cables didnt spark like normal when attaching the negatives.
Removed the wires, cleaned the posts, etc.
Well I didnt want to pay a tow, so I did the hammering my starter just enough to get me home hack, and got it to tick repetively for a bit which was better.
Then goes goes back to 1 tick, used different jumpers and eventually got it to very weakly sound like it wants to start. Very weak is way too much credit because it was barely sounding.
I also notice my multi meter says 12.1 volts with my key in. In my heart, I didnt want to believe my battery was bad.
In addition, I was upset into the wee hours that I almost bought a $280-300 starter online and about to press the pay button but just held back. Instead I end up researching mobile mechanics in my neighbor app. Of course, I could do it myself, but I'm just too old and tired trying to fix my rogue again.
In the morning, after many youtube videos and research, and just hoping it just starts, I finally went to advance auto and their reader said bad battery!
So the rumors are right, ever since they moved production to Mexico, it has gone downhill.
Moreover, I'm so pissed off for banging my perfectly good starter trying to get it home last night.
Just go read the reviews on Amazon, unfortunately I was in denial and a big fan of the yellowtop, don't end up like me. Some didnt even last a year and a half for some. Just read the last couple years and read the horror stories.
Today i just bought an Autozone Duralast because it came second to Walmart's everlast on project farms on youtube.
Everlast was sold out so i bought the higher level Duralast gold compared to the one on the video that came a close second on many categories with the everlast.
But this time I got a battery with a sticker of 11/20, you can't get newer then that folks. Unless they bs-ing with the public. The oldest ones were 10/20.
It's on a maintainer now, but I won't use a maintainer everyday like before, maybe once a month. Lolz
Starting to think using a maintainer everyday is bad. But I thought it was exercising the battery for longevity!
Well nope, I had a bad crappy battery!
I won't be ocd this time, because my routine was just a waste of time. Damn it.
Avoid yellowtop, the time when it lasted for 8-10 years back in the day before production moved is long gone.
Hopefully, my brainwashed idiot zombie self didn't take a few years off my starter by banging the crap out of it last night!