So my Optima Yellow Top threw in the towel yesterday!

Nissan Rogue forum - Includes Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Dualis as well.
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casperfun
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Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:59 am
Car: 2009 Nissan Rogue SL AWD - Indigo Blue
Location: Mid-Atlantic States

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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. :facepalm2

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 :bowrofl:

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. :tisk:
Avoid yellowtop, the time when it lasted for 8-10 years back in the day before production moved is long gone. :sad:

Hopefully, my brainwashed idiot zombie self didn't take a few years off my starter by banging the crap out of it last night! :bang


itsa300zx
Posts: 1243
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 9:39 am
Car: 1990 300zx NA W/TT swap
2011 Nissan Rouge S
2008 Highlander SR5
Location: up North

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Yeah I had the same issue with yellow tops. Twice the price for 1/2 the performance. Never again.
I get Costco batteries now, return them every 3-4 year even if the are still "working".

I have 3 vehicles so very year I get a replacement battery exchange. What else is the Costco membership good for?LOL

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casperfun
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Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:59 am
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Location: Mid-Atlantic States

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I haven't been in a Costco for decades, but back in the day it was fun buying hordes of food. I use to enjoy buying pounds of food that I could enjoy for cheap.

It's actually a great place to go now to add food to your bunker during these apocalypse pandemic times! :rotfl :domo:

itsa300zx
Posts: 1243
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 9:39 am
Car: 1990 300zx NA W/TT swap
2011 Nissan Rouge S
2008 Highlander SR5
Location: up North

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And toilet paper. LOL

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casperfun
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Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:59 am
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Location: Mid-Atlantic States

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itsa300zx wrote:
Tue Nov 17, 2020 12:41 pm
And toilet paper. LOL
I actually learned to wash myself. I'm a survivior! :lolling:

I remember when I was young on a long trip and I had to use leaves beside a highway.:poopy:

Seriously, would you pick up crap then wipe your hands with toilet paper and move on?

Everybody dirty here; at least we don't have to shake hands no more because of china.

America may be the most powerful and developed country in this world, but we got dirty butt cracks!

Ok I'm done before they close this topic. :rotfl :whistle:

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casperfun
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Car: 2009 Nissan Rogue SL AWD - Indigo Blue
Location: Mid-Atlantic States

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Well guess what. The new battery I just bought is the same one I bought for our 2003 Camry long ago.

This Camry of ours is never driven and has been practically sitting parked since the pandemic or actually the last few years. I would use a maintainer every few weeks until I got lazy and let it sit for like 3 months.

Only some time ago I put it back on a maintainer again when it was showing around 12.25 volts when I was moving it from the street. You can not use this car for a few months and it will always start.

After the maintainer and for the heck if it, I drove it more often lately which was hardly but better than before with it stagnating all still.

Anyways, since my rogue crapped out, I was using my Camry to jump it unsuccessfully of course. Well after buying a new battery for my rogue, I finally picked up the Camry that has been sitting at the shopping center a couple days.

I drove it home and wanted to charge it so I cleaned the battery terminals and it was showing 12.8 volts precharge, of course after driving it home a bit.

But what got me pleasantly surprised is that this battery was from sept. 2014! Going very strong on 6 long years. Twice as long as my optima.

Maintainance free because my lazy a$$ didn’t care about learning about filling it with distilled water which is why I bought a optima. Well I watched YouTube videos on it but it goes to show you how good these batteries are since I never maintained this battery on the Camry. Just used a maintainer but NEVER checked the battery levels, electrolytes or whatever.

So I’m glad I bought this same brand again. I thought it was a moderately cheap good brand back in the day.

Well it was better than my stupid butt buying that over-priced; produced by Mexico crap battery from optima.

Should have known better and bought a good solid lead acid battery! :facepalm:

Seriously, this duralast on my Camry feels like it could go for a few more years, and we never drive this thing. It only has like 86,000-87,000 miles and is known to go to 300k-400k miles. This battery is bulletproof! :dblthumb:

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