All Kia vehicles use Interstate batteries that were custom designed for them. Hyundai automobiles may also use Interstate batteries from Kia. We advise you to call Kia Roadside Assistance at 800-333-4542 if your car won’t start.
In This Article...
How much does a Kia Optima battery cost?
How much would a new battery cost for my Kia? Prices for a replacement automobile battery varies from roughly $45 to $250 depending on power, size, and quality.
How much does a Kia Optima battery replacement cost?
A Kia Optima battery replacement typically costs between $233 and $240. Between $26 and $33 is the projected cost of labor, while the cost of the parts is $206.
The lifespan of a Kia battery
Depending on factors including battery size, weather, battery type, and driving habits, your Kia battery will normally last between three and five years. However, this can vary greatly.
What is the battery warranty for a Kia?
A limited warranty covering the original equipment battery is in place for 36 months or 36,000 miles. A damaged battery will be replaced free of charge for the first 36 months or 36,000 miles of the warranty period. Kia will pay for the costs of battery replacement, installation, and diagnostics.
I require what cranking amps.
It is influenced by a number of variables, such as the engine size, temperature, and viscosity of the engine oil.
A 4-cylinder engine, for instance, might not need as much cranking force as a bigger 8-cylinder engine. When determining the specifications for the original equipment (OE) automobile battery, the vehicle manufacturer takes all these aspects into consideration.
Typically, 1 Cold Cranking Amp is recommended for every cubic inch of engine displacement (2 CCA for diesel engines).
The entire cylinder volume of the engine is commonly stated as the engine’s displacement in cubic centimeters (CC) or liters (L).
A 2276 CC engine, for instance, is rounded to 2.3 L, or 140 cubic inches.
Applying the earlier generalization would entail:
A 350 cubic inch V8 engine would require more power than a 280 CCA battery could provide for a 140 cubic inch V4 engine.
Let’s look at some related FAQs now that the math is out of the way and it’s clear how much Cold Cranking Amps you need.
Are Optima batteries worth the price?
Optima batteries provide many advantages over regular car batteries, including the higher power-holding characteristics of the AGM design and a six-pack of spirally-wound pure lead cells. Benefits comprise:
- Power Delivery: During the first five seconds of a vehicle’s start cycle, Optima produces a lot of power. The strongest five-second starting power on the market, according to Optima.
- Battery Life & Efficiency: Compared to less expensive wet cell batteries, SpiralCell Technology offers 15 times better vibration resistance. In addition, Optima batteries have a lifespan that is up to twice that of flooded or gel cell batteries.
- Leak-Proof and Upkeep-Free: With no concern for leaks or corrosive spills, Optima batteries can be mounted in any orientation (including upside down).
- All-Weather Performance: The corrosion-resistant shell of Optima batteries improves durability while allowing for use in hot or cold conditions.
What distinguishes Red and Yellow Top Optima batteries from one another?
Hot rodders have always kept a close eye on technological advancements pertaining to automobiles, and this includes Optima batteries in both Redtop and Yellowtop forms. A car battery is typically out of sight and out of mind, so most people don’t give it much thought. However, when difficulties emerge, a car battery can become the biggest hindrance to your day. When that occurs, the battery takes center stage, and you are immediately forced to make a costly decision. When that happens, having a knuckle-dragging hot rodder at your elbow might just help you, and a hot rodder will probably recommend that you look into an Optima battery. Which should you choose: a Redtop or a Yellowtop? We’ll respond to that, but first, some crucial background information about lead-acid battery technology that could influence your decision.
AGM batteries, which are quickly displacing the flooded electrolyte batteries that most people are accustomed to, are now produced by almost all automobile battery manufacturers. By substituting a glass mat with a paste electrolyte instead of a liquid acid electrolyte, this technique enables a denser arrangement of plates or, in the case of the Redtop and Yellowtop Optima batteries, the windings of a spiral cell. AGM batteries can be installed in any position, including upside down, due to the fact that there is no risk of pouring electrolyte or unintentionally bridging the charge plates and causing an internal short. They also have a higher energy density. Because of this, they are physically strong and resilient.
Because Optima has spent more time than anybody else working with gearheads on the battery and charging problems faced by racers, hot rodders are familiar with Redtop and Yellowtop Optima batteries. Despite being more expensive, Optima became a popular option because to failure brought on by vibration, physical damage, electrolyte depletion/sulfation, and continual deep cycling. Many times, racers forego using an alternator and elect to recharge in between rounds or heats. Battery storage and neglect last for months at a time in between these events. This is the kind of real-world experience you need to draw from if you’re trying to decide whether a Redtop or a Yellowtop is better for you.
What We’ve Learned So Far
In addition to the Optima battery, we have marketed other batteries over the years. We comprehend. Everybody wants to create a better mousetrap, thus we salute any business that spearheads the improvement of automobiles. The Odyssey Extreme and the O’Reilly Autoparts Super Start Platinum AGM are two of the numerous AGM plate-style batteries that have surfaced since the Optima’s release. This author tested them with the hope that they would perform roughly comparably to the spiral-cell Optimaa tall task. We’re being completely honest here: Despite charging a premium for the AGM technology, both died within three years. In the Odyssey’s instance, the battery had even been charged using a trickle charger made specifically for AGM batteries.
How come they failed? The spiral-cell configuration is presumably the biggest and most noticeable distinction between these batteries and the Optima. The plate-based AGM batteries in the Optima take up up to 15% more volume than flat-cell batteries of the same cold-cranking amperage, but the spiral-cell container of the Optima case seems to perform a better job of binding the plates securely together and maintaining that integrity over time. Observation: Spiral cells have less edge length available for the release of hydrogen sulfide, therefore logically, spiral plates are more resistant to swelling than stacked plates. Although it’s only a wild guess based on hard-earned experience, feel free to replicate our outcomes. In light of the failure of other AGM batteries we tried, this author has decided to stick with the Optima, barring any further advancements in technology. Your outcomes could differ as a result of that disclosure.
The Optima Redtop Battery
The battery industry refers to the Optima Redtop as a SLI battery, which stands for starting, lighting, and ignition. The vast majority of OE batteries are SLI batteries, which are made to retain a charge that is close to full and rarely reach a discharge state larger than roughly 3%. Beyond that point, the battery starts to deteriorate chemically through a process known as sulfation, during which lead sulfate crystals form and its capacity decreases. Fortunately, most cars never need to consume that much battery power because they are constantly being charged by the alternator and only need it sometimes for short spurts like starting a high-compression V-8 engine.
The company’s main SLI option, the Optima Redtop, is worth checking into for anyone wishing to replace a battery in a daily driver or commuter vehicle. For a 1968 Plymouth Valiant with a high-compression 500ci big-block Chrysler, this author chose that model. This automobile is typically kept on a trickle charger for extended periods of time, but it may also spend extended weekends at the drag strip or at car exhibits that require lengthy road trips on either end. Due to the fact that they are driven so infrequently, hot rods like this one are frequently subjected to discharge levels greater than 3 percent, making them the worst clients for any type of typical SLI battery, whether AGM or otherwise. This kind of neglectthe silent, wicked sibling of abusecan be tolerated to a great extent by the Optima Redtop. However, even an Optima Redtop might not be the best option for your vehicle.
The Optima Yellowtop Battery
Optima initially only sold the Redtop battery, but as the market started to change due to advances in technology and a rise in accessory popularity, they also started to sell Yellowtop batteries. Off-roading, large stereos, lighting, freezers, winches, alarms, satellite-based systems, and even the Optima Redtop pushed standard SLI batteries over their breaking point. Optima unveiled the Yellowtop to meet the growing electrical needs of automobiles. Jim McIlvaine of Optima outlined the rationale behind creating a deep-cycle Yellowtop Optima battery for HOT ROD: “The discharge of the battery causes sulfation to develop in the plates. Corrosion is something that occurs over time, and there are ways to partially stop it. Batteries, as you may be aware, have limited shelf lives and must constantly be recharged at increased amperage rates as they approach their end.”
Sulfationthe Great Battery Killer
The critical distinction between Optima Yellowtop batteries and competing deep-cycle batteries is the Optima Yellowtop’s ability to better cope with unintentional overcharging, hard sulfation, and the shortened life expectancy that results. Optima Yellowtop batteries are specifically designed to handle that higher amperage rate during recharging. McIlvaine of Optima claims: “When a battery sulfates, a high amperage rate might assist break up some of that sulfation and restore some of its performance. However, occasionally consumers use too high of an amperage rate whether or not their battery sulfates. All batteries are sealed, as are the majority of current batteries, so if they overcharge, electrolyte will vent out of them and will never return, lowering their performance.”
Cranking Power vs. Deep Cycle Ability
The Yellowtop Optima is preferable to the Redtop for customers with high power needs when continuous charging capability (such as a trickle charger or alternator) is not practicable. A stereo system that produces a loud sound pressure level (SPL) at car shows for hours on end, an alarm system in a city street environment that experiences frequent triggering overnight, or an off-road 4×4 that frequently uses a winch to pull itself or disabled vehicles out of the mud could all be deciding factors. Although it doesn’t have quite as much cranking power as a Redtop, the Yellowtop has more reserve power and can be repeatedly deep cycled at high amperage without experiencing chemical breakdown due to sulfation.
Optima Redtop vs. Yellowtop
There is only one crucial question you must respond to if your car’s charging system and ground circuits have been verified as functioning properly and you need to decide quickly whether to purchase an Optima Redtop or Yellowtop battery. Think back to the worst circumstances that led to a battery failure in the past. Was it away from home after you used it nonstop to power a stereo, alarm, air bags, or winch? Or was it in the garage after a prolonged period of unattended use but not on a trickle charger? We suggest an Optima Redtop if you answered “yes” to the first question because it was made for high-amperage tasks like starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI). We recommend the Optima Yellowtop if you’ve ever destroyed a battery because of your obsession with electrical devices.
We urge you to look into Optima’s selection of battery chargers regardless of whether you choose an Optima Redtop, Optima Yellowtop, or some other flooded or AGM battery. These devices have digital processors that evaluate the state of a battery and choose the appropriate rate of charging. They can even gradually restore some of a partially sulfated battery’s lost storage capacity as a result of “soft” sulfation while avoiding an overload condition that can harm a car battery. You’d be wise to switch to a device like the Optima Digital 1200, which you can read about here, if you have an older, “dumb” charger that easily overcharges a battery when left unattended (like my old, 25-year-old roll-around Die Hard charger).
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Why do Optima Batteries malfunction?
AGM batteries, including Optima batteries, could eventually stop working. Using a beginning battery in a cycling applicationwhere a deep-cycle battery is a superior optionoften results in failures.
If you connect a faulty AGM battery to your charger, the charger won’t even attempt to charge it. It is assumed that the battery is defective. However, it happens frequently that Optima batteries that are thought to be defective are really only deeply drained and not defective at all.
AGM batteries, like the Optima RedTop and YellowTop batteries, are fantastic because they have a very low internal resistance. As a result, the battery can power your gadgets for longer and more thoroughly than a conventional battery while still being deeply discharged.
Because of its low internal resistance, AGM batteries can perform differently from conventional flooded lead-acid batteries, which might perplex vehicle enthusiasts.
Here is the issue: The majority of battery chargers come equipped with safety safeguards that may prevent them from recharging batteries that have been deeply drained. A typical battery is considered to be defective if it has 10.5 volts or less because it either has a short, a bad cell, or some other flaw. The majority of analog chargers operate on an on/off binary system. If they don’t light up, the charger might believe the battery isn’t charged “bad. turn on a device to charge it “A faulty battery could lead to a dangerous situation. However, it’s possible that the AGM battery is still in good condition. It may just have fallen below the charger’s minimum voltage threshold, leaving the charger unsure of what to do with the battery.
Here are three options for bringing that deeply discharged AGM battery back to peak operational performance.
Investing in a contemporary charger that has kept up with battery technology is the best way to recharge an AGM battery that has been deeply drained. Deeply depleted AGM batteries can now be restored and recovered with the help of several chargers’ AGM-specific settings and desulfation procedures. These are more prevalent and function well with all lead-acid batteries. They can also serve as a battery “maintainer” for batteries that are being stored. Some include extra ring terminals that you may permanently attach to your battery leads so you can use an accessible charger or maintainer to charge the battery externally. It is now simple to connect while storing a car, truck, boat, or RV.
The Digital 1200 12V Performance Battery Charger and Maintainer from OPTIMA Chargers improves the performance of OPTIMA and other AGM batteries, revives deeply depleted batteries, and prolongs battery life. The OPTIMA Chargers Digital 1200 12V Performance Battery Charger and Maintainer offers improved charging capabilities that can be used with all conventional types of vehicle batteries, but it is ideal for use with high-performance AGM batteries.
This technique manipulates the deeply drained AGM battery with your standard charger.
This is what you require:
- charge for batteries (under 15 amps)
- leapfrog cables
- a strong battery, ideally one that is over 12.2 volts. (A flooded or AGM battery)
- Deeply drained and presumably dead AGM battery
- voltage gauge
- a timer or watch
Instructions:
- Connect the healthy battery and the AGM battery that has been deeply discharged in parallel, positive to positive and negative to negative. At this time, don’t connect the battery to the charger or turn it on.
- Connect the charger to the good battery at this point. Activate the charger. The charger will begin to provide a charge once it detects the voltage of the healthy battery (when connected in parallel).
- Check to see if the AGM battery is warm to the touch after the batteries have been connected for roughly an hour. Although batteries naturally get warm during charging, excessive heat could be a sign that the battery is actually broken. Warning: If the battery feels warm to the touch when charging, stop right away. Stop the operation if you hear the battery gassing as well (a hissing sound coming from the safety valves). Put a quick stop to charging if it’s hot or gassing!
- Check the AGM battery frequently with your voltage meter to verify whether it has charged to 10.5 volts or more. With a 10-amp charger, this typically takes around two hours. If so, unplug the charger from the wall outlet and take out the functioning battery. Now, only attach the AGM battery that has been deeply discharged to the charger. Start the charger and keep going until the AGM battery is fully charged or the automatic charger has finished charging the battery. The AGM battery will typically be retrieved.
This is the choice for you if you don’t already have a battery charger, if you don’t want to spend the money, or if you’re not the DIY kind.
Bring the battery to a qualified battery expert who is familiar with AGM technology. The majority of experts are happy to offer “charge and check procedures free of charge or for a nominal cost. The status of an AGM battery is often difficult to adequately assess in auto parts stores, and many of them employ conductivity testers that provide false indications. Battery professionals who specialize in batteries, like the Battery Base, can help establish whether or not your battery is recoverable.