What is the difference between a RedTop, YellowTop and BlueTop battery? Intercel Europe will help you select the right Optima battery for all your applications.
RedTop battery
Use the Optima RedTop battery for normal engine startup, where an alternator directly monitors charge status and delivers energy to the battery as needed. This is the case with most standard vehicles. Think regular cars and even heavier vehicles such as RVs that need good starting equipment.
YellowTop battery
An Optima YellowTop battery is used when the electrical charge is higher than average or when the discharge state is higher when starting the engine. This is the case in vehicles without an alternator and in vehicles with significantly high electrical loads. In this case, the average alternator output is exceeded. Consider vehicles with aftermarket audio systems, GPS, chargers, winches, snowplows, inverters, race cars. This also applies to vehicles that have been given electrical applications from the factory. Consider minivan power sliding doors and a DVD player. The DVD player in particular uses a lot of power if it is used while the engine is not running.
YellowTop battery applications
The Optima YellowTop batteries are suitable for:
- Racing vehicles without a charging system (alternator or generator)
- Special drag racing vehicles
- Vehicles with diesel engines and aftermarket electronics
- A car with audio and/or video applications with more than 250 watts compared to the OE system
- Vehicles with heavy equipment. Think inverters, hydraulics, winches or other accessories
- Electric cars
BlueTop battery
The Optima BlueTop starter battery (with a dark gray housing) is used only when a dedicated starter battery is needed; it should never be used for cycle applications. The dual-purpose BlueTop (it has a light gray housing) can be used for both engine starting and cyclic use. It is therefore a true deep-cycle battery with extremely high starting current. Trolling engines, marine applications with heavy electrical accessories and RVs should use a dual-purpose BlueTop. This is both a starting and deep-cycle battery. Use a BlueTop starting battery for marine applications and RVs if it is only for starting the engine.
Optima starting and deep-cycle battery
Note that the difference between BlueTop and a YellowTop deep-cycle battery, is that BlueTop batteries have both automotive (SAE) terminals and threaded ends. YellowTop’s (except D31T) only have SAE terminals.
Do you get confused by the colored tops? Then keep the following in mind: if the battery housing is dark gray, then you are dealing with a starter battery. If the casing is light gray, then you have a deep-cycle (dual-purpose) battery in front of you.
