Have any of you put an Optima battery in as a replacement to the original Toyota battery? There isn't a listing for a 2002 Toyota Corolla or a 2003 Matrix for that matter on any of the sites that sell Optima batteries.
If you have used an Optima, what model did you install, and what did you have to do to have the battery fit if anything?
Thanks in advance...
Mr. Bill
Got a Red Top Optima for the sound system in my old car - they do make them for Corollas. You have to match the Battery Group number on the battery to the current one on your car. I know on mine - my OEM battery was a Delco Freedom 60 (Group 35 battery). Just look for the Optima battery with the same group number (this indicated the mounting arrangment of the battery) and you should be OK.
To double check - measure the current battery you have an compare them with the Group 25/35 Optima battery. I know that mine came with a spacer on the bottom that I just popped off - fitment was not an issue.
I went to an Optima dealer yesterday with my 2003 Corolla and he tried the same group number (35).
Absolutely no fitment possible since Optima is not going to fit the OEM terminals.
The terminals are offset to the front of the Optima while the OEM is offset to the rear. Cables do not allow slack especially the positive terminal that fits over the battery corner.
Perhaps 2001 is different.
That is very weird - I'll go check out a friend's 9th generation Corolla to see how different they are. I did use a terminal block to run power to a distribution point - but I don't remember having too little slack.
Yeah, he said he'd have to totally rewire the pos cabls since it comes from a junction that fits on the left rear corner of the battery.
This store had most all Optimas available, but none yet has the correct configuration. Perhaps Optima will put out one later on or I'll go with an official Toyota 84 month battery from Fred Anderson Toyota at $84.95.
Thanks for your help.
Bob
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