red top battery in a 96 civic?

[Brent878]

I want to get a Red top optima battery but it doesn't fit where the stock motorcycle battery is on my 96 civic. I was wondering if any one has moved it to another place in the engine? I have a 96 CX hb, so no AC or power steering, so I might have alittle more room than some others.

I know I can move it to the trunk, but I want to call that plan B. I don't like having the battery that far away from the engine just incase thier is a short in the wire. I rather have my radio turn off than my car.

Thanks,
Brent

 

[NOFX]

Mine fits fine where the stock battery went ('98 Civic EX btw). It's a little tight, but it doesn't budge. I did get a strap to hold it down though because the stock tiedown is too narrow for the Optima.

And Civic batteries are WAY bigger than motorcycle batteries.

 

[cgpEJ6]

why do you have a motorcycle battery?

 

[Eran]

To elaborate on what NOFX said, there's a few things you have to do to squeeze a Redtop into the stock location on a 6th gen (I installed hers).

You need to take out your stock tie-down (two metal rods and a plate), and take out the plastic tray. Then drop your battery in with the positive (+) pole on the right and the negative (-) pole on the left (if you're looking at the engine from the front of the car). We then took a 6ft lashing strap with a metal clasp, wrapped it under the metal battery tray, looping it through the slots cut for the stock tiedown rods. we then pulled it as tight as possible, and then trimmed it. It's VERY snug.

 

[NOFX]

why do you have a motorcycle battery?

He said "stock motorcycle battery" so I can only imagine he thinks it's a motorcycle battery because of the small size compared to many other batteries out there.

Motorcycle batteries are about half as big as the Civic battery is or smaller.

 

[Brent878]

why do you have a motorcycle battery?

I was calling the stock battery a motorcycle battery becuase its the smallest dam car battery i have ever seen, hehe.

If I am not mistaken they only make one size red top? So i will go down and pick one up and try and fit it. I didn't want to spend all that money on a red top and then it not fit and I would have to figure a way out to use it if possible. I have one in my truck right now and I love it. So if thier are different sizes let me know but I only remember seeing one size.

-Brent

 

[Eran]

I was calling the stock battery a motorcycle battery becuase its the smallest dam car battery i have ever seen, hehe.

If I am not mistaken they only make one size red top? So i will go down and pick one up and try and fit it. I didn't want to spend all that money on a red top and then it not fit and I would have to figure a way out to use it if possible. I have one in my truck right now and I love it. So if thier are different sizes let me know but I only remember seeing one size.

-Brent

Nah, they come in two sizes. Big, and Fricken'Uge! But yeah, there's a small one and a big one. The small one is what you need, and it's still pretty big.

 

[cujo613]

for those that didnt know there is a specific honda fit optima battery, just go down to your local dealer and ask for it, we have a 96 and we have the specific fit yellow top

 

[needanew1]

for those that didnt know there is a specific honda fit optima battery, just go down to your local dealer and ask for it, we have a 96 and we have the specific fit yellow top

how would that one compare to the red top discussed above?

 

[Brent878]

Generally from what I remember the yellow top is made for a heavy constant load for like stereo systems pulling on it constantly. The red top is for burst of energy like starting a car and blue top is a marine battery so sitting for long periods of time with out use. The reason why I get the red top's are they sell them at cosco and cosco has the best return policy. They usually don't pop the bubbles off on the top that says the date so when it goes bad I just pop the bubbles off for like 6 months and exchange it. But I have had the red top for 4 years now with no problems but I might exhange it soon so it will be like new again. Unfornatly cosco doesn't sell the yellow top or I would get that one.

Does anyone have a picture of a red top in a civic?

 

[95EXcoupe]

Red Top

I mounted mine up in the trunk and did the conversion, ran a 0 gauge wire from my local welding shop up to the starter and a pos. lead cable off that to the fuse panel, not one singe problem. I used to have the yellow top, but the yellow is a combination of blue and red, it has the benifits of both and is a cranking/storage battery. The only problem is is that the yellows take ALOT longer to charge, and i was finding my battery dead after short trips. The red top is better for audio (i work at Advance Auto, we sell um, i got the books on um), i've sat there and ran my stereo with the sub on all day while i work on my car and it still cranks right on up, it's good at supplying power and rejuvinating itself at the same time to keep a good Cranking Amp, which is what counts, and on our civics, doesn't take much.