If you're looking for a battery for your vehicle that installs in any position and doesn't corrode, leak or vent toxic gases, an Optima battery should fill the bill. Optima makes a "red top" battery that delivers good starting performance for stock vehicles; a "yellow top" battery for high-performance vehicles with high-end stereos and heavy electrical demands; and a "blue top" battery (with a light gray case) for marine and RV applications. Instead of using loose liquid electrolytes like conventional batteries, Optima's Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) design seals the battery's electrolyte in a "sponge like" fiberglass mat. This gives you a lot of installation flexibility.
Even though Optima batteries fit most vehicles, their unique shape and reduced size might require you to make some adjustments. If you're installing an Optima in the same place as the battery you're replacing, you'll have extra room in the battery box. This isn't a problem if your battery box has a hold-down clamp that secures your battery to the tray. If it doesn't, you can use the sizing adapters that come with the battery to enlarge its base to the size of your tray. There's even a height adapter that elevates the battery so the battery clamp fits tighter.
Since Optima batteries don't have a liquid electrolyte, you have a lot of flexibility in how they're installed. In some trucks, such as Toyota's Tacoma, the easiest way to connect your battery terminals is with the Optima on its side, with its top facing the back of your truck. You can install the spacer that comes with your Optima on the side that faces down to give it a flat surface to rest on. This obviously goes on the side that doesn't have battery terminals. The top terminals will now be facing the back where you can easily connect your battery cables before securing your Optima with the battery bracket.
It's hard to imagine a situation where you'd need to install an Optima upside down, but its AGM construction makes this possible without leaks or other problems.
The Optima's AGM construction means its gasses are reabsorbed by its sponge-like electrolyte instead of releasing them into the air, like a lead acid battery. This makes it possible for you to use it inside a vehicle without polluting the air you breathe. If you need an RV house battery, a trunk battery to power your stereo, or a backup battery that won't fit in your engine compartment, you can put an Optima wherever it's convenient without worrying about venting.
