Why is 12 V replacement battery so expensive?

Advance Auto gives a $5 or $10 (can't remember which) store credit for any battery you bring in -- whether you bought it there or not.

 

I got this Bosch battery at Pep Boys:

$195 for the battery, minus 25% online discount (order online, pick up in store 30 mins later -- although some stores may have to order it), then there was a mail-in rebate for a $40 pre-paid Visa card (not store credit, a $40 debit card that can be used anywhere)... not sure if that rebate is still active.

$106 plus tax for a quality 4 year replacement battery is pretty hard to beat. They'll even install it for free -- although I didn't take advantage of that because the original battery was still servicable, so I kept it to use in my boat.

 

I got the very same one. It's properly vented for Prius (at either end, the opposite end has a plug) and comes with an elbow for the vent tube. Only issue I had with it was that the negative post was a bit too small for the clamp in the Prius. Easily rectified with a small shim and some dielectric grease.

 

You are right.
It depends on how it is DELIVERED, not how it is ordered.
But even getting it from a dealer, you still can't trust that it will be fully charged.

Dielectric grease is an INSULATOR.....that is intended to be put on the OUTSIDE of connections.......
not IN the connection.
But don't take my word for it. Look it up.

 

I bought my replacement battery from Pep Boys around a month ago. I shopped around and didn't see anything that came close to your price. That would have been terrible timing if I just missed your $106 deal. I spent a total of $258 (including tax) for an Optima Yellow Top with free install at Pep Boys.

 

I just bought my first prius (2015 with 83,000 miles). It's the original battery. Do you think it would be good to replace it since it is now 5yrs old. Is this what you do normally? Or, is the battery starting to show its age?
Thanks,
Chris

 

Thanks, Lee. Being a newbie, there's still some anxiety about both prius batteries with plans to travel in the next few weeks.

 

many recommend changing it every 4-5 years. others wait for signs of failure. some keep a jump pack in the car.

12.68 is pretty strong, take it for a free load test.

 

Thanks! I do have a pair of jumpers in the back.

 

Mine seems to be perfect and has about 65k miles. While there is no issue, 5 years is starting to get old. I'd rather replace before it fails just to be safe! I'd really not have my wife stranded either. Lordy. I'd never hear the end of it!

 

the prius battery can measure fine with no load, and then drop way down under load. while it doesn't need to crank a starter, if the voltage drops below the computer rquirements when you press the go button, you can have issues.
while it's not a huge load, it's a small battery trying to fire up computers and close relays.

i'm no expert either.

 

if you ever have to jump it, be extremely careful not to cross pollinize the wires. you can fry the inverter to the tune of $5,000.

 

A discharge test won't tell you how "good" it is.....unless it is done several times in a row.
But it will tell you if it is BAD.
One that fails a load test is not to be trusted.

 

Another non-expert opinion:

While Prius doesn't use the battery for cranking, the electronic load test (testing cold cranking amps) still is a good indicator of battery health.

 

Yes. That's what I was trying to say !!

 

This gamut of voltages reflect the problem with this measurement. Electronic load test of CCA will return roughly the same value, regardless of volts.

That said, 7 years is good run, might be time.