I wonder if we can simply use a small battery sold in Walmart that cost only $25? From the spec, it shows that it only has around 250A of cranking amps, compare to most other batteries with 700A+ power, but the voltage is same 12V. Since the 12V in Prius is only used to power up the computer and relays, I guess it should work using this cheap battery. Anyone tried that? Thanks! Allen
I've seen a one or two people post here about using cheap non-standard batteries in place of the original and generally they do work. Typically however they don’t fit properly and require some sort of custom mounting work and also some adaptation to fit the terminals. A bigger issue however is that these "replacements" are generally neither AGM or Gel, and they generally don't have the required "breather" tube either. Both of these are safety issues (since the Prius battery is not isolated from the passenger air space), so it's definitely a case of "try at your own risk".
The 'correct' third party replacement is not cheaper, just better. 12 Volt (12v) Toyota Prius Auxilary Battery for 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with installation kit
Jimbo could not have said it better. My last "O" battery lasted 11 years and went through a car and a truck.
Battery is soooooo totally too expensive. I used use one of the regular 20% off coupons that come in the mail frequently.
just installed new 12v battery in my '04. i got it from the dealer for $200! i don't know if it's because we're in hawaii but that's kinda steep. there are 2 batteries they sell: for smart key or non smart key cars. they were going to charge me $100 for installation! so i took it home and installed it myself. took about an hour to install. one thing noticeable to this type of battery is it's small, and there's a tube running out it's side, drainage perhaps? you can also try elearnaid.com for their prius batteries. i needed one right away so i didn't bother with them.
MSRP is $139 but some dealers are not shy about charging more. The battery for Smart-equipped vehicles is longer and has a higher capacity than the battery for non-Smart models. Since the battery is made in Japan and Hawaii is closer to Japan (vs. the distance from Japan to Long Beach, CA) you'd think that in a fair world the battery price in Honolulu would be the same or maybe even less than mainland US MSRP... But, no. The tube provides ventilation to the car's exterior in the event that the battery produces hydrogen gas due to overcharging.
Yeah, that's a ripoff. Unfortunately everything is more expensive in Hawaii compared to the mainland.
And, eak, it should be connected to the same fitting that the original tube was connected to, so that it exhausts outside the car.
Let me piggyback onto this thread. It's probably time to replace the original 12v aux battery in our 2006, and I'm looking for a good place to buy an Optima on Oahu. I'm hoping to do it right the first time and not have to do it again for at least four years. Is there a local decently-priced retail outlet for them, is it worth buying from our local Servco dealer, or should I just suck up the Mainland shipping charges and go with eLearnAid's Optima D51 & adapter kit?
i urgently needed a new battery so i didn't bother doing any research on elearn shipping to HI. I'm not sure if any other place sells these batteries, i know costco does not i guess i can't complain, since i have an '04, and the 12v battery lasted over 6 years! if you're not in a hurry, research what else is out there, it might be cheaper (although shipping will be questionable) if you do get it from servco, install it yourself, you'll save $100! goodluck!
Just as a point of reference, my Son-In-Law was at my home with his 2005 Prius (98k miles) and had drained his 12v battery for the last time (His "MityMite" jumper battery was also drained and would not accept a charge. If you rely on one of these as I do, keep it charged). One of the local CT Toyota dealers had a 12v special running. $180 installed - not bad - good timing JeffD ps: My 12v battery (2004 Prius at 180k miles) is still on its original 12v (and traction) battery. It's not as strong as it was (never been drained and lots of highway miles), but the engineer in me wants to see how long it will last.
I just finished submitting the order, and so far it seems to be free S&H. $165 and no shipping charges.
The parts arrived nearly a month ago but I finally got around to doing the replacement, and it was painless. 30 minutes of reading the instructions and walking through the parts, a leisurely hour to do the actual wrenching, a few minutes of testing, a few minutes of cleanup. eLearnAid's kit is worth it if only for the new terminals & connectors. In Hawaii, the free shipping was just an unexpected bonus. I'd do this again in a heartbeat. But considering the equipment and our climate, I might not be doing it again for another 6-10 years. The best part was being able to jumper my other car's 12v battery to the Prius terminals (under the hood) while swapping out the Prius' 12v battery (in the trunk). No warning lights, no OBD error codes, no engine glurps, and no radio reprogramming required...
Guam is only three hours from Tokyo by air, but OUR Dealership quoted my $328 for the 12v battery (and failed even to have it in stock). I immediately ordered the kit from e-learn, even though my OEM battery has not failed (yet).
When I called, I informed the nice lady who answered that I was on Guam. Several seconds passed, and I could feel her mulling over the next question, so I told her "Yes! We are a US Territory and get regular US Mail!" She immediately offered to ship for free all the way out here. For those of us in the far reaches of the planet, US Mail is a Godsend. UPS and FEDEX shareholders salivate at the prospect of delivering small packages to us. Thank you, forum members, thank you, e-learn, and THANK YOU, United States Postal Service!
I was wondering, by doing the installation of the new battery with the jumper from another 12v battery, did it still spark when reattaching the negative battery cable to the metal of the car, or did that process avoid any sparking?
Seems like a good enough reason to jumper it to me. I'm skittish about micro-circuitry and sparks/discharges.
