Optima DS46B24R Prius Specific 12v. Battery

DS46B24R INSTALLATION

If you are not comfortable doing the Optima DS46B24R battery installation yourself here is a possible solution.

Rather than go to a local "garage", I called my local Toyota Dealer (I get my car serviced there) regarding the possibility that they would be willing to install the Optima battery. They contacted Toyota (USA?) for a decision and were told that they could install the battery. Of course, it isn't free. They will charge their minimum 1 hr (~$75 here in San Jose) labor based on the usual battery replacement time. I suspect they would not want to deal with the battery that requires a conversion kit.

I know, this ends up pushing the total cost of the Optima battery replacement to $300. I would do it myself but I'm kind of getting to the point (71) where I'm not much of a "do-it-yourself" type anymore when it comes to working on the car. (Computers are another subject. )

 

Honestly, it's such an easy job for anyone who has done minor mechanical work that any shop should be able to handle it. I had never done a Prius battery before but I did one on my friend's 06 in about 30 min.

 

I recently bought the new Optima battery that's supposed to be a direct fit for my 2009 Prius. The battery type is DS46B24R and did NOT fit my car. It was too tall and there was no way to install it without blocking the hybrid battery vent system. I called Optima to explain the situation and requested a prepaid mailing label to return it. They were supposed to call me back about it but never did. I had to return the battery at my own expense ($18.72). I also wrote Optima a letter on Nov 8 '11 requesting a shipping refund and haven't heard back as of 11/25. I've owned Optima's for many years but this was my last purchase.

 

Had the Optima DS46B24R battery installed on Wednesday at the local Toyota dealer. It took them about an hour (including washing the car, checking tire pressure and whatever else they do when a car comes into the shop) and as far as I know was no problem. I enclosed a printout of how to remove the carrying handle since it can have an interference problem with the battery hold down. Checking the voltage using the MFD the new battery shows 12.7 V and then 12.4 V with the headlights (HID) turned on. The old battery would drop to 11.3V under the headlight test.

Yeah, Toyota charged me $72.50 but I'm getting too old to be a DIYselfer anymore. They did the disposal of the old battery too which would have cost $10 at a local battery disposal place.

Note that the dealer did contact Toyota and they approved doing the replacement using a after-market battery.

 

Hank,

I'm sorry to hear you had problems installing your battery in your car. When you found it wasn't fitting to your satisfaction, did you happen to take any pictures that illustrated the fitment issues? Please PM me your contact information, so I can look into the status of your refund on our end. Thank you!


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

Jim- thanks for adding to this thread. I've used Optima's in my Jeeps over the years and now it is time to replace the battery in my Prius.

Is there a new discount code available now or soon?

 

Hi thejdj, I haven't heard of any new discount codes or any in the works, but if I do, I'll be sure folks here find out about them.


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.powerpacknation.com

 

Thanks Jim.

 

I installed an Optima DS46B24R in my 2004 Prius in October.

Total time was about an hour, which included taking lots of photos which I will upload (someday).

It was easy to install, and the car is working great ever since.
The only challenging part was recovering a bolt or two with a magnet after letting them fall out of the wrench.

/Gordon

 

advanced auto has this battery DS46B24R for 200.00 minus promo p20. 160.00 free shipping. I think they charge tax. Still a good deal.

Update: promo code-VISA and get battery for 150.99 +tax= Sweeeet!

 

I just purchased the DS46B24R from elearnaid online March 16th and received it on Saturday the 18th. I got it for $170 with free shipping and no tax, an incredible deal! When I asked about charging the battery, elearnaid said they charge it up to 12.65 volts before they ship it. I installed it on Saturday, and my voltage test was as follows:

no load: 12.1 volts
load: 11.8 volts
charging voltage: 13.8 volts

Since Saturday, I haven't had much chance to drive the car, and I've only driven it for short trips of 20 minutes or less. Today I retested the battery and obtained the following results:

no load: 11.8 volts
load: 11.6 volts
charging voltage: 13.9 volts

Should I be concerned about the slightly lower voltages, or will this all be remedied if I take the car for a nice long drive? Or should I think about buying a battery charger and charging the battery? Will the battery be weakened in longevity if it isn't charged to its fullest capacity?

Also, as mentioned in a different thread, the battery vent tube is not as snug going into the optima (not a great fit, slightly loose) as it was the original battery. Anybody else experience this?

Thanks, Chuck

 

Thanks for the feedback. No, I don't think it needs to be charged, those Voltages are going to come up a little as you drive.

 

Bought one today - VISA promo code still works. Thanks! :rockon:

 

Chuck, if your battery is measuring between 11.8 and 12.1 volts, it is about 60-70% discharged. Your charging system voltage looks good and may eventually bring it up to a full charge (about 13.0-13.2 volts), but it would be much better for your battery and your charging system, if you fully-charged your battery with a battery charger (not exceeding a 10-amp rate). If your cars sits unused for long periods of time or you make a habit of taking a lot of short trips, it may be a good idea to periodically check your battery voltage and fully-charge it, if needed.

As some Tesla owners are now finding out, batteries will provide their best life, when properly-maintained. Lead-acid batteries can be recovered from deep discharges, but whenever they are discharged below 12.4 volts, sulfation begins to form, which diminishes capacity and lifespan.


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

Thanks Jim for providing more insight into this. I do go on longer trips every now and then, but I won't be going anywhere more than 20 minutes away until the beginning of March. However, I do drive every day. On March 3rd I will have two 90 min. trips on the same day. Will I do irreversible harm to the battery if I don't fully charge it before then? I don't have a battery charger yet, but I'm thinking maybe I should get one.

Chuck

 

Chuck, I probably don't have as comprehensive an understanding of the Prius charging system as many of the folks on this site do, but it does seem to share at least one similarity to traditional automotive charging systems- it doesn't maintain the 12-volt battery when the car is in accessory mode or turned off (someone can please correct me, if that is not the case). I don't know everything the 12-volt battery powers when the car is off, but there is some draw on it when the vehicle isn't actively being used. As with traditional cars, if there is any combination of long periods of non-use and/or frequent trips that are short in duration, the amount of time the DC to DC voltage converter has to supply power to the 12-volt battery may not be long enough to replace the energy that was consumed during non-use.

Batteries are consumable items with a finite lifespan, but when any 12-volt battery is discharged below 12.4 volts, sulfation begins to form within the battery. The longer it sits in that discharged state, the more sulfation will form, which will end up decreasing both capacity and lifespan of the battery. I don't want to scare you into thinking you need to be a voltage cop and check your voltage every morning, for fear of ruining your battery. We hear from folks all the time, who let their batteries discharge well into the single digits for months or even years, before attempting to recover them and still found them to be functional.

While we're certainly glad to hear they were able to recover their batteries, we know what they did was not advisable and we also hear from folks whose batteries no longer worked after being subjected to similar conditions. If you were driving a vehicle with a traditional alternator, I would advise against relying on it to function as a battery charger, because most alternators are designed to maintain batteries that are close to their maximum voltage. When people start relying on alternators to recharge batteries that were so deeply-discharged, that they needed a jump to start their car, they often get into a cycle of dead batteries and jump-starts, until either the battery or alternator fail.

I don't know if the Prius charging system would have similar issues, but if your driving habits seem to lend themselves to slowly discharging your battery over time, purchasing a charger might not be a bad idea.


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.facebook.com/optimabatteries

 

I was able to buy one with the code today. Thanks !!

 

According to the manufactures web site the Prius OEM battery is 45amp/hr at 20hr rate.

 

Does this make sense?

I replaced my 2010 Gen III EOM battery with the Optima Prius specific battery about 3 months ago. I drive about 300 miles a week, yet my new 12V Optima appeared to be getting slightly weaker by the day.

So the dealer checked out the car for occult current leakage (none), and verified the charging system was functioning properly (it was). All he could find was a slightly under tightened terminal connection on the Optima battery, which was remedied.

After a few weeks the same symptoms reappeared as a progressively weaker 12v battery every day. I took the car back to the dealer. I was told I needed a NEW BATTERY!

The senior master Toyota mechanic theorized that my driving patterns, mostly <10 mile hops, and a couple of 50 mile trips weekly were not enough to adequately charge the optima battery. Due to the differences in the construction of the batteries, the Optima does not accept charge as fast as the EOM. The Toyota battery with its different construction would take the charge more quickly, and be better suited to my driving patterns.

The new Toyota battery went in yesterday, and all seems well. ..for now. Has anyone else ever HEARD of this problem with the Optima? Does it make any sense?

If this is right, then everyone considering purchase of the Optima battery should be aware of this problem, especially if they use the prius for mostly short trips.

 

Ok, now I'm thinking I'd really better get that battery charger sooner than later! Does anybody have a good recommendation for me?

Chuck