12V battery life

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My wife is an architect, can you tell?

 

How did it do so?

 

My Optima "yellow top" is 16-year old paid 250 for it July 1997

 

Does it fit in your Prius.

 

Not easy, I've never try to put it IN but I did rough measurements and I would need to remove just the bracket that hold the current battery and it should go IN
.
The one I have is model: D43 750CCA 55AH
Measurement: 10in (L) x 6 13/16in (W) x 7in (H)
Though the only the top section is 10in long the middle part is 9 5/8in

 

People talk about doing oil changes more frequently than the 10K interval....I have posted that it does not make sense.

Now on batteries ...

I have the opposite opinion.

I hate getting stuck, and I even hate it more why my wife or daughter get stuck.

I change mine every three years.

They are about the cost of an oil change......so they are not that expensive

 

Not to start an argument but there was a post here about someone added water to the battery, and the acid boiled over and leaked out, etched through the body metal then into the muffler, then he had an exhaust leak into the cabin!

Once Toyota determines their sealed batteries were messed with, they most likely will deny all warranty coverage for the damages.

My opinion is to not screw with something not meant to be screwed with. I carry a rechargeable jump starter, inflator with me, so I am covered if the battery should fail to boot up the Prius, and I can help other people with a conventional drivetrain with a dead battery if needed.

 

Here in the desert, you can count on an OEM battery dying after 3 years, and they don't die slow it's all of a sudden on a hot day. You're very lucky if it gives you any warning. Decent after market batteries last 4 years. One of the worst things for a battery is lack of use, they need to be run and charged frequently. But here its the heat that gets them.

 

How are the HV batteries holding up in your neck of woods?

 

No problems I'm aware of. NiM batteries generate their own heat. I'd assume that as long as they are adequately cooled they should be fine. I also wonder if placing the Prius 12v batt in the cabin might extend its life, compared to being wedged under the hood where its 150'+.

 

rdgrimes and I are both from New Mexico, but we have huge climate differences across the state, and micro-climates within counties. I live in the foothills of Albuquerque. I replaced the OEM 12v at about 5 years with an Optima that is still going strong at 4 years.

David has a very good point. I might try adding some distilled water if it is an easy DIY for my Optima.

 

I should have qualified my comments about 12v batteries, since its based on the usual car scenario. Prius 12v batts have a lot less to do in the course of a day. No cranking *should* mean a longer life, but its also a pretty wimpy looking battery. I'd still replace the OEM battery after 3 years just on spec. There's really no way to judge how healthy it is, since it doesn't crank anything. I suppose you could put it on a test meter and simulate cranking, but I've never trusted simple voltage checks. When you ponder the considerable hassle generated by losing the 12v on a Prius, it seems a good idea to err on the side of caution.

 

I check the voltage with a multimeter after the car has been parked for 6 - 10 hours. No worries. IIRC replacement time (or perhaps refilling time) has arrived when the result is < 11.5 Volts

 

Is it made by Panasonic? I have had very good luck with Japan built Toyota's Panasonic 12Vs going into the 7 - 8 year time frame, under the hood cranking. It gets to 105- 110 here in the summer.

 

Compare the speed of the power windows in IG-ON and in READY.

 

clever. VERY clever. Thanks!

 

The 12V battery isn't under the hood. It's in back, under the cargo area.

SCH-I535

 

After four years and 60,000 miles, my 12V battery reads 12.6V at rest and shows no sign of weakness or imminent failure. I have cleaned the battery terminals twice during this time. I do not plan to replace it prematurely and expect it will last two or three more years.