Car wouldn't start - low 12v battery? Need recommendations

if you get a battery at some auto stores, i think they will lend you the tools.

 

JOL,

Coming in late on this thread. You only need two sockets, two wrenches, and a screw driver. You don't need to buy a set of tools. Look in my signature file below this post. Click on the second link and read post #8 in that string. It tells you everything you need to know on how to change the 12 volt battery in a Gen II Prius. Your 2010 is a Gen III, which is even easier to change since you don't have to deal with the plastic duct like the Gen II. Just loosen the battery clamps, remove the negative first and reconnect it last, and take the hold down bracket off of the battery...

Go to Sears and buy some "Craftsmen" brand tools. They are guaranteed for life.

I did it with NO problem. It took me one hour to do the job. I worked slowly and methodically. Experienced guys can do the job in 15 minutes easily.

Don't pay the dealer the outrageous price for the labor to put it in. DO go to the dealer and buy a ORIGINAL OEM battery. The Yellow Top's are hit and miss. The Bosch doesn't have the right posts.

Make certain what ever battery you put in is FULLY charged. A fully charged AGM type battery will measure 12.9 volts or HIGHER with a digital volt meter at the posts with NO load.

Ron (dorunron)

 

The only mistake I often see with first time car repair persons, is that they over tighten nuts and bolts.

That's why I recommend a 1/4 drive set. Snug and a 1/4 turn more is always safe.

 

For DIY, one precaution you must take is to make sure the wrench (or any portion of your body for that matter) doesn't touch any metal while loosening or tightening the bolt on the positive (red) terminal or the wrench could melt. I would additionally make sure I am wearing rubber boots/sneakers so I am not touching the ground either.

If you are afraid of these, your best bet might be the OEM battery from the dealer installed by your mechanic for $45. In fact, your mechanic might be able to order it from the dealer parts dept. ahead of time, top it up overnight, install it and return the old one so you can avoid the core charge?

Other choices for the battery are Exide Edge (but you would have to make sure the seller includes the elbow for the vent tube) and the SuperPlatinum from O'reilly. The thing I didn't like about the Exide is that the plug for the unused vent hole (it has vent holes on both sides) isn't snug enough at least on the unit I received. Perhaps a little silicon glue would take care of it, but I wish Exide did a better job.

 

Yes, I agree with that statement Rude person's. You do not have to reap on the bolts and nuts. Just snug them up good. It doesn't take much to twist off the small threads on the brackets and battery terminals.

 

Bisco, you're in the Northeast. Everything is more expensive, there.

With the competition among auto parts stores, many will install it for FREE, if you buy the battery from them.

 

you got that right. but o/p already tried pep boys and they got the wrong battery. i would try again though.

 

The other advantage with the $45 mechanic is that he should be able to hookup the car to a temporary battery (aka memory saver) using the jump points in the front so you don't lose any of your Engine ECU settings, radio settings and such. Make sure you ask him to do this. $45 IMO is reasonable and you would be supporting a local business unless you are itching to do it yourself or the DIY experience would be gratifying to you, like it is for me.

 

On the battery posts, remove the negative first before removing the positive. Installing in reverse order, tighten the positive first and then negative last.

 

Everyone has to start somewhere in learning......making a mistake is just a hidden way of teaching you something new.

I made the mistake of using an impact wrench on a simple job once....0k, twice. Easy is not always the best method as I've learned. LOL

 

Own 2010 Gen 3-IV. now at 40k miles. Thinking will need 12 volt soonish and I see I can get Optima Yellow Top for about $175 and less for OEM so haven't decided which yet, I have read varying reports of what might happen when I disconnect the darn thing to switch over to new one. One post noted having to reprogram key, radio and computer will readjust driving style?

I've watched a couple videos. Neither mention being prepared to do anything special after connecting new battery.

Any help appreciated.

 

all you lose is radio presets and some mention auto windows which only take a second to reprogram. if you prefer, you can hook up a 12v source to maintain everything while changing batteries.

 

What bisco said...

Just hook up a portable start pack to the Jump Post on the Prius. Make sure you have a solid connection on both terminals of the pack. If you don't have that, use a old 12 volt battery that is fully charged. Even two NEW 6 volt lantern batteries wired together in series is enough power to keep the Prius alive while you are swapping out the battery.

Then unhook the negative cable FIRST on the battery. Sometimes easier to disconnect the cable from the frame and remove it after the battery is out of the car. Put something over the terminal ends of the cables as you disconnect them from the battery. This is very important on the positive cable since it will have 12 volts of DC current on that cable. You do not want to accidentally touch any metal surface or any grounded item with the positive cable when it is energized. Some people put black tape on them, others might put a leather glove. Main thing is to INSULATE the HOT cables so nothing stupid happens. Once you get the new battery in place, hook up the positive cable FIRST, and then hook up the negative cable LAST. After that, remove the jump pack from the jump post and the ground and everything should be good to go.

FWIW, Beware of the Yellow Top. Several posts recently about folks having to replace recently purchased yellow tops due to not holding a charge after a years worth of use. They may be cheaper, but are they really worth it. Also compare the amp/hr rating of BOTH batteries. You will find the OEM battery has more power in it. I recommend the OEM battery which is shown below that can be purchased are your local Toyota parts counter.

Ron

 

My Optima is fine. My dealer battery wasn't.

Maybe the odd person has had problems with one after a year with Optima.

However, this is true though.... many, if not most of the dealer batteries are failing now after 3-5 years in many cases. I would not get up on a soapbox and say that one is better than another.

 

In 2009 I replaced the 12v in my 2006 Prius after the car wouldn't start with Toyota's battery from Liberty Toyota. One night in November the car wouldn't start in the office parking lot. After 3 attempts it booted up & I drove straight to the dealer. They were unaccommodating leaving me to my own devices to get home as the car wouldn't start sitting in their staging area. The warranty on the battery was 1 year/unlimited mileage. NEVER again.

When I detected low voltage from the 2010's battery I started shopping around. I almost bought a battery from Pep Boys. It was a hassle getting them to show me the charge on the battery and to get it charged up. I still didn't like the voltage after they charged it.

Their free battery installation is for "most vehicles". They wanted an outrageous amount of money because, "you know it's one of those hybrids and there's high voltage". Forget it. I don't want anyone working on the car if they really believe they could get electrocuted.

Amazon does not always have the lowest price or best deal. If it's the same price I'd rather buy directly from the seller and cut out the percentage to the middleman. Elearnaid delivered a fully charged battery very quickly and I still have the original sitting on the garage floor.

It took me two hours in the driveway starting at dusk to swap out the battery because I didn't have the proper tools and the factory connections were tight. The next one will go much faster.

I'm not a mechanic. I don't have good or even name brand tools but they work so they are good enough for me. If you don't have space at home keep the tools in the car. I keep the tools in the car because if I need them they won't do me any good when they are home and I am not.

If your time is more valuable who is paying you how much to do something else? How much are you making sitting in the dealer's showroom eating their donuts (if you are there early enough) and drinking their coffee?

In the time it's going to take to drive to the dealer, get the car in the queue, have it sit on the lot, swap out the battery (maybe the new one is fully charged, maybe not), pay the office girl, then drive home you could have done it yourself.

 

FWIW, the average lifetime of any battery is 3 to 5 years. One of the main reasons why the Prius 12 volt battery lasts as long as it does in some cases is because of the low current draw on said battery. All batteries have a given amount of charge/discharge cycles. This includes the traction battery in the Prius and the 12 volt battery.

I am not a bandwagon pusher or anything like that. I speak from experience and my knowledge of electrical devices, batteries, and the units they are used in.

As I said earlier, there have been several posts here on Prius Chat that have discussed the Optima Yellow Top failing within one years time. It seems that the change in the quality coincides with the closing of the main plant where the yellow top was being manufactured. The yellow top is now being manufactured south of the border in Mexico. According to Optima Jim, all QC is still in it's place and that the Yellow Top is still the best battery out there. However, look closely at the Yellow Top Specifications. Note that the Amp/Hr. Rating is less than the Yuasa Brand OEM Battery is.

Yellow Top 39 Amp/Hr.
Yuasa 45 Amp/Hr.

6 Amp/Hr. difference might not seem like much, but in reality it could make all the difference in the world if you happen to leave an interior light on and then remember it before the battery is discharged enough to cause a no start scenario. Face it guys and gals, Toyota gave us a wimpy battery to begin with. It is sufficient, but could be much larger with more capacity. However the space for the battery is limited due to the engineering of said Prius.

Furthermore, due to the structure of batteries including AGM type batteries, once you have seriously discharged your battery it no longer will have the lifespan of a new battery. It will also not hold a charge as well as not fully recharge to full voltage which should be a minimum of 12.9 volts with NO load when measured at the battery post's.

Most batteries die a slow death due to sulfation. All liquid type batteries suffer from this. The one thing that really helps with the sulfation aspect is to keep the battery "fully charged" as much as possible. It is well known that the Prius charging system is not the most robust thing on the planet. Quite a few here recommend topping off the battery on a regular basis with a smart charger.

In reference to sitting at the dealer while you wait for them to change your battery, chances are those type could care less about the brand of battery or any thing else. Those type are generally the one's who also NEVER check their oil with the dipstick and then cry when their Prius suddenly burns oil. It really is all about knowledge and maintenance. A lot of folks never look under their hood. All they do is put gas in her, and take it in when they think about it to get the oil changed if they even do that. Now, if you don't have the tools or the knowledge to change that battery anyone can purchase the small handful of tools that are needed to do the job. And instructions have been posted several times by many including myself on how to change the 12 volt battery.

Finally, the current battery being sold by Toyota for the Prius comes with a 84 month warranty. The Yellow Top's warranty is a lot less. For the first 3.5 years the battery is FREE from Toyota if it is found to be defective. After that period for the remaining 3.5 years the price of a replacement battery is 50% of the cost of the new battery. Those specs. are verbatim to the "TrueStart" battery for the Prius pictured below.

I challenge you to look at the Yellow Top closely. Compare the "warranty" and the "amp/hr." rating. And then remember that all batteries have a limited amount of charge/discharge cycles. A lot depends on how you maintain your battery and your Prius as to how well the Prius will be there for you when you need it.

Ron (dorunron)

 

All largely true Ron.

I look at the significant cost difference and look at Truestart, Optima or Exide as most likely having a very similar lifespan regardless of amp hour capacities.

The 84 month warranty is something you pay for up front. If the battery is well looked after, or does not have more than X number of cycles on it and is not needing replacement until the second half of the 84 month period you will be tempted to buy into the system again, getting another 84 month battery at a price that is closer to what one may have paid for another choice.

I read through all of the comments and reviews here and on other sites before replacing my Yuasa battery with something else. My conclusions may be different than yours though, and that is fine; to each his own.

Roland

 

Considering the fact that the chances of your Yellow Top lasting 84 months before you have buy a new one are cutting it real close. IMO, you still spend more money replacing the YT than the Yuasa. 84 months equals 7 years. Not many on this board get 7 years out of their 12 volt batteries. Pay me now, or pay me later... And even if the Yuasa did fail in it's 83rd month, you are still spending less than paying full price for two of the YT's.

Ron

 

Point is that I believe an Optima or new formulation/construction Yuasa each have a similar chance of lasting 84 months. These new Yuasa batteries with long warranties have only just come out. Time will tell.

Roland