12V battery choices

OK folks... here's the deal as I currently understand it.

There were big problems with the D51R, and in 2006 Optima took it off the market. They fixed whatever the problem was, and reintroduced it last year. There have been no more problem reports. The "new" D51 is what the elearnaid place is selling. Since stocking the new one, they have sold 16 and have not had a problem with it. So finally... I think I can buy!

 

OK. I'm in. I just ordered from elearnaid. Their price on the battery is very good, and with free shipping, all's well. I just have to pay the sales tax.

Now I need to find an Optima for my Rav4EV.

 

don't u need "a few" Optimas to run that new-fangled experimental electric buggy?!!

good to hear the real skinny on the yellow-top 51R. Good luck with the install. Still wish the 201 volt traction battery could be utilized somehow as a "backup" to the frail 12 volt boot-up battery.

Well, lots of my ideas just never seem to make it out there into the real world. I think they're plausible...

 

Ha. Yeah... meant for the same "aux" duty as for the Prius. Just like with the Prius, the Aux battery runs all the 12V goodies and is charged via the traction pack. This Aux has been the week link in the Rav since the beginning. Not much is asked from it power-wise, but capacity-wise, it has not been up to the task!

The GM EV1 was the only EV to have done this right. There was a button under the dash that would self-jump the Aux battery from the traction pack. How slick (and easy!) is that? My hope is that every modern hybrid and EV would have that capability. Then add auto-off to ALL 12V features, and you're pretty bulletproof. So easy to do - why don't we???

 

Geez, that IS a good feature! Especially in a cold climate

 

"The GM EV1 was the only EV to have done this right. There was a button under the dash that would self-jump the Aux battery from the traction pack. How slick (and easy!) is that? My hope is that every modern hybrid and EV would have that capability. Then add auto-off to ALL 12V features, and you're pretty bulletproof. So easy to do - why don't we???"

You're kidding me? The GM EV1 of pre-2000 had such a feature? And it could do over 100 miles per charge, and 0-60 in less than 10 seconds, no oil changes or gas station trips, zero crud out it's non-existent tailpipe? Say it ain't so! What, are you high? And GM did what to these cars? ...a car that could satisfy 90% of the market just wasn't sensible enough?

Sorry, it's just maddening as hell to hear these types of technologies were pissed (crushed) away when so many peopel could have benefitted.

So, did GM sell that patent (jump the smaller 12 V with the bigger main battery array) to an oil interest as well? Sheesh, it just doesn't get any worse, does it?

 

You didn't mention that part where GM can't quite figure out how to get 40 miles of battery range *today*.

 

I repeated their typo without checking. Thanks for the correction. I''ll have to order mine as soon as we hear about your experience with it.

 

Mine is due to arrive today. Same-day shipping impressed me.

 

OK, I'm in the Optima club now. Here are some pictures of the ordeal:
Prius Optima Aux

Went well. And I have high hopes!

 

Perhaps I missed this somewhere, but what makes the Optima battery so good? I read about it from your link in another post, but am not really all that tech savvy. Will this thing be better in the long run, considering I drive the car every day? Thanks and great pics on the install. Looks pretty easy.

-Pete

 

Some people swear by them, some are OK with them, and some swear AT them. I've had good luck with them in the past. They are typically more durable than most batteries. There is nothing to leak, and no fluids to evaporate or top up. The important part about this being a Yellowtop is that it is a deep cycle battery - meaning it is not so easily harmed if it IS drawn down lower than most batteries should be. It has more capacity, and will survive deeper discharges. Those are the main reasons I chose it. We don't need "cranking amps" or any of that crap. We just need energy.

 

This seems the most appropriate thread to dredge up and continue --
I also just installed a Yellowtop from eLearnAid with their kit, and
had to work around a few minor problems. Details here,
as a second part of my original 12V page. This hopefully provides
lots of helpful detail for others who decide on the same kit.
.
_H*

 

I'm famous! I've been mentioned on Hobbit's pages! I linked back to you as well, so now folks can go around in an endless loop between our pages.

Man... while I did find tiny issues here and there, I didn't find half the problems that you did. Certainly the kit could be a bit better...but I sure didn't have all those clearance issues. I also re-wrote the instructions for the e-learn folks. I wonder if the new instructions are coming with the kit now? Nice work, and great pictures.

 

Since Hobbit has the base model w/o SE/SS and the smaller battery, my guess is that his battery bracket is correspondingly smaller so that the battery doesn't slide forward/backward. That plus the padding on the bottom of the battery bracket is probably causing the clearance issues that he noted.

 

H

Good job! Quick question, perhaps you already answered it in your detailed site - did you notice any corrosion on the bolt that holds the negative ground wire ring terminal to the unit body?

Just curious, I checked mine the first Spring I had my Prius and was surprised to find corrosion on the bolt threads. Applied Locktite Nickle Grade anti-seize to the bolt

Also have gotten into the habit of backing off the bolt and snugging it back up, every Fall and Spring

My battery still seems strong. Probably the constant use of the Battery Minder helps

j

 

Nope, the instructions I got were still in the fractured english,
and I'm going to take that up with them today when I follow up
and drop the URL on them. You'd expect a little better from an
EDUCATIONAL outfit, huh?
.
The Yellowtop just about exactly fit in the bracket I have, but
comparing your prius_aux_optima007.jpg and my 588box.jpg it looks
like your bracket is longer toward the front by as much as an
inch. That's probably why my negative terminal is so close to
the wall. It's okay, though, the Optima sits quite nicely in
that little corner. If it hadn't fit, I expect I would have had
a little hacksaw work to do. I was ready for that!
.
Darell, how much higher did your red cover wind up sitting
when you were done? I can't see that from your last pic.
Was the new terminal exposed as much as I show?
.
The rubber pad under my battery is only about 1/8" thick when
squished, so it's not adding *that* much more overall height.
It's just helping avoid direct metal-to-cell-case contact. The
fuse block rise is more than that. With all the little clearance
fixups in my installation I'm relatively certain there's no
dangerous rub point even if the battery moves a little bit
over time.
.
I didn't find any corrosion, but I've had this area apart
before and made sure to clean up the area around the body bolt,
scrape a little more paint off, and get some lube on the
threads. That's good to do for almost any ground point,
especially where the threads poke through to the outside.
I've always been pretty anal about clean battery connections,
and in fact have a hard time understanding how so many people
run around with all that green-white fuzz on their clamps.
.
_H*

 

Ug. Bummer to hear - especially after I went through the trouble of correcting so much of it for them. They seemed receptive. I mentioned the problems, he asked for specifics, and I sent them.

I wouldn't do this for just anybody... but for you, I just went out and checked. Yeah, there is plenty of exposed terminal, just like the problem you show. I simply ran a length of gaffer's tape around the red cover, and the skirt of that tape goes all the way to the top of the battery, enclosing all the exposed bits. Not a perfect solution, but certainly an easy one. You idea of flipping the clamp is a good one. One that should be part of the new instructions!

I have no clearance issues under the carpeted cover with how I did it.

 

I just installed an Optima in my 08 with Smart Key. My battery fit better than Hobbit's and I have good clearance around the neg terminal. I think the mount is larger for the larger stock battery. Thanks for the tips, they were a big help. Pos terminal fit ok, (Hobbit's mounting method) but I will try flattening the "U" channel shape on the hold down strap next time I go in there. The only other minor problem was dealing with the carry handle when re-installing the carpeted cover. Had to move the handle a couple of times to get one of the feet on that cover to rest solidly on the battery. My original pos terminal was green on the bottom "ring" due to acid seepage through the post to case seam. I used treated felt donuts around the terminals on the Optima, even though I have not noticed any leakage from these batteries in the past. Production date is 12/07. I thought this was a bit early for corrosion on the terminal.

 

Oh, I guess one thing I didn't mention was that I unclipped the
Optima's handle completely; it just pops right out of the slots
when you run one end down to where it widens out. It would
have *totally* been in the way if I hadn't.
.
_H*