12v battery alternative

it's not recommended, safety wise. you could get fumes inside the cabin, or worse in an accident.

 

It may work, but like bisco said it really is not recommended. There are those here on this board who have put non vented sealed batteries in, but if you are concerned about safety I would not recommend this practice.

The vent is there to exhaust any possible poisonous gases emitted from the battery since the battery is in the passenger compartment.

 

The Optima is the proper battery for this car!

 

Correct, Most if not all of the AGM sealed batteries are actually Valve regulated batteries. The vent for each cell is sealed by a little pressure relief valve that blocks the vent until something goes wrong and excess pressure builds up. At that point, the valve will open and allow excess gas pressure to escape instead of exploding the battery case. Thats why any battery installed inside the passenger compartment should have an outside vent tube.

Also make sure any battery you consider for a Prius is a deep cycle type battery, You dont want a standard cranking battery. A Prius has a lot of "always on" electronics that tend to deep cycle the 12V battery if not driven every day, and a deep cycle battery can better stand deep discharge cycles than a conventional starting battery.. Someone who drives their Prius once per week is much harder on the 12V battery than another that drives their Prius every day, as the 12V battery will be discharged to 50% in a little over a weeks time.

 

The Optima battery in the UK is not a realistic alternative at over £183 or at to days conversion rate$300. Varta, Bosch, and Exide all make Prius fit batteries with the vent. All have a higher capacity than the Optima (45 AH against 38 AH), and all have longer guarantees "up to 5 years minimum 3 years". All cost less than £50.

The B33 Varta battery is vented at both ends and is supplied with a sealing plug if venting is only required at one end, as with the Prius. So the answer to your first post is yes this battery can be safely used.

The Optima may be king in the US or have a large following, but far from it in the UK/EU where even the OEM battery is far better value for money.
There are many more Prius fit batteries by other less well know manufacturers again all with the vent and correct posts.

John (Britprius)

 

I had gone ahead and installed Toyota's regular vented battery in, but had been considering cheaper alternatives. The vent really doesn't seem completely necesary, but that's just me. The free hydrogen from the battery is just going to combine with free atmospheric oxygen in the car to form water vapor, at least, on paper it does.

 

Yes, that is the worry. The resultant flames are nearly invisible.

Hydrogen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Its a bit more dangerous than that, as the gasses from a battery are not only hydrogen, but also pure oxygen. The concentrated mixture of hydrogen and oxygen are violently explosive, often blowing a battery to bits, spreading lead and acid everywhere at great velocity..

 

If batteries were always producing hydrogen and oxygen, wouldn't they all be blowing to bits?

 

No, only when subjected to an internal spark from a damaged battery, or very near the battery vent with a loose / corroded terminal clamp that creates a spark. Also connecting / disconnecting battery chargers or jumper cables while the battery is gassing. An open flame or even the glow of a cigarette will ignite the hydrogen / oxygen mixture with a bang !!

Do car batteries really blow up? - Yahoo Answers

 

Most batteries are in a open space where the hydrogen can always disperse and never reach 4% concentration, very few cars have the battery enclosed with the passengers, but those that do need external venting. (and AGM construction, so there is very little sulfuric acid in case the battery case is ruptured)

 

I am award of that... However, the battery is under all the carpet, etc, although simple diffusion will let some hydrogen enter the cab. The vent would still allow some of that gas to escape. At least, that's the way it would seem to me.

 

Hi all, our 2006 Prius is in need of a new 12v battery. Toyota want £95.00 for a replacement which seems a little steep to me. Can anyone advise on alternative Makes/Models that are suitable and have the correct venting feature? Need to try and grab one this weekend if I can.

Thanks in advance.

 

Try post # 7, or contact BritPrius.

 

Thanks, I've noted the Varta B33, was hoping for some model numbers of other brands such as Bosch that were known to be compatible.

 

Odyssey PC-680. From Amazon. It works. Also, did you know the atmosphere is composed of 20% oxygen? That stuff is highly flammable and should be avoided at all costs. It's corrosive, toxic in high doses and is sometimes used as rocket fuel. Dangerous stuff.

 

Give John (BritPrius) some time to come online. He is the authority on the UK models and well versed in this subject as well as other items on the Prius you are familiar. Source and availability varies by region on these batteries.

Best of luck to you.