HELP - 12v battery on backorder

Napa has them for $160

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BAT7551R?

 

That’s not the original battery size, known in various designation systems as LN1, H4, or 140R.

This is the correct one from NAPA: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BAT75140R

That’s really not enough time to recharge a deeply-discharged auxiliary (12-volt) battery. I’d suggest putting the battery on a charger for a while, if possible, to give it a fair chance to recover, before deciding that it has to be replaced. Chargers for lead-acid automotive batteries aren’t expensive, and you might want one, anyway: if you leave the car parked again for a while, a new battery is likely to discharge in the same way.

If you must have a new battery today, you could try the AutoZone store at 1818 Hillsdale Avenue in San Jose; they supposedly have an H4-DLG battery in stock, which is also the correct size for your car.

 

Check the electrolyte levels and put it on a battery charger overnight. There's a good chance the battery isn't all the way gone; just severely discharged.
You can also throw one of these jump-packs in your trunk; just in case. Meterk 1500A Peak 18000mAh Car Jump Starter USB Quick Charge 12V Auto Battery Booster Portable Power Pack with Built-in LED Light - Newegg.com

 

Too bad I didn't see this before I turned my old battery in for a core charge credit. It was still good.

Try Carquest auto parts. That's the only place I could find one in the SF Bay Area. The dealer wouldn't even order me one.

 

My battery died yesterday. I picked one up at Advance Auto for $180. It looked the same as the Napa battery:
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BAT75140R

The Advance Auto battery fit perfectly and I'm on the road again.
My 2017 Prius Prime battery was 5 years old and hasn't been sitting for any length of time. Maybe it could have been recharged but probably not.

 

They were telling me that back in 2018, so it may not necessarily be related to Covid. In fact, the dealership had put one on order for me and Toyota USA canceled the order.

 

Advance Auto = Carquest. The website says in stock at the Manteca store. This may be the only choice in the greater Bay Area. I'd give them a call. View attachment 220011

 

Yeah, it's a bit of a bummer. There aren't a lot of places that carry this form factor, and some Toyota dealers are reporting no stock and some delays. This is timely for me because I think my battery is on the way out -- a few days ago I kept the car in accessory mode for maybe 10 minutes, and then for the first time I got the dreaded "12 volt battery low" message that couldn't start the hybrid system. I was able to charge it and put a maintainer on it and it's somewhat better but still weak, so I will probably replace the battery anyway. I called the local dealer's parts department (only one within 70 miles) and they had one left, and they said they'd hold it for me for a few days while I see how much I can resurrect it. Most likely I will get it in a couple days, since I don't know how much I trust this moving forward even if most indications are that it's a little more stable now -- especially since stock is so scarce now, I may just buy it now where I might otherwise wait a while.

 

I'd buy a new one, since they are in short supply and you don't want to get stuck somewhere. IMO, you can't revive a bad battery. Also, the dealer battery has less CCA's than aftermarket ones (295 vs. 480 for the one I bought).

 

There's something going on with the Gen 4 and 12V battery maintenance. My 2018 battery was always around 11.8V. The dealership wanted to replace it and Toyota USA blocked them from doing so.

I'm not sure CCA is an important factor in the Gen 4 battery issues. It seems as though chronic voltage <12V is common in these vehicles. Generally, a low state of charge in lead-acid batteries induces sulfation on the plates. This sulfation can become permanent and the battery capacity is reduced. CCA can be maintained even while capacity is severely diminished, so it's not an indicator of capacity.

 

I hadn't checked my PP's 12V battery until this thread got me curious. Right now it's sitting at 12.05V, which is low enough to encourage sulfation. Lead-acid batteries are supposed to be maintained above ~12.4V. It's only been sitting for ~36 hours, when it was driven for a couple of hours.

EDIT: I think it's relevant to note that my 2012 PiP still has the original OEM 12V battery and no sign of issues so far. Are the PP's lasting as long? It doesn't seem like it.

 

Increases in CCA usually comes at expense of amp hours though. Out of my depth, but I’ve heard higher CCA requires more/thinner plates, and that leads to the trade-off.

 

CCA is hardly an issue for a hybrid. The current draw during "start-up" isn't very high.

 

Yeah, booting up the ECU's is not exactly a high current action. I understand that 8 D cells (to get 12V) works just fine.

 

Yeah, I did. Picked it up this morning and will install soon. With a full maintenance charge the old battery is holding a better voltage, but still getting iffy. It’s holding 12.3 volts now instead of 12.1, but I don’t trust it too much.

For a hybrid, I think fewer CCA is fine, and arguably better.

 

Well, the the new battery was noticeably heavier than the old one. I would think that would relate to capacity, but don't know.