1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Optima Yellow Top Results

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by miscrms, Dec 20, 2017.

  1. miscrms

    miscrms Plug Envious Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2007
    2,076
    523
    5
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Well, I finally had to replace the yellow top I had bought from elearnaid. I knew it had been a while, but even I was surprised to see the date stamp. 8 years is a pretty impressive run, particularly as the heat in Phoenix tends to eat batteries. 2-3 years is considered pretty common for most starter batteries here.

    IMG_0356.JPG

    At least I remembered to put on anti-corrosion pads this time ;)

    Rob


    iPhone ?
     
    #1 miscrms, Dec 20, 2017
    srellim234, Mendel Leisk and bisco like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,156
    50,059
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i hope the new one is as robust!(y)
     
    #2 bisco, Dec 20, 2017
    srellim234 and miscrms like this.
  3. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2016
    1,097
    563
    0
    Location:
    MSP
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    WOW!

    That is a L O N G time for a 12v battery in the heat of Phx, I know that in Saudi Arabia they get like 2-3 years from even high quality ones, 4 is rare. Even golf cats in parts of MX eat a battery pack per year or less, so that would be like $2/day just in battery replacements!
     
    #3 05PreeUs, Dec 20, 2017
  4. benzio

    benzio Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2016
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    PNW
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Hey there, quick question: were you the one who swapped out the now dead battery years ago? Just curious because I just pulled an Optima 12v out of my 2004 Prius and it was stamped '09 as well. I wasn't sure of the longevity of these batteries.

    I'm also curious to know if the stock 12v battery has JIS or SAE terminal posts. The new replacement Optima Yellow Top I got has the wrong terminal posts for my cable/connectors. I got the Yellow Top Optima (DS46B24R) but when I got ready to install it I noticed it had the JIS pencil post terminals and the old one that was in there was just like yours in the pic (a D51 with the SAE terminal posts).

    Did you have to get different (SAE) cables when you swapped it out in '09?

    I'm just trying to figure out why my cables/connectors are SAE and the Optima battery that is commonly stocked around here has JIS terminal posts.

    Thanks
     
    #4 benzio, Mar 21, 2018
  5. RobertK

    RobertK Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2007
    128
    40
    0
    Location:
    Norfolk, VA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The DS46B24R has JIS posts and is the stock battery in the US for 2nd gen Prius with SmartKey. That battery used to be very hard to find outside of a Toyota dealership, so some vendors sold terminal kits to allow the use of a battery with SAE posts. It looks like your car was converted to SAE.
     
    #5 RobertK, Mar 21, 2018
    bisco likes this.
  6. archae86

    archae86 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2008
    153
    24
    0
    Location:
    Albuquerque, NM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    My wife's 2006 Prius currently has an elearnaid supplied Yellow top installed a bit over seven years ago. I used their supplied SAE conversion hardware, and have been worrying about whether I can undo the conversion for her next battery and use the (cheaper and more widely available) Japanese terminal model, or whether I'll need to stick on the SAE side.

    The car is garaged, and does not see very much of the high temperatures possible here in Albuquerque. For the last three years or so I have also been giving it a monthly topping up with a Battery Tender Plus, which some folks assert may assist in extending battery lifetime. So far the car has not given any of the two or three distress symptoms it gave before I replaced the OEM battery at a little under five years.
     
    #6 archae86, Mar 23, 2018
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)