OEM vs Optima 12V aux battery

Is the Exide AGM battery imported to New Zealand?

JeffD

 

Dog,
You will, frankly, be rolling the dice on this purchase.

Optimas reliability has tanked since they moved manufacturing to Mexico 4-5 years ago. So much so that I have had two different auto parts salesmen try and talk me out of buying one.

From what I've read, the OEM battery is reliable but not as long lasting.

FWIW - I put an adapted Optima in my '07 Prius from eLearnAide when my OEM pooped out @ 4 yrs. It runs 12.2 - 12.3V after having been completely flattened once. (Right after I installed it!) Brought it back to life with a pulse charger and it's been good for 3.5 yrs since.

I'm sure others will chime in with their opinions.

 

welcome! oem, they've improved the warranty (at least here) and you really can't complain, getting 9 years out of yours. all the best!

 

I will vote with Toyota for a couple of reasons. Everything will fit as it should. And, the $50 being charged for install is actually reasonable (for a dealership...). Of course you could install yourself.

Don't know about your land, but in the USA, the Toyota TrueStart warranty features free replacement and free towing/roadservice and free installation if the Dealer installs. Free installation only if you install -- check those, I may have it wrong even for the USA.

Also, don't know about your area, but lots of Toyota dealer web sites have parts/service coupons that can reduce costs by 10-20 percent, which helps.

The Optima, well, read the recent reviews on here. I had one in my 1997 Nissan and swore I would never use another brand, but times have changed and with recent reviews....well....

My Original Toyota battery that "came in the car," lasted from 2008 through 2014, which isn't bad considering wifey only drives some 6-9 miles per day and sometimes not that much (if at all). The "average" life according to Johnson Controls, of all 12v batteries in all cars is five years AFAIR....

 

For the small $25 difference, best to pay the stealership, and DIY.

*Don't know if you'd be able to ship a defective Optima back to elearnaid (in California).
*If able to ship it back for a possible warranty claim, shipping will probably be way more than $25.
*You will be w/o a battery for weeks.​

As others have mentioned, browse the Toyota dealership webpages in NZ, for possible percent off discount parts coupon.
See if your roadside assistance company (ie AAA in the USA), has discounted part rates for its members, at participating dealerships.

See if your Autoparts stores carry Prius equivalent batteries: Bosch (S6535B)-45Amp/hr, Exide (FP-AGM51JIS)-45Amp/hr, or others.

If your Prius has SKS (Smart Key System), you really want the dealer battery, or the Bosch/Exide listed above. SKS cars come standard w/ the 45Amp/hr battery, b/c of the larger continual drain on the 12V battery from the SKS, unless it is turned off. Optima Yellow top is a 38Amp/hr battery. If you drive infrequently or not long enough, the Optima has a greater chance of being discharged b/c you are starting at a deficit of 7Amp/hr (45 vs 38).

Consider investing in an AGM compatible battery charger like the Ctek (MUS 4.3), Schumacher (SSC-1500A-CA), or others. Some here seem to recharge their batteries occasionally, as preventative maintenance. A fully charged battery has a longer life span than a battery that is in a perpetual discharged state. Its a useful tool to have, b/c you may accidently leave a dome light on, trunk light on, or a door ajar, discharging the 12V battery.

 

Fitting mobility 12volt AGM battery. | PriusChat

 

Don't buy an Optima and don't import a battery yourself from overseas. The cost will be prohibitive and if you need to call on the warranty, more than likely the cost will outweigh the benefits.

I'm not sure how the situation has come about, but it seems no battery supplier in NZ sells an AGM alternative for the Prius, including Exide.

Which part of the country are you at?

There are alternatives, but it depends on how much effort you want to put in. The easiest route is to buy from Toyota. Not sure what price difference you will get by shopping around, as I don't think they sell too many of the Prius batteries to make it very competitive. The joys of living in a small country. One good thing is that Toyota only stock the larger 45 aH battery, so regardless of whether your car has SKS or not it has the same 45 aH battery.

I'm not sure of your test methodology, but your battery is so far from ideal that it is in need of immediate replacement. You maybe able to buy yourself time by putting it on charge, but, I wouldn't hold my breath. I doubt whether 9.5 V is an accurate reading, because if it were it would not boot the car to allow the relays to click on. The threshold is somewhere around the 10.5 V mark.

 

can't blame you for that, but i can only say that $200. isn't a bad price for oem, relatively speaking, and $50. is excellent for labour, should you choose not to diy it.

 

well, there's a recent thread from another aussie, who was charged $1,300. to change the water pump. but they gave him a free car wash to go with it. don't feel too bad.