Toyota OEM 12V replacement Battery

Please do not think I am trying to discredit your findings or the battery. All I have been trying to establish with certainty is that this battery is or is not an AGM battery.

Any battery found that will work reliably and safely in the Prius with a good guarantee and Price must be welcome by all owners. This battery however is not the OEM battery as the battery was and is made by I believe GS Yuasa.

Having already checked with my local dealer the True Start battery is not available at the Toyota dealers in the UK.

John (Britprius)

 

John,

The original battery is NO longer available here in the United States of America. As I stated in January, Toyota has authorized "Interstate Battery" to manufacture the battery that is being sold here in the US through the dealers. It is marketed as a AGM type battery. It is being sold with the 7 year prorated warranty that comes with the "True Start" battery. With that said, it is my opinion that this battery is indeed considered to be a OEM type battery OR is the only valid replacement option that Toyota is offering here in the United States.

Just as the battery that is being sold here in the states is not available in the UK, the batteries that you are using are too not available here in the states. If I could get my hands on a Varta or something similar, I would gladly use it.

One thing I will mention is this, and it is a very positive point. The battery that Toyota is furnishing today is a true drop in battery. There are NO modifications whatsoever to install said battery. In other words, the vent is in the right place. The JIS pencil post's are there and they in the proper locations. Furthermore, the labeling on both the original Yuasa battery and the battery that Toyota is marketing today is identical with the exception of the brand name Yuasa NOT appearing.

 

That is a big benefit since in the past, the GS Yuasa battery was sold with a one year/unlimited miles warranty, same as that offered on most dealer parts dept sales.

 

I wonder if something similar will happen this side of the pond with Lucas Bosch or Varta being involved. Do you know the reasoning for this in the US.

John (Britprius)

 

For the record, a lot of the information I have posted here was obtained from Jake @ Champion Toyota here is Houston. They are also the same group that sells the parts listed at AutoNation Toyota Gulf Freeway Parts | Toyota Parts - Genuine OEM Toyota Parts and Accessories - Houston, Texas I also believe that Champion is the same place where Patrick Wong is getting his parts from. I base that due to following links that have been posted here on PC by him. They always led to the same place.

Jake is the one who confirmed with me who was making the battery, and that it is considered to be a OEM type battery along with it's construction to be based on the AGM type platform. I have heard from two other dealers that this battery does indeed come with a 7 year warranty. mosesk also mentioned that when he got his from his dealer in California.

 

Well, the motivation to no longer import GS Yuasa batteries likely is that they are made in Japan and therefore quite expensive. With no lack of battery production facilities in the US and Mexico, and with the large Prius population here in North America, it is reasonable to seek and qualify a "local" battery source.

 

FWIW, I purchased a Toyota P/N 28800-21171 battery from a local dealer last week and it was in a sealed shipping box from Japan. No "True Start" label anywhere.

 

What is the battery's production date?

That should be displayed on the outside of the box and also should appear on a label placed on the top of the battery.

 

These say "made in Japan" under the GS Yuasa. This was taken a few months ago but I'm not aware of anything changing.


Avi

 

Thanks for this, can you post a picture of the top of one of those batteries?

EDIT: Scratch that request for a picture of the top. I can see it clearly once I click the image. Thanks again for the post.

FWIW, It looks like Toyota is selling different batteries in different parts of the US. turnbowm post's a different number from mine. Research on that number shows up in older post's here on PC. Also, the labeling on the batteries AVI pictured looks slightly different from the one I have. Nothing surprises me though with big corporations. They will do anything to make a buck.

 

So they are the same battery the OEM with a longer guarantee. You can clearly see the GS Yuasa name on the center top of the battery.

John (Britprius)

 

Sorry, everything's buttoned up and the box discarded. The box looked fresh (no dust) and not something that's been laying around a long time.

 

Well, I'm going to post one anyways. Freshly taken at the local dealership this morning.


Avi

 

Thanks, after looking at that and again looking at what I am seeing that is not covered up by the terminals, strap clamp and all the other stuff on top of the battery, they sure look like the same thing. I am almost tempted to disconnect the positive terminal and remove the strap to confirm it.

This is what ours looks like installed in the car.



Can you say whether or not these batteries are the AGM type that is required for the Prius?

 

The date code on the battery in Avi's photo is October 7, 2012. Ron bought his non-GS Yuasa battery in early January 2013. Is it possible that:

1) TMS USA has two battery suppliers now, or
2) the GS Yuasa battery inventory in the US is being (or has been) phased out

Has anyone bought a GS Yuasa with a 2013 date code?

Yes, a unobstructed view of the top of your car's battery would be great to have. Yes, these are AGM batteries.

 

The second picture I posted was taken this morning and is of a battery with a February 2013 date code.

 

I see a code of 071012 which is the original GS Yuasa data code in DDMMYY format. I also see a circular sticker showing B13 which would mean Feb 2013, but that seems to have be added four months after production in Japan.

 

Four months? That sounds like a slow boat from Japan . I have always wondered why manufacturers just won't put plain dates on things, rather than using all of this code trickery. But I guess that would make things too easy.

 

I see what happened here. The first picture I posted was taken on October 5th 2012. The battery in the second picture was manufactured on October 7th 2012. I thought you were referring to the date the picture was taken, as I remember taking it a few months ago, however, you were referring to the date on the battery.

I'm pretty sure GS Yuasa is making the batteries and Interstate batteries is delivering them to the dealerships. They must be putting on date code stickers referring to when they were delivered to the dealership. I'll try to compare the dates on the batteries on the shelf at the dealership next time I get a chance.

 

Disregard, thought I replied in another post.