Aftermarket 12v battery $89

Good to know there are alternatives. However, pls note this battery is a conventional design with flooded plates, vs. the Toyota original equipment battery or the Optima, which are both AGM.

That is why the battery only cost $89.

 

It's a pity they do not put the capacity of this battery on the label, but apart from that it will hopefully give you good service.

Some worry about having a flooded battery inside the car, but my OEM battery had plenty of liquid above the plates when I replaced it and many other vehicles have flooded batteries inside the car including the Mercedes A class.

 

An AGM battery has no/little free sulfuric acid in case there is an accident and the case breaks. The battery you have found is 'flooded' with sulfuric acid which can cover the passengers in an accident. I urge you to use an AGM battery. (or not carry passengers)

 

In that same era, Volkswagen vans were designed so the driver's knees were the 'crumple zone'. That did not make them safe then, nor does it mean we should go back to being that unsafe now.

I realize I am advocating you spend approximately $100 on the safety of the people in your Prius, I do not feel very guilty about it. A vast number of 12 volt deep cycle batteries can physically fit in the space, and electrically do the job. To be safe while doing so may limit you to 3 models:

1) The OEM battery at the dealership
2) The Optima Yellowtop Optima DS46B24R Optima battery direct fit replacement for Prius 2004 + with Instructions
3) The Exide Edge Toyota Prius Starting Battery - Exide Edge 51JIS Flat Plate AGM

 

outside of the sulfuric acid and venting, I would not expect this battery to provide the same performance characteristics as the AGM batteries. I believe the depth of discharge the Prius 12V is exposed to will be problematic for a conventional flooded lead acid battery.

If you install a non-AGM battery, you should probably consider replacing it with an AGM before selling or loaning it to someone else for liability reasons.

 

Is it in the passenger compartment like the Prius or in the trunk? (separate compartment)

 

this thread sounds vaguely familiar, especially the 'battery under the seat in the old volkswagon' part.

 

Is Battery Power, or Battery Mart, recommending the battery for use in a Prius or is this your personal recommendation?

 

There was a good thread on here about 6 months ago that looked into batteries for electric wheelchairs and how it'd be easy to match up a nice size battery that'd serve the needs of a Prius that way. Of course it's hard to find stats on wheelchair batteries thus far. But there's gotta be geeks out their that make high-performance electric wheel chair mods that know what battery is best? Still searching...

I'm still on the fence with my 07 replacement battery. The YellowTop is popular because in the 90's they were the best even though in the past dozen years their product quality has been in significant decline. Also I think it sells well because of the psychological effects of the color yellow.

But if I can find an Exide or a Wheelchair battery for half the price of a yellowtop that's what I'm going to do.

 

I am the one that uses the "wheel chair battery" and very well it works to. The version I am using is 60amp/hr and is ultra deep cycle agm and same physical dimensions as the OEM battery.

As you probably realize with an application like a wheel chair the battery is deeply discharged on a day by day basis and has to be able to recover from this without damage.

The extra capacity for periods when the car is not used also makes them eminently suitable for use in the Prius.

John (Britprius)

 

It only takes 1 hard rear ending of your vehicle to spray the entire cabin with sulfuric acid. And I don't think anybody in the entire history of the Saturn brand ever turned to it as a leader in safety...

Do what you please to you, but you should never recommend this battery or any flooded battery in the passenger compartment to people other than yourself. Likewise as already mentioned, it is a severe neglect of safety that should condemn the vehicle to not be allowed to carry any occupants other than yourself you put yourself in the risk.

 

That should work. It might be better to have the manufacturer onboard recommending it but the store and the distributor might have enough liability insurance if there happens to be a problem. I have had Interstate Battery deny a replacement warranty because "the shop" put the wrong battery in the vehicle (not a Prius).