Another 12v Battery Option: O'Reilly's Super Start Extreme AGM

The posts of this battery are threaded slots for I believe 6mm bolts. That way you can screw in whatever terminal you need, kinda like soccer cleats. You just screw in the particular size you need, or make your own out the old terminals from your current battery...

 

Everyone has their comfort levels with working on their car... What's great about Priuschat is we can share our knowledge and direct experience to help each other feel more comfortable about what we do to our cars. I'm sure most want to keep their cars stock. Yet many of us realize that a mass produced vehicle has to cut corners to keep prices down / profitability high and there's a huge lists of ways to improve the quality of individual systems, various components (ex: suspension, converting to LED, better speakers and amps, wheels and tires, etc.

 

The screw in post cost me in the UK £1.50 $2.50 and the vent can be seen in the picture.

This battery however has a safe charge rate 4X that of the OEM Prius battery giving a much bigger safety margin of over charge.

Despite all the concerns of the possibility of the Prius overcharging causing gassing, I have been an avid reader of PC since 2008 and have done extensive searches on this and have not found one post out of over 1.7 million recording an over charging event. If anyone knows of such a report could they please post a link as I would be very interested to read.

Now being an ex electronics engineer I am not foolish enough to say this can't happen but I can say I think I have a greater chance of winning the lottery. I would like to do an in depth report on the charging circuitry but since I do not have a spare inverter this is not going to happen, unless Toyota release the circuit diagrams (no chance).

John (Britprius).

 

Just some follow up info on WKA12-55C Battery. TD55-12 - 12 Volts 60.5 Ah Deep Cycle AGM Battery

Dimensions:
Length 9.10", Width 5.43", Height 8.19" (Total Height 8.43"), F53 terminals (Terminal hardware included), Approx Weight 39 lbs.

• Price: $124.99
• Sale Price: $112.49

 

This still comes down to "I will risk my passengers safety, to save a minor amount of money." I won't, but aside from me never riding with you, that is your choice. I only disagree with you NOT explaining that each time you recommend the unsafe but cheaper battery.

 

The battery we are talking about is a vented deep cycle AGM battery as is the Optima. How can this be unsafe?

This battery is almost identical to the battery I am using apart from the manufacturer.

John (Britprius)

 

Re: safety
If the battery has dimensions that allow it to be bracketed down in the same fashion as the OEM, then I suppose the only remaining possibilities are electric related. I pretty much defer to Britprius in that regard.

However, we *are* talking about saving some $50 USD over ~ 5 years. Call me an extravagant spendthrift -- I just do not care about $1 USD a month, all else being equal. No more posts from me on this topic -- the opportunity cost is WAY too high.

 

Nice! Where did you find it for $112? The link in your post says it cost $138....

 

That's a totally ridiculous conclusion Jimbo! On no basis whatsoever is their legitimacy to your claim of risking the life of your passenger with one of these batteries. If there is a risk spell it out...

BrittPrius and I have done a great deal of research to address your type of fear-based Optima brand loyalty and we've even proven that these battery alternatives are far safer, yet without any facts you say otherwise? What's your deal? Do you sell Optima batteries or something?

Specifically why is this battery less safe?

These batteries are designed to be used in hospital and nursing homes and millions of sick and infirmed who can not protect themselves from bad batteries are sitting on top of these batteries right now as we speak. I might add that none of them are sitting on top of Optima Yellotop, which must mean by your reasoning (or lack therof) that Yellowtop Optima are too dangerous for electric wheelchairs, right? NOT!!!

I might also add that charging a battery in a home or hospital setting is way more problematic because it's easier to use the wrong charger or their could be a power surge from a lightning strike. Whereas inside a Prius the charging power going into the 12volt is far more regulated, far more controlled far less juice to fry circuits /regulators or the battery itself.

 

I agree, I'd much rather buy a crappy battery that's half as good for a much higher price because I've been lied to about it being the best one and if you do the math and spread the consequences of getting ripped off over the course of many years it doesn't add up to much anyways, right? LOL... Too funny!

 

Get back to me when you have decent proof that your battery lasts 10 years.

In the meantime, stop blowing smoke.

 

Ok SageBrush, let's talk facts... Do you have any? Anything at all to suggest this battery won't last?

Point being the only smoke being blown here is from Optima battery owners who are too stubborn to admit they got ripped off so they'd rather plug their ears to the science of how a long a battery lasts, which is primarily a function of the number of discharges the battery is capable of over time.

It's not about waiting around for 10 years, it's about doing the math of how many discharges a higher amp-hour battery will discharge over time.

Specifically:

Any battery manufacturer will tell you the less % wise you discharge a battery the longer life it will have:-
18 amp/hrs out of the 36 amp/hr Optima = 50% discharge.
18 amp/hrs out of a 55 amp/hr mobility battery =less than 30% discharge.
The mobility battery is also designed to withstand being discharged on a daily basis and has a very low self discharge rate (typically below 3% a month)

 

This is a post in some other thread today.
12v Replacement Question | PriusChat

You will note I link to 3 different safe batteries. all with externally vented AGM cells. So far as I know, those are the only aftermarket batteries intended by their manufacturer's for Prius use in the US. (BritPrius hints there are many more outside the US, but that is not where I live) There is no reason to use an unsafe battery that is not externally vented or does not use AGM cells, except to save money.

Want me to recommend a fourth Battery? Find a fourth battery intended for Prius use by it's manufacturer, that is AGM and externally vented. Ideally it should have JIS posts on the correct sides. (or come with a kit to modify your Prius to allow the posts it does have)

AGM greatly reduces the amount of sulfuric acid that could be released in case of a collision.
External venting attempts to prevent the build up of gases above the cells in your battery.
Manufacturer involvement hints that testing, sizing, fitment, and liability issues have been addressed.

(It is possible to discuss differences in opinion without insulting others. I hope I have succeeded in not insulting you. I would appreciate it if that was an agenda point for you as well)

 

WKA12-55C/FR 12V 55Ah Werker AGM Flame Retardant Battery - STEEPCLIMBER - Solo Wheelchairs - Wheelchair or Mobility - Batteries Plus

 

This battery is AGM, this battery is externally vented, this battery is sold in the United States, this battery is not like a home made tire or something. Millions of these batteries are inches away from the nice person of handicapped users all over the world with no issues or incidents being reported....

Name calling is one way to be insulting... Ignoring reality and using fear-mongering to make a point that's not based on the facts of the discussion is equally insulting.

Perhaps at this point we're about even?

 

I am not trying to win points, just save lives.

 

You don't save lives with baseless fears, you save lives with facts that can be substantiated... Please present some facts that can be substantiated... I promise I won't buy one of these batteries and buy a crappy Optima instead if the facts say that is the best path.

 

I know I didn't see it in the picture but I'm not sure how someone else could miss your clear explination of the vent existing in the battery.

Thank you for your patience and information. We were still talking about the WKA12-55C/FR 12V or am I looking at the wrong battery?

 

That particular battery does not appear to be vented, but not having a clear view of the end I cannot be sure.

Some very useful information on this page bearing out what I was saying about depth of discharge.:-

At 50% depth of discharge the life expectancy is approximately 600 cycles.
At 30% depth of discharge the life expectancy is approximately 1500 cycles

John (Britprius)

 

Yes that is the battery in question. I have not seen the battery other than a picture on Amazon, but there is clearly a vent in the same position as the on on my own battery "of different manufacturer from UK" but otherwise identical.
I purchased my battery posts at the company I bought the battery from, and they do make fitting easy.

Some manufacturers use a flat vertical post with a fixing hole like Fords did a few years ago and some a square post with holes.

I find the version with a 6mm threaded hole the most suitable for the Prius, coming as they do with SS bolts and washers.

These can be threaded down through the Prius clamps "washer on top" and bolted directly to the battery.
You could if you wish remove the positive Prius (C) clamp as with the Optima "kit version" and bolt down through the hole that held the (C) clamp.

A third method is to drill down the center of the old OEM battery posts with a 1/4 drill "clearance on 6mm bolt" to a depth of the top of the battery then saw the posts off with a hacksaw as close to the top of the battery as you can. Bolt through them to the top of the new battery making sure you have them in the correct positions. Lead cuts and drills very easy.

Even batteries without a vent can be vented by drilling one small hole to accept the Prius hose fitting, but this can be avoided by getting a vented battery at the start.

Both my sister and myself are disabled and have mobility chairs. I am lucky I can walk short distances but my sister cannot walk at all and has been wheel chair bound for 30years. Both chairs have two of this sort of battery, but not vented. My sisters chair is now in it's 6th year with the same batteries running 18 hrs a day, my own from new is in year 3. and touch wood both going strong. both chairs are charged by three stage chargers initially at 10amps.

Hope this information helps.

John (britprius)