Optima battery bad "again"

He didn't get me a price as he couldn't get the battery!

I got the correct size and terminals Exide for less than €100 ( cannot remember exactly but I think it was about €80 ish) and free fitting by myself. I can get Toyota parts at cost, but the cost price of an OE battery was a lot more, even after heavy discount than the Exide. No brainier for me. I generally try to stay OE on most things, but make exceptions when I think that I have made the right decision

 

Just priced the Optima in Fort Collins, CO. at Advance Auto Parts. It was $220 US Dollars (not including core charge).

Right now, my local Toyota Dealer is offering the Toyota TrueStart for $160 USD (special price to good customers who have been lucky to pay full MSRP previously at this dealer, plus an extra 25 percent on top of MSRP, "because that is our pricing structure).

 

Optima vs. OEM Yuasa battery is like comparing Dorman remanufactured battery vs OEM Toyota. Only difference is Optima is not suppose to be remanufactured.

 

Call me "thick" -- but you have to put this in "Layperson's terms."

Are you saying Toyota is better, Optima is better, or just put a bunch of Duracells in series? I really have to block PriusChat, as I am supposed to be working...yet here I am....

 

Just saying the OEM is better.......hey we're all working, this gets us through our work.

 

Be thankful you both have jobs, it is no fun sitting at home NOT being able to work.

 

well you don't have to look over your shoulders when you're on here.

 

with all the work you do on here, you should just put a paypal link on your signature. Add it to your collection.

 

Hey, Ron:

I understand, sort of (and you have been wonderful to me -- with all my stupid issues!). And, if you want to PM me, we can commiserate as I have some extensive experience in these areas.

But, just to add to JC's comment __ HELL YEAH!!! You have been a great -- no wonderful -- no -- and this is the term my dad uses when someone is at the top -- YOU ARE REAL.

 

The only reason I said what I did is that you never know when that last day might be.

For me, I worked my regular shift just like everyday, came home. Two hours after being at home I moved a certain way and had pain that one would describe as a 10 on the scale used in health care. Went to the doctor the following day, he sent me to a specialist who gave me a slip for work which said the following.

"No standing and or walking, sedentary work only. Otherwise off work until further notice."

I was a machinist who did nothing but that for 30 years. No other real experience or references to qualify me. My case has been through the court system and I am considered disabled. I have had numerous surgeries. I walk with a cane, and don't go out very often at all. Most of my day consists of boredom. Prius Chat at least gives me something to keep my mind active.

So anyway, I just wanted to say to those who dislike their jobs or working remember this. It is a blessing in disguise. You will find that what little you get from social security and disability IF you qualify will be CONSIDERABLY less than what you made when you were working. It only takes a second for that doctor to take you out. And it is real hard to get back in.

When you find yourself in a wheel chair or tied to an oxygen bottle, then you will see what it is like. It is no fun, but it is a part of life that some have to endure. So like I said, be thankful for your job.

Sorry to hijack the thread, it was not my intention.

 

May the force be with you.

 

I agree... and I wonder whether people looking for the last tenth or hundredth of a volt out of their batteries realize their meters may not be accurate to the last digit. Just because a meter is digital and has 4 digits doesn't mean it's accurate to all those digits. Especially if it's a cheap meter from the auto parts or hardware store. Meters used in critical applications where accuracy counts are expensive, and may have to be checked and/or calibrated.

I also don't see the need to further charge a battery before installing because it's "only" 90% charged. The car has a charging system. And it's even normal for the battery to not always be at 100% state of charge in use. My Gen 3 allows me to leave the headlights on all the time, they turn off automatically after 30 seconds, and the interior lights, SKS and other things may continue to draw on the battery while the car is off. These "normal" loads will drop the battery a bit below 100%, and are expected. I don't think it's necessary to keep checking the battery to see if it's 100% charged if the car is not showing any symptoms.

I just bought an Optima to replace my original battery. That one would self-discharge to around 10.4 volts after sitting about 3 days, then interior lights were dim and I had to push start a couple of times before the car would go to ready. I measured the new Optima before installing, just to check that it was charged. My (not laboratory reference) meter showed 12.76 volts. I figured this was good enough, and installed it with no further charging, and the car now acts fine (no dim lights, no difficulty getting to ready). I have not checked the voltage again, and don't feel the need to. And checking it in the car isn't really open-circuit conditions anyway, the clock, SKS, blinking security light etc. are always drawing a very small current, so you should not expect open-circuit voltage on an installed battery.

 

I had the original 12 volt in my 2010 Prius a full 4 years and only drove 4,000 miles a year, no problems with the 12 volt and I did not do any extra charging either.

 

So Can I ask a question here or do I need to add a new topic? New here. Anyway, my prius 2009 12 v. battery died. I had it jumped and drove it around for a while hoping to charge it. I went thru the battery check on the car and it was 12 . Then I pushed power button again and it went down to 11.3. . From the chart above.Am I right to assume that the battery is going to be dead again by morning? I've been reading through different threads and am confused as I don't know anything about this. One thread seems to say that I can charge the battery up slowly if i get one of those smart chargers for agm and the battery might be good and other threads seem to say that I just need a new battery. Any way to tell if this battery is a goner? I probably should just take it to the dealer but would like to save some money.

 

1. Driving the car around "for a while" is not sufficient to charge the 12V battery.
2. If you don't have a battery charger, a workaround is to leave the Prius READY, with the gear selector in P and the parking brake set, overnight. This assumes you can safely leave the car unattended while READY. You don't actually have to drive the car to charge the 12V battery, it just has to remain READY. Make sure the car has sufficient fuel in the tank, so that it won't run out.
3. If #2 is not feasible, assume that the 12V battery will be dead tomorrow morning, and make plans to deal with that eventuality.
4. If you are able to charge the 12V battery by leaving the Prius READY overnight, then see whether the battery performs in the next few days. If you have a no-start situation again, then buy a new 12V battery. Good luck.

 

Thanks for reply. There might not be car there in the am if I do that. I have an old non agm charger that goes to 2/10 / 50 amps. Could I use that since the battery is somewhat working now? Didn't help charge it all when totally dead last night.

 

Yes, an old charger is better than no charger at all. Most chargers have a safety circuit which senses what the battery voltage is, and if it is too low or if the charger cables are hooked up incorrectly, then the charger won't charge.

Use the 10A setting, 2A is too low and 50A is way too high. Good luck.