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GEN 4 12v Battery BACK ORDER?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Tesh, Aug 2, 2021.

  1. Tesh

    Tesh Junior Member

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    Prius fam, I NEED HELP. My gen4 12v battery died this morning and the Dealership said the batteries are on backorder and they have no idea when they will be in stock. Aside from using a portable battery starter what are my options?
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Checked other dealerships?

    I believe there are still some aftermarket options? Paging: @Elektroingenieur
     
  3. Colorado Boo

    Colorado Boo Active Member

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    Where do you live? My two dealerships here are, also, out of stock but I found one in Denver (45 miles away) that has them in stock...so try calling the parts departments in dealerships starting with the closest.
     
  4. Tesh

    Tesh Junior Member

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    Autozone has one, going to try that one out. I'll update this thread once I confirm it fits and works.
     
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  5. Tesh

    Tesh Junior Member

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    Toyota and AAA say these batteries from Toyota are gel batteries and that AutoZone or O'Reillys battery will die/explode. Can any one help validate please? I'm in a pinch!
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Corporate Toyota? Who with AAA? I don't think Toyota uses gel batteries anywhere, and the fourth gen, besides a somewhat unique case shape, is an old-school lead-acid battery, being in the engine bay
     
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  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    whoever you spoke with doesn't understand the difference between gen 3 and 4

    or between gel and agm. the auto zone battery is fine if it fits.

    your old battery may just need a charge
     
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  8. Tesh

    Tesh Junior Member

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    AAA came through and tested the battery, he said it was dead. Plus once I turn it off, even after 30 minutes, the car does not start up. Battery is for sure dead, I dont think a charge will help. I have a 2016 Prius Touring 3, are we for sure that the Acid battery from Autozone or O'rielly's will work? I was told that it may die soon or explode.

    Toyota dealerships all over are telling me they are back ordered on this battery, idk what to do.
     
  9. Tesh

    Tesh Junior Member

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    Battery is 20hr 45ah cca 295a if this helps
     
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  10. esfishdoc

    esfishdoc Junior Member

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    Charge the battery is my advice. It may go another couple of months... how do I know this? It's what has worked for me. Don't believe it is dead until it won't work in you car after a charge. AAA and anyone else who says so doesn't know what they are talking about in this case. Gen 4 are not AGM batteries. ( I've been shopping for a battery and some auto parts stores have looked up in there system and told me my car takes an AGM... they don't know their system is wrong)
     
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  11. Tesh

    Tesh Junior Member

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    Yup, definitely not an AGM battery. I finally replaced it with the acid battery from Autozone on my second trip there LOL.

    THANK YOU TO THIS FORUM!
     
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  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats! the misinformation in this industry is very sad
     
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  13. MichelleStone

    MichelleStone Senior Member

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    I had something similar to this happen to me a couple years back. I called a local parts place, Pep Boys, and even though they didn't have one, they chased one down for me and installed it. It too was pretty much an emergency situation and they came through for me. I waited at the dealership for two and a half hours before they told me they didn't have one. After going to Pep Boys, they had it installed within an hour.
     
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  14. robsnyder20

    robsnyder20 Active Member

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    Its the same battery as a Chevy Spark. Its an unpopular one though. I read somewhere that the prius system needs about 50 Amps to power up everything to initially start it. Any brand of those jump starter packs and the new micro packs should be able to power the car from a drained battery. I think I even read somewhere of someone using a tiny 12v UPS battery in it in a pinch (wouldn't suggest this though).
     
  15. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    My car went for service yesterday - 100,000km/5yrs, though I've only done 65,000km.

    They mentioned that SparkPlugs were due on the 100k service - I almost told them to wait, but said "go ahead".

    Picked up the car "no Spark Plugs in stock, none in Australia, we've got them on backorder". I said that's fine - wait till next service or the next one.
     
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  16. robsnyder20

    robsnyder20 Active Member

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    Thats crazy, everything seems to be out of stock and its sometimes the little things you don't expect. I think you should be good in yours. Its standard to go 100k between spark plug changes here in the US. That would be 163km. I have done them in previous cars at 90k miles here. Being that the Prii's motor only runs part time, I venture you could safely go beyond that but of course at $8-12 USD a pop, why not replace them early. Because we want to squeeze every last MPG out of that tank!
     
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  17. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Yep - my thoughts. I'm sort-of considering changing cars - but there's nothing which particularly appeals to me at the moment. PLUS - there aren't very many cars in stock for most brands - only cars which nobody particularly wanted anyway.
     
  18. esfishdoc

    esfishdoc Junior Member

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    Toyota dealer here in Norfolk/Virginia Beach area charges 25 dollars and some change for each spark plug. I went ahead and paid for them as I found it confusing if regular parts stores offer the exact equivalent. I haven't changed them yet. I think.. but don't hold me to it.. the normal recs are to replace at 120K miles. I'm up to 133K miles and running normally. Maybe this weekend I'll get around to it.

    As far as Battery: Pep Boys H 4 is an exact match for size... easy peezy...
     
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I was a little incredulous of that, but yeah:
    upload_2021-8-12_7-29-2.png
    (Nice schedule format btw. Waaaay easier to read than the american, event-by-event schedule. Canadian schedule looked like the above for a few years, commencing in 2014 IIRC. With the advent of 4th gen, they nixed all mention of the schedule, say something like "go to our website". There you find a supremely clunky event-by-event schedule, a myopic mess...)

    That's more reasonable. FWIW, the US schedule is 12 years or 120K miles.
     
    #19 Mendel Leisk, Aug 12, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2021
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  20. PaulDM

    PaulDM Active Member

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    wow the Whole of Australia ?
     
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