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12v Aux Battery

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by chrisrappl, Mar 6, 2023.

  1. chrisrappl

    chrisrappl Junior Member

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    2017 Prius Prime
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    Prime Premium
    I recently saw a message on my 2017 Prius Prime Premium warning me that my 12v battery charge was low.
    Never saw that before. I was fooling around with a Garmin GPS in the cabin, but I was in "ready" mode and the aux battery should have been charging. The charge port may have been connected.
    Tested the battery and it was at less than 50% charge.
    Charged it and tested the CCA. The original battery is rated at 295 CCA and tested at 245 CCA in a 65 deg. setting.
    Probably would be fine for a while yet, but it is almost 7 years old, so...
    Started shopping online for the proper replacement: H4, LN1, 140R...
    Found suitable batteries at O'Reilly's, AutoZone, Toyota and Batteries Plus.
    Long story short, the best solution for me this time was Batteries Plus.
    They do not carry the 140R, but they do stock a Duracell Ultra SLI121R which has the same dimensions except the height is .6" taller. The additional height didn't affect the installation at all. Slipped in there like a green wiener. The CCA rating is 550 and my new battery tests at 795 CCA. 24 month full replacement warranty.
    Added bonus, they lent me a memory saver device which plugged into the OBD2 port, so no resetting required - nice.
    They always offer a 10% discount if you order and pay online and then pick it up at the store.
    Today I found a "SAVE20" code instead that took 20% off of the normal price of $182.99. Score!
    All said and done after getting the core refund ($22.00), my final price in NC including 7.25% tax was $157.00.
    I know that there are differences between cranking and deep-cycle designs and the way the aux battery is used, a deep-cycle design may be better, but this is a simple flooded lead acid battery, so I don't think it matters. I have no connection to this vendor, just thought I would share my findings. Maybe they'll help somebody.
     
    Gokhan and bisco like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats, great price!
     
  3. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    I wish Costco would carry these batteries. I bought one for my Tacoma at a great price.


    iPhone ? Pro
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    They would have if Toyota had put in a reasonably common battery.

    same thing is happening with the new prime tires, odd sized that Costco and most others won’t carry.

    toyotas plot is to put us in debt to the dealer as much as possible
     
  5. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    Walmart carries the Prius Prime battery (group size: BCI 140R). See my thread here.

    Walmart now carries the Prius Prime battery—EverStart MAXX 140R | PriusChat

    It is interesting that the BCI 121R oversized battery fit without problems. It is actually a full-inch-taller—not only 0.6 inches. It might be that your battery posts are touching the inside of your hood.

    121R oversized battery replacement for Prius Prime 140R battery | PriusChat

    Since the Gen 5 Prius/Prius Prime put the battery in the trunk, an oversized battery should be less of a concern for that generation.
     
    #5 Gokhan, Apr 2, 2023
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2023
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    With 3rd gen at least, Toyota's take on the hold-down bracket is completely intolerant of battery height variation; as little as a mm and you're getting out shims and washers. They're not like this, the old-style that can be adjusted up/down through the threaded length of the hooked rods:

    upload_2023-4-2_9-22-5.png
     
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  7. chrisrappl

    chrisrappl Junior Member

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    Mendel,
    In my 2017 Prime (not sure about all 4th gen.) the battery hold down is a plate at the bottom that grabs the bottom lip of the battery.
    When I installed the battery, I placed a 1" wooden block on top of the positive terminal insulator and carefully closed the hood. It closed with no interference and didn't show any evidence of touching the under hood insulation panel. So there is more than an inch of clearance, possibly much more, so not a concern to me.
     
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  8. chrisrappl

    chrisrappl Junior Member

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    Gokhan,
    Good information regarding Walmart's EverStart Maxx 140R.
    If I had known, that's what I would have gotten. Good Price and great warranty (3-5).
    I understand that these batteries are made for/by Johnson Controls.
     
    Gokhan likes this.
  9. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    It is made in South Korea. I don't know if Johnson Controls have a factory there.