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Battery replacement UK

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Clubber, Oct 14, 2016.

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  1. Clubber

    Clubber Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2013
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    Location:
    London
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Think the battery is on it's way out on my wife's Prius. The car has failed to start on 2 occasions. The 1st time I started it with my jump box and it was fine for a couple of weeks but it did the same this morning.

    Dealer has quoted me £147 for the battery including fitting. £118 to supply battery only.

    Is there a cheaper way to do it?

    Can an equivalent battery be bought and DIY install?
     
    #1 Clubber, Oct 14, 2016
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2016
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
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    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    118 pounds converts currently to $189 Canadian Dollars. I believe that's precisely what Canadian Tire is charging for an aftermarket MotoMaster (rebadged Exide I believe) battery that is flat case AGM, dimensionally identical, correct posts and and vent port, and about a third higher Cold Cranking Amp rating. That's about the cheapest and best deal going here.

    Bottom line, unless battery prices are typically cheaper in Britain, that sounds like a very fair price from the dealership. Again, you might be able to find a compatible aftermarket battery with higher CCA, but I'm not sure what that gains you at the end of the day. For sure the dealership battery will be 100% compatible.

    You can DIY the dealership battery or aftermarket, either is quite easy. Typically they charge what amounts to a deposit, say 10 pounds extra, which you recoup when you bring back the old battery. It's not difficult to do: always disconnect the negative (ground) cable first, and reconnect last.

    You could clean the new battery posts and cable clamps with a little fine sandpaper or steel wool before reconnecting.
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Oct 14, 2016
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2016
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