How long do I have with this dying 12V battery?

could last quite awhile, might be worth investing in a cheap trickle charger. is it original?

 

You are asking for trouble. jump starting incorrectly, even for a second, can be thousands in electronics.

The AC Delco battery should be fine, the only 'advantage' to the Toyota truestart battery is a 84 month prorated warranty.

amazon.com/ACDelco-ACDB24R-Advantage-Automotive-Battery/dp/B010GKJ8F6

 

Getting it checked with an electronic load tester will dispel the mystery regarding its condition. Battery retailer will have these usually, and will check it for free. You can DIY with Solar BA5, or others.

I'd second trying a charging session, hopefully will tide you over till your mail order battery arrives. Maybe local purchase is preferable, next time.

 

Sorry but I don't agree. "This is kind of like asking "How long can I wait before I get a cavity in my tooth filled. It only hurts occasionally and not very bad."

You gain NOTHING by waiting.

 

You missed the point.

Your original question did NOT say: "Will it hold up a few days until the cheaper battery arrives?"

And Optima doesn't have a really good rep when it comes to Prius batteries.
In the long run, buying the cheapest battery you can find might actually cost you MORE.

 

I tolerated about a week and a half of nonsense during Springtime a few years ago and then got a new 12V battery for my '05. This is in Northern NJ. I went to the dealer with a nice coupon and had those jolly folks put it in the Toyota battery.

New England winter? You are gambling, especially given snow this weekend. Peace of mind is mostly priceless.

Cheers, Tom

 

Can anyone over the internet from just your description quantify the risk?
But clearly your battery is dying.
My reaction is WHY?
A few weeks more of life? At the risk of being stranded or suddenly losing availability of your vehicle?

Unless you are extremely budget strapped, and/or diverting expendable income to life sustaining medicine purchases and/or gift for the orphans this Christmas....I'd just go invest into a new battery. I see little advantage in trying to squeeze out whatever little amount of life might be left.

 

Ok, didn't realize you could still cancel on the Optima. FWIW, I have an Optima Yellow Top myself (for about 2.5 years now), but I've heard it's maybe not the best "fit" for Prius, has high cranking amps (which aren't really needed) and lower amp hours (than the OEM for example.

Locally for me, Canadian Tire sells a conventionally shaped AGM under their Motomaster house brand, and apparently it is a rebadged Exide. It's dimensionally identical to OEM, slightly better spec, and significantly cheaper than OEM. Then, I'm in a fairly big metropolis, and lots of Prius, especially cabs. That's what I might go with next time around.

 

i think it will survive.

 

I still have the OEM in mine ('08 145k)

 

wow!

 

So you've been watching the battery slowly die and done nothing till now? When did you notice the volts go under 12 and then 11.4 and now 10? You should chart the speed of your death spiral. Larger question is: how much are you willing to pay for a jump start and/or tow when you eventually need it? $60 is a nice meal without drinks, a round of drinks ... 1/4 nosebleed ticket to Hamilton ...

 

Why limit your search like that ??
And you still didn't mention an actual "battery store".......like Interstate.

Just out of curiosity, what do you consider an "independent" auto parts store ?
I don't think I've seen one in about 40 years.

AND.....nobody knows how much longer the old one will last. It's a gamble; only you know if you want to take the chance or not. It might fail completely tomorrow.

 

Excellent point. The big box auto stores do stock Prius batteries.

 

I would keep the car on a trickle charger overnight. The battery will perform the worst when it's cold, and I assume that is overnight. What are your options if the car dies where you park it during the day? Could you plug in the charger there, or will you require a jump start?

Jump starting is a potentially hazardous process on a Prius. Even when you connect the cables correctly, the surge from a high capacity battery can toast at least some fuses or worse. Your local tow service carries a battery that can start the largest V8 out there. Not what you want. Maybe you could rig up a set of 8 D cells as a jumper battery that would provide enough to boost the 12V battery after maybe 5 minutes. And connect to the jump point in the engine compartment - not directly to the battery in the trunk.