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Where to Get Optima Batteries 8171-767 (DS46B24R) YellowTop Prius Battery

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by wirelessjava, Jul 13, 2016.

  1. wirelessjava

    wirelessjava Member

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    There seems to be varied prices for this Optima v12 Battery for the prius. Ranges from

    Amazon $147 to as high as $252

    Autozone and Pep Boys are in the two hundred range.

    Why such a big variance? Where can I get the best price on this item ?

    ---wire
     
  2. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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  3. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    I would check threads on this forum about Optima. It may be perfect for you. I had one in a rig in the 1990s and loved it...but, I would search the forum....
     
  4. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    Optima batteries are overrated. A good alternative is an Exide AGM battery, which is closest in design to the GS Yuasa that
    Toyota puts in new cars and off the shelf replacements. If Optimas are so great, why don't OEMs install them in new cars?
     
    Stevewoods likes this.
  5. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    I've gotten a little gunshy about legal issues....
     
  6. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    My local Toyota dealer sells the OEM battery for just over $200, $220 with local sales tax. Best price I could get on Optima was about $195 with tax. For $25 extra, I went with the OEM. I usually avoid the dealer, but this time it made sense.
     
  7. hchu1

    hchu1 Active Member

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    +1 on Exide
     
  8. wirelessjava

    wirelessjava Member

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    Which one lasts the longest Exide or s
    Which one lasts longest Exide or Optima?
     
  9. hchu1

    hchu1 Active Member

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    It really depends on your environment, how often you drive the car vs letting it sit, garaged or out in the open. The Optima I had lasted just past 3 years, garaged, freeway/urban driving 50+ roundtrip everyday. The Exide so far has over 4 years under similar conditions.

    This battery is in my '06 prius, it has had the oem battery, Optima, and now the Exide.
     
  10. RobertK

    RobertK Member

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    Because OEMs are always looking for the lowest cost solution to a problem. Many aftermarket parts cost more to make than OEM parts because they are of better quality. OEM's are trying to get beyond the warranty period before the battery fails.

    Think of it this way. If a car has 5000 parts, and engineers could improve each part for $1.00 apiece, the car would be much better but cost $5000 more to make. Most people wouldn't spend $5000 more for something they can't see. When you purchase one part at a time the cost difference is usually minimal, and the aftermarket parts usually cost less because they don't have the dealer markup.
     
  11. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

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    I wouldn't get too excited about the batteries at the dealer. If it's TrueStart then it's probably a Johnson re-brand. OEM battery is Yuasa I wouldn't pay 200 for TrueStart but would if it's Yuasa.
     
  12. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Liberty Toyota sold me crap 12v battery for my 2006 then wouldn't help me to get home when my car died in their bay.

    I received the Optima yellow top for my 2010 from Elearnaid faster than I expected and it was fully charged.

    It is a free market. Warranties and prices can change all the time. Shop around. Consider tax & core charge. When buying in person check the voltage before purchase and the date.
     
  13. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    You know.
    Patrick Wong has always advocated the Toyota battery. Good enough for me. Even the TrueStart. Still good enough for me.
     
  14. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That is true.

    I did buy the Exide AGM battery for the 2007 a few years ago. It died after 2+ years and I got a replacement under the 4 year warranty, no charge.

    I haven't needed to buy a 12V battery recently, hence I do not know whether the Prius batteries currently stocked by Toyota dealers are made by GS Yuasa or some other manufacturer. A couple of years ago another member posted a photo of the GS Yuasa battery with TrueStart stickers so that the 84 month pro-rated warranty was applicable.

    I would think of TrueStart as a marketing concept, one which allows the 84 month warranty. That name does not necessarily imply a specific battery manufacturer.
     
  15. knettle3

    knettle3 Junior Member

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    I replaced the OEM Toyota battery about two months ago with the above-mentioned Optima Yellowtop- my family has used these batteries as Starting/trolling motor batteries in boats and RV's, and they can be tipped any position and still work without spilling electrolyte. I used Amazon once again aand was charged $155.00 and some change, including 2 day shipping. The unit was brought to my door packaged VERY carefully in a sturdy box which had special padding on all 6 surfaces> This battery also had the small terminals, so no adapter kit was needed.

    The downside? The Optima battery was approx. 1/2 inch wider and 1/2 inch taller than the OEM battery I had just removed..... One might be inclined to say that this shouldn't make that much of a difference, but the fit is VERY tight, esp. for the extra height. The battery hold down bracket was not able to be reinstalled as-is, so I had to devise a fix for the problem. The rear stud for the hold down is built in and bracket is secured to stud with a nut, which is also the adjustment. The length is just long enough without any extra to play with. The front of the bracket crosses the battery in the front and bends 90 degrees and bolts to the floor of the cargo area between battery and brake booster unit (the black box in front of battery - about the size of a cigar box). The original bolt was too short (1/2-3/4" long) to reuse and the hold down was 3/4" too short to reach the cargo floor, where it was located previously... My solution was the purchase of the same size fine threaded bolt 11/4" long, along with a 1/2"-3/4" stack of flat washers for the hold down to rest on (the bracket needed a solid footing to rest on or it could be bent while traveling on our lovely roads here in Louisiana), and a lock washer to ensure that the bold would not vibrate loose. The hold down bracket is easily overtightened with this scenario, and one must strike a fine balance between too much battery movement and the possibility of the case cracking on the new battery resulting from excessive torque when reinstalling the hold down bracket. Also, the top cover of the battery compartment was not flush with the rest of the cargo floor once I got everything installed (the cargo box, the cover to the cargo box, and the piece of carpet that covers the entire rear of car. The battery cover is slightly higher than the cargo floor due to the extra height of the Optima battery, I've already determined it is due to the thick insulation installed under the battery cover; since the door can be pressed down to it's proper position, so I may redo the insulation with a thinner piece, If anyone interested, I'll post pics of the finished job and the old and new batteries side by side. Hopefully, the extra capacity of the Optima will make these minor alterations worthwhile, since the original battery could be discharged by using the radio for a short time.
     
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  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you purchased the wrong model.
     
  17. RobertK

    RobertK Member

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    What Optima battery did you purchase? The proper battery size is a DS46B24R. Given that you appear to have the correct battery posts you probably have the battery that Optima sells for the Prius.

    If you bought this battery, does your car have SmartKey? If not, your car came with a smaller battery. You can buy the battery hold down bracket for the larger battery. A quick internet search should find the right Toyota part number. I believe that it costs around $15 or so and lets you use the bigger battery that came with SmartKey equipped cars.
     
    knettle3 likes this.
  18. knettle3

    knettle3 Junior Member

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    The battery model # is DS46B24R, which cross-referenced as fitting my model without the smart key. RobertK., I didn't know that the bigger bracket was available. I appreciate the heads-up. My current installation is adequate for now, but I would like to get full use of the space and have the battery sit lower. The fitment specs on Amazon included most Prius and Prius C models at all option levels for this Optimus battery. Other sellers mentioned an installation kit for certain Optimus batteries with larger American posts (vs the small Japanese posts); the above battery did not require this. I've located the larger bracket that RobertK mentioned above for $18.00 plus S&H. Here is the link. below. Go to the left side under "hybrid parts and scroll down.

    Optima DS46B24R Optima battery direct fit replacement for Prius 2004 to 2015 , Prius V & Plug-in Prius with Instructions
     
    #18 knettle3, Mar 9, 2017
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2017
  19. PA Prius

    PA Prius Active Member

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    ... and Pep Boys installs theirs for free.
     
  20. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    The Pep Boys in Cinnaminson, NJ wanted an exorbitant amount for the "free" battery swap because "there's high voltage and we could get electrocuted". It ended up costing them a sale and a customer.