(I was requested to set up this survey)

Have you had to replace your 12 V battery?

 

wow, ton of responses...
Haroldo, I promise - when I replace mine next year, I SHALL post it here.

 

Mine is a first month out, Japan built '07, with 75K miles, mostly in the Phoenix desert (including many months in the parking lot at work in 110+ temps!), and still on the original 12V. It reads 13.6V with the system on, settling to 11.5V after sitting for a few hours, so it is time to replace it. Except for the diagnostic screen showing 11.5V, there is no other indication that the battery is not in great shape.

In a couple weeks I will take it in for the 75K mile service, and see if the dealer says anything about it (unprompted by me). I can get the yellow top Optima down the street from the dealer for $200, which I plan to do after the 75K service.

-- Alan

 

This forum, like many others, have lost activity and interest (forums area dying business). Many abandoned this specific forum when owner decided to pin advertising threads/posts.
Save us the anticipation, for the purpose of the poll, which battery will you choose when you replace yours?

 

yellow top optima. cost efficient, fits, and I have no issues venting hypothetical gasses out. I have Das Stuff for it.
btw, those are around $170 here, depends where you looking.

 

I'm also in Phoenix area as well. I have a 2007 with about 64,000 miles that I've had for just over 5 years now. I'm still on the original though 3 times now I've had the car not start. Usually the result of me leaving an internal light on overnight. [It used to be able to handle 2 lights on for 2-4 days without difficulty. I have a small child that likes to turn them on and if I don't catch it, well you know how it goes. ]

I ended up going with a red top 75/25 with spacer. I'm putting it in tomorrow. Yes, I know, red top and not yellow top. We'll see if it's a good idea or not.

As for venting, I'm planning on order this prius kit (http://www.elearnaid.com/pakitforinop.html) and adapting it to the vent hose just to be on the safe side.

The reason for the 75/25, it looks to be the same basic dimensions of the 35 (store said it was same except 35 has terminals reversed) plus the 75/25 has the side terminals I can use for either battery maintainer, inverter, or something else.

I'm installing the battery tomorrow. I'll install the vent kit later.

 

don't see any vent kit in your link. See negative cable and have no idea why you need it. yellow tops are direct fit. every single one I saw here in stores has same configuration poles as OEM Panasonic, plus two side terminals in the front.
Beats me.

 

OK, I did some close looksie at my battery yesterday. It appears that right hand, negative cable, is nothing but a short cable connected to the vehicle chassis, right below the battery.
left, red, positive one, is connected to some plate, with another connection to power cable. Don't care what it is, simply makes it more awkward to connect backup battery while replacing OEM one.
I fgured, I'll have U-shaped terminals connected to thicker gauge wires, then have those connected to positive and negative(this one down on the chassis), whilst engine runs, so that alternator is powering everything. This will provide me with solid attached jumper cables to connect to backup battery (I have deep cycle marine available, with wing nut terminals, very easy to wrap wire around them and bolt into place), connect backup, then swap out batteries. Then disconnect jumpers same way, with engine running.
Except that I checked voltage on mine right after I pulled back into garage after short drive, and it shows 12.8V, so I might be quite away from replacing it.
Just sharing idea.

 

OK, so I looked at this again and again:
As for venting, I'm planning on order this prius kit (http://www.elearnaid.com/pakitforinop.html) and adapting it to the vent hose just to be on the safe side.

and though I do truly appreciate post and effort, but here's my concerns (before others hop on buying them)
1. Optimas DO NOT have provisions for vents. Kit does mention "vent plug" but we had one OptimaJim, apparently Optima's sale rep, clearly stating lack of those provisions in multiple posts
2. Says "Prius" all over it. I have no idea what battery Prius has, and what terminals, as kit continuously refers to Japanese post on battery. I am assuming, it's still a Panasonic, AGM deep cycle, but is it bigger, smaller, or else?
3. Some members here already dropped new Optimas into their trunks without buying any cables.
Just my grenade tossed in. Sorry. No big deal 20 bucks, but why?

 

2008 put together by moonshiners.

Still hangin in there at 123,000. I'm sure it could die any day. I keep waiting for the tell tale signs.

I plan to go the "Optima Route" when the original croaks.