2004 4Runner still on OEM Panasonic battery

[TC4Rnr]

04 150K, original Panasonic battery, hot, cold you name it.

 

[Jed]

It says in big red letters TOYOTA . And except for the date code and acid warning decal it says nothing . There is no stamping into the plastic anywhere . I REALLY wanted to know who mfger'd this battery !! The truck has also been garaged 90% of the time since new so maybe not sitting outside in the winter has helped its longevity . Regardless , I think I will replace it before this winter comes along .

That sounds like the replacement batteries that are sold at Toyota dealerships. I'm not sure who manufactures them, but I do know that there are only a handful of battery manufacturers for virtually every brand sold in the U.S.

 

[bp1021]

I have a 04 sport at 115k and it's still running on the Panasonic Battery.

 

[Jed]

Wow, I'm really amazed at how many of the early 4th gen 4Runners are still running around with the original battery. That's awesome. I guess my battery isn't out of the ordinary.... The strange thing is that batteries in all my other cars only last 3 to 4 years maximum.

 

[Fuzion]

04 with original Panasonic battery!

 

[skibama]

Funny...I was about to post the same thing until I saw this thread. My '05 has 64k miles and the original battery. It shows no sign of dying, but I'm still wondering if it's time to change. Now I'm more confused than ever.

 

[wrunner]

04 Still on original battery after 136k miles. Starts like a champ every time.

 

[charlier180]

After reading this thread I have to wonder two things:

First, how many vehicle owners still own the same vehicle after 6 or 7 years??

Second, How many of those (non-Toyota) owners have had to replace their original battery by now and maybe even the replacement battery as well?

Hmmmmm, Gotta Wonder.....

 

[MikesToy]

'03 with OEM battery since new. Hope it'll last for another 7 years or so since i topped it off with real battery acid 4 months ago. :snacker:

 

[Jed]

'03 with OEM battery since new. Hope it'll last for another 7 years or so since i topped it off with real battery acid 4 months ago. :snacker:

Oh no, not the 'real battery acid' debate again! LOL, I'm actually surprised that you didn't damage your battery by adding more acid to it.

For anyone else who finds his/her battery level low-- just add distilled water to it. The only thing that evaporates in a lead/acid battery is water. Adding anything other than water will affect the chemistry of the battery and do more harm than good.

 

[2003-4x4runner]

03 runner

Im going on 7 years with 106,000 miles with no problems. I just added water to the battery and still going strong, (knock on wood)

 

[colombo]

Had 2000 VW Passat. Sold in 2010 with its original battery. No probs with battery whatsoever.
Let's see if our Runners bit this.

 

[kymover]

153K Still got the blue eye

2003 v8 153k battery still in good shape:boxer:

 

[jwyshrek]

Oh no, not the 'real battery acid' debate again! LOL, I'm actually surprised that you didn't damage your battery by adding more acid to it.

For anyone else who finds his/her battery level low-- just add distilled water to it. The only thing that evaporates in a lead/acid battery is water. Adding anything other than water will affect the chemistry of the battery and do more harm than good.

Aren't the OEM batteries suppose to be 'maintenance free'?

 

[Jed]

Aren't the OEM batteries suppose to be 'maintenance free'?

Not really. There are removable caps under the stickers...you can add water if needed.

 

[peter78]

I noticed the Panasonic battery in my 04. I have had good luck with Panasonic stuff.

My 2001 needed a new battery early 2009, so that was 8 years. My guess is that I might see some trouble with the 04 in 2012. Maybe, the Panasonic will last longer??

 

[nyc4runnin]

As the title says, my '04 is still going strong on the original Panasonic battery. Even after a summer of record heat here in NY, the battery shows no signs of dying. I did a 15-second load test on it yesterday and the needle didn't even budge!!

How long can we expect these batteries to last? Anyone else on the OEM battery after seven years?

i too am on the original battery and i have a 2004 sport edition with approx 75k miles !

 

[Lou]

2004 V6 Sport with the original battery. I wonder if I should change the battery as a maintenance item, but seems like these are rock solid batteries.

I've had much shorter life with other new car batteries -- Porsche battery lasted 3 years and had to replace last year. Porsche will warrenty the battery if you drive over 6000 miles per year (4 year warrenty), if you drive less, no coverage. Seems like most 4runners are driven regularly, maybe that contributes to the long life the Panasonic batteries have?

 

[teampwr2]

I Just replaced my original ..I have 2005 awesome batteries

 

[zosdog]

Just searching to buy a Panasonic battery for my 2000, and tripped accross this thread. Back in 2008 (at 125,000 mi.) I wondered how much longer I could go on my original. Died a month later. Later, failure analysis confirmed that lack of knocking on wood was the main contributing factor.