Battery, my head is spinning after reading for a week

[look171]

Original Panasonic battery, but start to see some corrosion. Its 2010. Will be going up to Yosemite for a couple of weeks with family this Christmas. If truck doesn't start, I don't want to hear it from my wife because I have two young kids. I am tired of acid eating up things in the engine bay, but have not had too much luck with Optima Yellow Tops. Two died on me within 3 years. One in my daily driver, the other sits and gets driven once a month on a maintainer. I like:

Diehard Platinum but can't deal with lengthening the wires right now with work and leaving in two weeks.

Exide AGM (I know nothing about them but their price is a few bucks less then the Diehard). There's the Group 24F or bigger for additional capacity but don't know if it will fit without simple mods? Any suggestions.

I want a larger and a dead reliable battery for that long drive into Alaska in the next coming year or two with a bunch of crap in tow.

With these AGM or diehard batteries, do I need to use a special charger and charge them once every so often or will the alternator do its job just by driving it normally. 20-45 min are my normal driving adventures. I own a regular auto charger. My days of getting out into the remote deserts are over.

Any tips welcome.

Jeff

 

[1engineer]

Original Panasonic battery, but start to see some corrosion. Its 2010. Will be going up to Yosemite for a couple of weeks with family this Christmas. If truck doesn't start, I don't want to hear it from my wife because I have two young kids. I am tired of acid eating up things in the engine bay, but have not had too much luck with Optima Yellow Tops. Two died on me within 3 years. One in my daily driver, the other sits and gets driven once a month on a maintainer. I like:

Diehard Platinum but can't deal with lengthening the wires right now with work and leaving in two weeks.

Exide AGM (I know nothing about them but their price is a few bucks less then the Diehard). There's the Group 24F or bigger for additional capacity but don't know if it will fit without simple mods? Any suggestions.

I want a larger and a dead reliable battery for that long drive into Alaska in the next coming year or two with a bunch of crap in tow.

With these AGM or diehard batteries, do I need to use a special charger and charge them once every so often or will the alternator do its job just by driving it normally. 20-45 min are my normal driving adventures. I own a regular auto charger. My days of getting out into the remote deserts are over.

Any tips welcome.

Jeff

You have trouble with aftermarket batteries. You have an OEM battery that lasted 5 years which is average life and it gave you no trouble. You have no special needs as you don't go far off the beaten path. You don't have time or you just don't want to do any mods. Buy an OEM Panasonic. No brainer.

 

[bloodninja]

Why not Duralast? Outstanding warranties, and you just waltz into an AutoZone for replacement if it comes to that

 

[philsey]

^ This. Don't make it so hard.

 

[look171]

I have no issue with a standard battery, I like a seal, gel, AGM battery. Tired of having to deal with battery acid. Had an old Red top Optima in my Land Cruiser for years and it was one hell of a battery. It started the truck each and every time, even in the cold out in the boonies after its been jarred to hell out in our local desert.

 

[1engineer]

I have no issue with a standard battery, I like a seal, gel, AGM battery. Tired of having to deal with battery acid. Had an old Red top Optima in my Land Cruiser for years and it was one hell of a battery. It started the truck each and every time, even in the cold out in the boonies after its been jarred to hell out in our local desert.

What battery acid?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

1) The factory battery in my 2002 gave up the ghost at 11 years. Yes, 11 years, in Colorado. Well, it didn't really give up the ghost or leave me stranded - I started to notice it was losing it's cold weather balls.
2) I have owned one Optima (replacement for the above) and it performed flawlessly.

Flip a coin AND the warranty on a new battery is your friend.

 

[Lester Lugnut]

Buy an OEM Panasonic. No brainer.

I thoroughly agree, but have found they are not available in the U. S. as per an email conversation I had with one of their employees. If you know of a U. S. source, please post.

For me, the dealer-provided Toyota True Start batteries have proven to be less than reliable. Went thru 4 of them on an '06 Avalon - no mods - driven frequently.

 

[TrailPJ]

I've not replaced the battery in my 2010, however in previous 4runners & other vehicles, I've used Interstate batteries and had no complaints.

 

[Cheers!]

I have owned 2 optima batteries... Both were brand new in 2001/2002. Both served me well before I sold my 2 cars last year. So it was 14ish years of use with zero trouble. I had heard that the newer optima batteries were not as good as the old ones. I don't know... I have no experience with the new ones.

With that said, I'm a fan of ODYSSEY battery - Official Manufacturer's Site
They are dry cell batteries. Made in USA. I just bought a PC680 (super small, light weight battery for my s2000 from them). There was a sale during black friday, about 17% off I think it was...

I'd see what the equivalent stock OEM battery is that Odyssey offers, and order it via Amazon or directly from Odyssey's online store. I didn't even have to pay a core charge for the PC680, and it was $100... compared to $140 for a group51R for Optima, Honda OEM @ $110... etc...


edit.. Looks like the OEM equiv is this one:
http://shop.odysseybattery.com/p/34r-pc1500t?pp=12

Amazon has it for $268...
http://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-34-PC...F8&qid=1450065219&sr=8-2&keywords=34R-PC1500T

Not sure what your budget is... But I would not hesitate getting a Odyssey

 

[look171]

I have owned 2 optima batteries... Both were brand new in 2001/2002. Both served me well before I sold my 2 cars last year. So it was 14ish years of use with zero trouble. I had heard that the newer optima batteries were not as good as the old ones. I don't know... I have no experience with the new ones.

With that said, I'm a fan of ODYSSEY battery - Official Manufacturer's Site
They are dry cell batteries. Made in USA. I just bought a PC680 (super small, light weight battery for my s2000 from them). There was a sale during black friday, about 17% off I think it was...

I'd see what the equivalent stock OEM battery is that Odyssey offers, and order it via Amazon or directly from Odyssey's online store. I didn't even have to pay a core charge for the PC680, and it was $100... compared to $140 for a group51R for Optima, Honda OEM @ $110... etc...


edit.. Looks like the OEM equiv is this one:
34R-PC1500T*| ODYSSEY Batteries

Amazon has it for $268...
Amazon.com: Odyssey 34-PC1500T Automotive and LTV Battery: Automotive

Not sure what your budget is... But I would not hesitate getting a Odyssey

Thanks, I will look into that. I had a Yellow Top Optima in my S2000 also. it just gave up the ghost abbout a month ago. I was under warranted but was just by 3 weeks. I drive it a couple of times a week so I was wondering if the alternator was not doing enough killing it in the process. The Alternator cheeked out fine.

 

[look171]

What battery acid?

this and it will turn into this if not taken care of it. If you have more info or something you can tell me, please don't hold back.

 

[look171]

sorry, wrong photo. My other ongoing stuff.

 

[77Bronc]

Thanks, I will look into that. I had a Yellow Top Optima in my S2000 also. it just gave up the ghost abbout a month ago. I was under warranted but was just by 3 weeks. I drive it sa couple of times a week.

This Odyssey battery looks very interesting, I have never heard of them until reading this post.

77

 

[look171]

what causes the corrosion? Leaky acid? With my previous sealed batteries, I have never had that problem, only on convention batteries.

 

[Cheers!]

The Odyssey PC680 is infamous with the light weight roadster crowds (Miata, Lotus Elise, S2000, etc)... A lot of racers use them in like BMW 3 series where the only electricals usually are the ECU, radios, track logging.

It's been pretty well used for I would say 13+ years by the racer community. Most have since moved onto Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries (LFX36L3-BS12 - Shorai Lithium Batteries). The PC680 weighs like 15 lbs vs the 22 lbs for the s2000 panasonic group 51R battery. The Shorai battery weighs 5 lbs!

This thread here on T4R talks about the Odyssey batteries, and how the Sears Die Hard Platinum is a rebranded Odyssey
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/132655-odyssey-vs-diehard-platinum-batteries.html

 

[philsey]

My oem bty leaked, but I figured out it was because I'd had it out a couple times and had cranked that top bracket down too tightly.

 

[flyinhawaiian01]

I have an Odyssey in every vehicle I own now, including the 4r. Fantastic batteries and much better than Optima, as their quality dropped out of sight for a while around the '00's. Not sure if their quality is back again, nor do I want to find out the hard way.

I have the group 34 in my 4r now, it doesn't mind sitting for weeks at a time in the garage without being started. The wife's Honduh gets daily use (92 mile round trip for work each day) and the Odyssey in there has not had one issue yet, now going on 3 years for it. She's left the interior lights on overnight a few times now, which resulted in draining the battery (there are literally 14 interior lights in her van!), but a quick jump and it pulls right back up to proper voltage with one trip to work!

They're not cheap, but you won't have corrosion at your terminals (so long as you clean them really, REALLY well before you put the new battery in! Baking soda is your friend here) and you shouldn't have to worry about starting the 4r for many years.

 

[Titanpat57]

Pretty sure Odyssey makes Sear...buy once, cry once. I also think the Sears has the terminals on the right side. I put a Group 31 in my 2010 and ended up only straightening out the lead to make it fit. The Sears has been in the truck 5 years now.

 

[flyinhawaiian01]

Terminals are correct on mine, this is a 34R-PC1500, no need to pull wires or stretch/extend them at all. The R means reversed terminals.

Price was $255, shipped directly to me, from Apex Battery (High Quality Low Price Battery: SLA, UPS, Motorcycle & More | ApexBattery.com).

I've ordered 3 from them so far, they were great with the first two, but the last one was delayed due to something with their ordering system. Their ordering site is clunky, but its safe.

Not sure what Sears is selling them for, probably pretty close to that though, and they are indeed the same manufacturer for both brands, so either will be good. I'd go with whichever is cheaper/easier to get.