Best automotive replacement batteries according to redditors
We found 128 Reddit comments discussing the best automotive replacement batteries. We ranked the 70 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 128 Reddit comments discussing the best automotive replacement batteries. We ranked the 70 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
In the long run they're all dead. 😁 However, these packs tend to have a few weak cells and the rest will last a long time. There are 28 cells in the second-gen Prius for example, and you can buy a cell for about $40 on Amazon. It takes about 2 hours to test all the cells to find the weak ones, and if only two cells are weak it's $80 in parts. The question is labor and warranty. If you're a shade-tree mechanic replacing cells is a huge win since labor costs are low.
Tech from ND here, you need to test the cold cranking amperage (cca) of your battery. I’m betting it’s pretty low. Most car parts stores will test it for you. Then when you end up replacing it look for a battery with higher than 800 cca. They are obviously more expensive but pretty necessary in your climate. To further combat your issue, they make battery heaters that are similar to a block heater, basically a sleeve you put over the battery and plug into the wall when you know it’s gonna be cold.
https://www.amazon.com/Kats-22200-Watt-Battery-Thermal/dp/B000I8XD9E
Test your 12V Battery by following these instructions.
http://priusdiy.com/tutorials/MFD/12vbatterycheck.html
You want to test 3 things. The voltage in accessory mode, the voltage with a load, and the voltage while charging (engine on).
The Prius 12v is known to die more often than it should. It's wise to replace it with something a little more rugged. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E16M1S8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is NOT the high voltage traction battery that costs thousands. This is the battery that runs the computer, accessories and starts the car.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010GKJ8F6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you dont mind ordering online replaced my 12v on my 2005 with this, took about 15min.
$148.56 with tax and coupon applied.
Very cool, nice work! I built something similar for adsb, but eventually had to switch out my SLA UPS battery for a LiFePo. The daily solar charging cycle was hell on the SLA and killed its capacity over a few months.
It's a car battery carrier: https://www.amazon.com/Lang-Tools-B-600-Battery-Carrier/dp/B000JFN9MC
My neighbor recently bought this:
https://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8020-164-Starting-Battery/dp/B000MS9VZK
And the negative terminal was loose so he returned it. Amazon required him to pay return shipping which was IIRC over $40. Good luck getting credit for the return shipping.
I changed my starter and battery when I changed my coils and plugs. Starts instantly now and there's no more hot start issue.
The starter was cheap, like $100. Don't buy the starter from Mazda, they quoted me $400 for it. But the battery was about $160. Just make sure your battery has enough power.
Here's the battery I got
Optima Batteries 8020-164 35 RedTop Starting Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MS9VZK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_kCy-wb2GSERYB
Power from an RV post is typically referred to as 'shore power'. This instructible is about adding shore power to a vehicle, however he doesn't add an inverter to connect it up to his car battery. If you took one of the power lines and ran it to an ac to dc inverter you could then run it to charge the car battery. You could also add in a deep cycle marine battery to store power when no shore power is available. You would want to add the battery in the circuit so it's before the internal power plugs.
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I hope this helps you find an answer you are looking for!
>This is the most ridiculous argument I’ve ever heard.
57% of US Greenhouse emissions come from transportation and electricity. Both you can absolutely change yourself. Nothing is stopping you from buying an EV and solar panels with a storage system. And in fact it is cheaper to do so now.
Lets focus on electricity, the average daily electricity consumption of a US residential utility customer is 10 kWh. (Which is very high, but whatever) that means that in a year it will be 3650 kWh. If we price it at 13 cents per kWh that's 475 USD per year. Or a total of 38K USD in 80 years (average lifetime of american).
A 5KW solar panel array will cost you 4.1K USD, in a good day it will produce about 25 kWh. Those will last 25 years. (they will still work after 25 years, just that their output drops about 1% each year).
A 10KWh lifepo4 battery will cost you 4.8K USD. This one will give you 10 000 charge cycles with a 65% DoD (that is about 6.5 kWh each night from the battery), 10 000 charge cycles is 27 years. In reality it might last longer because I don't think you're going to pull more than 6kWh each night out of the battery.
The reason why the battery is 10 kWh and the array produces 25 kWh is because it is an off grid system, so you need the extra to get by during cloudy days and the extra size of the battery helps with the cycle life. If you're going to be on a grid tie system you don't need the battery, and the array can be much smaller.
Giving that the average american lives about 80 years, that means that the battery and panels would have to be replace 3 times (in reality you don't really have to replace it all, those products will still work after 25 years, just that their output power and capacity wont be the same).
Either way, multiplying the total of the panels and battery (8.9K USD) by 3 gives 26.7K USD. 30% less of what you would otherwise pay on electricity with the somewhat overkill conditions I used. And of course you don't have to go and dump 8.9K USD at once, you can start with a small system that can be expanded in the future.
And I haven't touch wind power, microwind turbines are cheaper than solar panels and don't need as much battery storage. If you live in an area with average wind speeds over 8mph they are absolutely worth it.
Edit: Just in case, I know I didn't add the cost of the inverter and the solar controller, those two don't have that much of an impact in the total either way.
Worth noting that even though a grid tie system sounds better than an off grid one, it's got several issues, at large scale it isn't easy to implement because the utility company will have to deal administrating the extra production of the solar panels (which doesn't match with the peak hours of demand), also if the grid goes down you can't get power out of the panels as well. It all goes down. And finally you might end up paying back to the electric company because they usually pay you less for the kWh that you produce, as well charge you more in peak hours.
Edit2. The batteries as well can be gotten way cheaper by buying them used, there are lots of those. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L43bArxyszU
Edit3: Here are the panels and batteries that I used for my calculations.
https://www.amazon.com/Richsolar-Polycrystalline-Efficiency-Module-Marine/dp/B07DNP14JY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=100W+rich+solar&qid=1565595960&s=gateway&sr=8-3
(50 of those for a 5KW array).
Battery: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PV5FCYX/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_pMruDb244PVQ
12.8V 100AH (1.28 kWh) 600$. (8 of those for 10 kWh). Need BMS.
I also realized of an error in the calculations and the total of the panels is way less, either way even with the mistake it was 10% cheaper than the grid.
Cheapest I could find was around $160. That's just criminal to charge that much for a small battery.
I picked it up off Amazon because I had gift cards.
Link
The main thing I'm picking up on is secondary battery voltage is 12.5, and main battery voltage is 13 volts when the car is at idle. I'm going to assume the battery isolator is a diode; a diode will drop .7 volts. Replace isolator with a relay version with some thing like this, just make sure it has the 4 connections.
Next is going to be wire size. For 200 amps, you need big wire. Big wire going from the alternator, to the isolator, to the second battery, and finally to the DC load. Also keep the wire distance as short as possible. I'd recommend 2/0 welder cable.
Battery. Even with the car/truck running you are asking a lot from the secondary battery. Go with a good / expensive battery. Your looking for a deep cell battery. I don't know much about batteries, but this one looks good.
Slightly more complicated, but you can also just replace some or all of the bad cells. There are about 28 of them in a 2nd generation, selling for about $36 each.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5ey4QX6L_8
https://www.amazon.com/HYBRID-PARTS-Hybrid-Battery-Module/dp/B01M2X2ZXF
Looks like the difference is ampere hours and physical size. Amazon says 10 amp hours for the ytx12-bs, 12 amp hours for the ytx14-bs, and 18 amp hours for the ytx20-bs. Just put in your bike and it should tell you what fits, I just got the ytx12-bs for my '08 naked, so will see how well it does in a couple days.
Two 158w PV Panels - $268.00
ECO-WORTHY 20A 12V/24V MPPT Solar Charge Controller - $102.00
2 to 4 (as you can afford them) - Optima Batteries D31M 75AH Battery - $218.85 each
Whistler Pro-2500W 2,500 Watt Power Inverter - $193.46
You need to also get what ever you need to mount the panels on what ever surface your choose to put them on. Use cheap flexible copper pipe to connect the batteries together rather than paying for expensive heavy duty battery cables. You will need heavy duty cabling to connect the controller to the battery bank and the bank to the inverter. Keep those runs as short as you can. Get a few good heavy gauge 100' extension cords to run from the inverter to you appliances. Batteries are temperature sensitive, so if you keep them outside, build and insulated box for them.
EDIT:FYI - the links that have Amazon referral codes are from Steve Harris's website battery1234.com which has tons of good info about just this thing. I left the codes there since I pulled the info from his site.
> USB rechargeable AA batteries - $24.99 - https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Automotive-CA-9910PK4-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B019IN7T80/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia?keywords=usb+aa+battery&pd_rd_i=B019IN7T80&pd_rd_r=c0790814-84e8-414e-809b-26ac53dc99eb&pd_rd_w=8uKwJ&pd_rd_wg=qP4Ds&pf_rd_p=f0479f98-a32d-45cd-9c12-7aaced42b1ec&pf_rd_r=698WK4R73H0VQTCM2X5M&qid=1557857201&s=gateway If you are on the go having a portable battery charger and these batteries means as long as you have access to USB ports you have your controllers recharged in no time. Recharge time is fast too about 30 - 45 minutes
r/AAMasterRace. The best AA rechargeable batteries, in my opinion, are these ones:
seconded. that's exactly what i replaced my factory one with back in January
https://smile.amazon.com/Hybrid-Battery-Module-Toyota-Chrysler/dp/B01M2X2ZXF?sa-no-redirect=1
If you ran the battery totally dry, it's hosed. You need a new one.
Now, I don't know the year of your bike, but a 2012 Ninja 650R can use the YUASA YTX12-BS
I used this selection tool
A quick check found it for ~$68 on Amazon
Revzilla recommends a slightly different model for the same 2012 650R for about $112, although I've found Amazon often has them cheaper. Don't trust Amazon to tell you if it'll fit correctly, however. They got it wrong for my Triumph but Revzilla and Yausa both agreed on a part number.
I'd put in your specific Year/Model into one of those two websites and order a dry-charged battery. You'll need to get a trickle charger that'll do 0.75A or 1A at most, and it'll probably take an overnight cycle for the initial charge before you can install it.
For the longest while, I was bitten by the Car Audio bug. I used to to run a 900 watt inverter in my Camry, with two 7 inch LED screens and a 1500 watts of amplifiers.
When I first started, I'd get an hour or two before the low voltage warning, but this was on the vehicle battery which was at that point several years old.
Later, I added a trunk mounted second battery with an isolator, which ran all of the auxiliary electronics when the engine wasn't running. With a fresh deep cycle battery, I'd get 4 or 5 hours before the warning.
A sealed lead acid battery can still leak, especially if you overcharge it. For what you want, it sounds like you want a Deep Cycle AGM battery, like an Optima Blue Top. Clearly the battery isn't going to be cheap, so don't skimp on the charger either. A bad charger will kill your new $200+ battery faster than anything else.
So the 5 gallon water tank lasts you all day?
So, let's shave that 4 hour run time down to a mere 1 hour, and you'll have plenty forever. Building it smaller (since you're only building ONE of these systems) doesn't save you a whole lot:
Loads per day: 32.5 Watt-hours.
Days without sun: 3
Hours of sun per day: 4
Panel needed: ~25 Watts. (You only need ~8 watts for your load, but I figure you'd want to recover from a cloudy day or three with only one day of full sun, so that's where the extra wattage comes in!)
Battery Storage Needed: ~100 Watt-hours; a 35 amp-hour, 12-volt battery would be fine, and keep you above 75% SoC most of the time. Long as the cart's outside and in the sun every day, the battery will last a long time!
Charge Controller: Cheap 10 amp PWM still works.
A specific shopping list because I'm waiting on a video to render before I can get on with my night:
Solar Panel:
https://www.amazon.com/Monocrystalline-Newpowa-Quality-Module-Marine/dp/B01M9B6RQI/
Charge Controller:
www.amazon.com/PowerEZ-Controller-Battery-Intelligent-Regulator/dp/B074TB6FS8/
Battery:
https://www.amazon.com/Powersonic-PS-12350NB-Battery-Nut-Bolt-Connector/dp/B0010AI3LM/
Water Pump:
https://www.amazon.com/Seaflo-Diaphragm-Pressure-Caravan-Marine/dp/B00DLKT4OO/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1522996286&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=SeaFlo+water+pump&psc=1&smid=A3EBZ5HHZPL73
Wire:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0YDC6K/
This isn't copper, it's CCA, but for this amount of current really... :/ You're talking only a few amps at only a few feet, so it should be fine. (I mean, you're gonna get max less than 2 amps from that panel down to the controller, so really, you're not going to be pushing anything.
You can also use landscaping wire, if your hardware store carries 12 AWG landscaping wire. It's good for random small solar projects, or cut apart an old 12 AWG extension cord. (Or even 14 AWG if it's pure copper.)
Use the yellow top optima Prius battery.
Optima Batteries 8171-767 (DS46B24R) YellowTop Prius Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006VFEJJQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-3r5AbW7FJ68P
>with 75min reserve capacity... yet it only has 66min reserve capacity.
That smells like an advertising gimmick, if you test it after charging the battery to 15.0V or 14.5V down to 10.5V then obviously you get longer service, I wouldn't worry too much about that.
>Whats the best deepcycle 12v battery i can get.
You could look at the size of the battery tray under the hood (and available height) if a larger battery will fit, that should improve reserve capacity.
Another thing to look at is the number of charge/discharge cycles, ...and 300+ discharge/recharge cycles, cheap to buy could mean expensive to replace often.
You can pick one up from Amazon for $156
https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-ACDB24R-Advantage-Automotive-Battery/dp/B010GKJ8F6
Installation is fairly easy. What the other guy said is true that the CCA's doesn't mean anything in a Prius as it is only used to power electronics and not to start the ICE itself like a normal car.
Plug in battery blanket
I went with this battery and this panel. I really only need electric for charging my phone when I'm not doing that at the library, charging my laptop, and running a small fan that will be on a timer as I am falling asleep. I'm thinking this battery bank and solar panel will be able to supply me with more than enough of what I need.
$100 panels https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HHDC6NQ/
$20 charge controller https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MU0WMGT/
$100 marine battery https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008974VFG/
$150 ac inverter 2000watt https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0716WT8D5/
I suppose something like this would be useful for carrying one battery at a time. However, my team (and I think most teams) have a cart that we use to carry all of our batteries around. They're rarely being carried on their own.
Like PatAunces said, you're battery is probably dead. Hopefully it's not dead dead.
If you have accesses to an outlet here are a couple of items that will make future cold starts easier:
Battery Thermal Wrap
Universal Hot Pad Heater
You could also look into picking up a battery charger that supports trickle charges and leave it on your battery over night.
I have an old SUV that sits outside and only gets driven every other month. I disconnect the battery when I park it. If I don't the battery is dead in less than a week.
Or one of these
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I8XD9E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_bb-MwbA6QYQ3M
The yellow warning light started turning on and staying on- I think it means there is a problem with charging but for me it just meant my new 12V battery was going to die. I purchased a better one and he dealer gave me my money back for the dead 12V battery I had just purchased last year.
This one is working for me so far: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013ZGZ9Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ones like these use solid cells.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000MSDKMA?cache=b17de3e5c7d081ecf4596c51ddc9dc18&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1411819313&sr=8-8#ref=mp_s_a_1_8
Replacing a 12v battery is incredibly easy. Assuming you have a 3rd gen you can get this battery for $150, I'd imagine one for the 2nd gen would be similarly priced and maybe even the same battery. Dealers overcharge like crazy for mechanic service. I'm sure you can find some for the 3rd gen as well, but for the 2nd gen there's this cooling fan assembly for $250. No idea how easy it is to swap that out, but I'd imagine it's not impossible to do on your own, and I think it'd be worth the $490 difference.
Not sure if this is good enough, but I recently put this battery into my prius:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E16M1S8?sa-no-redirect=1&pldnSite=1
The prius 12v battery is inside the cabin (in the trunk area) so it wasn't a normal lead acid battery.
I bought this one on Amazon last week. I installed it in my 2010 myself in 45 minutes and I'm a shitty mechanic. $168
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010GKJ8F6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
There is a tutorial to scratch build an Optima battery, and it is quite simple. Let me see if I can find it.
Edit: here is a tutorial.
Yes, I just had this happen to me and it's the 12V battery. Somewhat easy to change on your own. You can test the charge using the tutorial that was posted by /u/youmustlikeit. If you're doing it yourself, get the Optima battery. It's better both in quality and in price than the OEM.
absorbant glass mat, which was in my 07 and seems to be in most, but not sure about Gen 1, if that's what you have. I used this for my 07
This battery ($65) yuasa or this battery ($41) Chrome pro? Regulator = $45. Stator $100+. Reg and stator combo = $105. So do I even need the stator? Thanks!
I can attest to this (GEN II). I just had mine drop on me without any warning. It costs $147 on amazon right now, just ordered mine and I plan to replace it this weekend. Mine has lasted nearly 8 years, so I guess I have that going for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Kats-22200-Watt-Battery-Thermal/dp/B000I8XD9E
Also get an engine block heater. It will change your life.
I found a couple of really good looking battery deals, what do you think of them? Are they sketchy?
https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Lithium-Phosphate-Off-Grid-Applications/dp/B07QZGFP2S/?th=1
https://www.amazon.com/lithium-LiFePO4-Battery-Electric-Batteries/dp/B07LBFQGKX/?th=1
Do you think the extra $100 is worth the pre-packaged BMS on the 12v100ah options?
I am also thinking about getting the Maxxair 5100 through Amazon, the manual opening one. The reviews on Amazon seem to indicate that if the fan fails it's really hard to get service/replacement. Does anyone have experience with this?
What do you all think of just taking out the starter battery and replacing it with a lithium one, and using that for the house battery?
Some questions:
Btw, you ever thought about posting a guide on YouTube? It would be really helpful as a lot of people are interested in your setup!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07Q7FY8CC?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title - I have 3 of these in a small solar generator and they are great.
There are also some others at 20-24ah, that are still a great deal, they cost slightly more per amp hour, but you'd have to deal with a lot less pieces - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01789E04C/?coliid=I1QX6CCTTOJ8RB&colid=2OEPQQYET9SJ6&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Deals are out there, you just have to do the extra work to offset the cost savings
Fix your ridiculous battery mount and bring it indoors.
Otherwise you need a thermally regulated heater.
https://www.amazon.com/Kats-22200-Watt-Battery-Thermal/dp/B000I8XD9E
You can prevent your battery from freezing by insulting it just the way you would insulate yourself.
They can be very nice in cold climates, especially for diesels
Battery, case, socket, splitter, charger
While it costs more than the orion/celestron ones, the battery is of much higher quality, it's more than twice the capacity, easily replaceable parts etc.
210ah for $210 is a pretty good deal. But if they are used, don't do it--never buy a used battery unless you exactly how much they are used and HOW they are used.
EDIT: here it is on Amazon, 5 star reviews out of 6 reviews, so pretty good battery I'd say. http://www.amazon.com/Powersonic-PS-12350NB-Battery-Nut-Bolt-Connector/dp/B0010AI3LM
Is this what you're talking about?
Optima Batteries 8016-103 D34M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00075OSCO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nhU7xbPHX62JK
Thank you for the detailed explanation. I have found this option for a 12v battery:
https://www.amazon.com/Miady-Phosphate-Rechargeable-Self-discharge-Replacement/dp/B07Q7FY8CC
Which would then require a charger as well...
Or this option for a boost regulator:
https://www.amazon.com/DROK-90483-Voltage-Regulator-Converter/dp/B00C4QVTNU
I think I will try the later, based on this guy's YouTube explanation: https://youtu.be/jLia59KfkSw
Thanks!
Wow, how the heck did you know!?!
https://www.amazon.com/Hybrid-Battery-Module-Toyota-Chrysler/dp/B01M2X2ZXF
I was thinking something along lines of this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UFXHQI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3nGMAbT1DKVYR
This battery has 66 AH so this could run a fan for 12 hours as long as its under 2 amps or so.
Another option would be a dual battery system that you could charge from your alternator. This battery would be completely separate from your starting battery. This would also be cheaper than a solar system. I did something like this in my van:
https://youtu.be/1zrwHyy4qyY
No issues with the lithiums compared to the other batteries and they last ridiculously long times. They actually maintain 1.5v voltage curve right to the end. https://www.amazon.ca/Pilot-Automotive-CA-9910PK4-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B019IN7T80
These but you can find them cheaper elsewhere.
Take them apart and load the test the cells individually. Individual Prius Cell
. Full 'remanufactured' battery pack
Odyssey 34-PC1500T Automotive and LTV Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00249CSS2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_26PTBb2MTSTN9
My setup gets me all week at Boy Scout summer camp and at the end of the week I have 50% charge left.
I got this Minnkota marine box as it has a battery meter and 2 12v outlets so I can also charge my cell phone overnight.
MinnKota Trolling Motor Power Center https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PTHKMG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1dFGAbAVBTZ2S
I then put this battery in the box - I got mine cheaper but sure you can find something similar.
Optima Batteries 8027-127 D27M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UFXHQI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dgFGAbQTVN7N5
I use this charger to keep it charged.
Stanley BC1509 15 Amp Automatic Battery Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001U04MSU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WhFGAbSQBHCC5
I hadn't said that someone else did. Here is what I currently have...
https://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8016-103-BlueTop-Starting/dp/B00075OSCO/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B8L6EFA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UXM6F22/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So there is 3 different types of Optima batteries, Red/yellow/blue.
Red: Normal cranking battery.
Yellow: Dual purpose cranking/deepcycle starting and for supporting energy consuming accessories.
Use yellow top when electrical loads are higher than average or when the discharge cycle is more than a typical engine starting battery, and vehicle with significant electrical loads that may exceed the alternator output need the yellow top battery. This could also include vehicles that have a lot of electronics from the factory such as a mini van with power sliding doors, a dvd player. Especially if the dvd player is used when the engine isn't running.
When in doubt use the yellow top battery.
Blue: Either a dedicated starting or a deepcycle battery marine/RV use.